L1 and L2 proficiency in Hebrew English adolescent learners

Abstract

It thus makes sense to assume that this relationship between lexical and grammatical knowledge and reading / writing ability should apply to learning and mastering a second or foreign language, given that the necessary skills in both cases are linguistic (Chenoweth & Hayes, 2001; Dörnyei, 2005; Durgunoğlu, 2002). This assumption has been taken up by two different hypotheses. One is Cummins' Interdependence Hypothesis in bilingualism, claiming that L2 language and literacy skills are dependent in part on L1 literacy abilities, so that language skills will transfer from L1 to L2 given sufficient exposure to the L2 and motivation to learn the language