Multiliteracy in Heritage Language Speakers: The Interdependence of L1 and L2, and Extra-linguistic Factors

Abstract

Recent research provides evidence for beneficial cross-influences between L1 and L2, but we still know little about how different factors interact. Against this background, this article presents the results of a study that analyzes the interdependence of L1 and L2 text competence and the impact of metalinguistic awareness and extra-linguistic factors. The study was carried out with Italian, Greek and Turkish adolescent heritage speakers in a German-speaking environment. The data encompass narrative and argumentative texts in L1 and L2, sociolinguistic interviews and a bilingual language awareness test (LAT). The texts are analyzed according to holistic scores by defining different levels of text competences. The results indicate that students achieve a significantly higher score in both narrative and argumentative texts in L2. Moreover, there is a genre-specific advantage for the narrative text. Although there is no significant difference between the heritage language groups the Greek students achieve higher upper scores. The different levels of text competence also correlate with metalinguistic knowledge and extra-linguistic factors, most significantly writing practices and schooling in the heritage language. The results therefore provide further support for the assumption that teaching and learning heritage languages has a positive impact on school language literacy development. Other than a few mentions of Turkish speakers at the beginning I don’t see examples of their texts or conclusions about their writing.

The Interplay of Language Awareness and Bilingual Writing Abilities in Heritage Language Speakers

“…Thus, we can speculate that students with high metalinguistic awareness use their knowledge about the pragmatic use of language more consciously and are able to transfer this knowledge from one language to the other. This corroborates earlier findings claiming that pragmatic and textual conventions and textual characteristics such as coherence and cohesion are not language specific but are transferable from L1 to L2 and vice versa (Hulstijn 2015;Finkbeiner and Schluer 2018;Riehl 2020;Uluçam-Wegmann et al 2019). In contrast, the low correlation between test scores for L1 and L2 in this subtest is a function of the language specificity of semantic knowledge.…”

“…Nevertheless, that student also achieved a high score in German (level 4) and composed in a conceptual written mode. Twenty subjects obtained level 4 in the narrative text test in L1, with 4 of these scoring slightly lower in L2 (i.e., achieved level 3) and the remaining 16 either achieving the same level or a higher level (level 5, 6 students = 30%) (see Riehl 2020). These results corroborate the statistical finding showing that there is a high correlation between text competence in L1 and L2.…”

“…), aggregative syntactic patterns and elliptic constructions as well as semantically unspecific particles of linear organization. At the conceptual literate pole, elaborated, literary or academic vocabulary, and a high type-token ratio, integrative patterns, 5 and full-structured clauses and semantically specified elaborated text organizers are used (see Riehl 2020).…”

Expert Evaluation on Urgent Research on Heritage Language Education: A Comparative Study in Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain

“…Although studies show that HL learning does not hinder -but may even support -the language of schooling (Brehmer & Mehlhorn, 2017;Cummins, 2000;Krompàk, 2010;Möller, Hohenstein, Fleckenstein, Köller, & Baumert, 2017;Riehl, 2020) and subject comprehension (Schüler-Meyer, Prediger, Kuzu, Wessel, & Redder, 2019), clearly more research is desired in all five national contexts. These findings are noteworthy, however, when we consider that the relevant HLE curricula -where existing -do not outline majority language or subject comprehension skills as central aims.…”

“…However, this is not necessarily the case, particularly when teachers are not appropriately qualified, when skills are not certified, or when HLLs are offered erratically or outside of school. In her study on the influences of biliteral skills of students with Turkish, Italian, and Greek backgrounds in Germany, Riehl (2020) ascertained that extracurricular HLE only had a positive impact on writing skills in the HL when attended for seven years or more. This is explained by the weak integration of HLE into school procedures and teachers who are not 'familiar with German teaching methods and language didactics' (Riehl, 2020, p. 17).…”