Bilingualism, literacy and reading achievement

TLDR: The authors reviewed research related to bilingualism and literacy development and achievement and discussed findings from bilingual research regarding these factors, and concluded with recommendations for educational practice informed by the research literature, which is the cornerstone of Singapore's education system.

Abstract: Bilingualism is becoming more common worldwide, and it remains a central educational policy in Singapore. In this document, we review research related to bilingualism and literacy development and achievement. Following an ecological framework, we outline known factors contributing to literacy achievement and discuss findings from bilingual research regarding these factors. We conclude with recommendations for educational practice informed by the research literature. Section 1: Background and Introduction It has often been said that bilingualism is the cornerstone of Singapore’s education system. As a polyglot nation with citizens who speak Malay, Tamil, and Mandarin, the English language was chosen to be the language of instruction in Singapore. Thus, students in school who learn in English, while also maintaining proficiency in a mother tongue, are by definition all bilingual. But what does it mean to be bilingual? To know two languages is the simple answer, but this does not convey the nuanced definition of what it means to know a language. Nor does it capture the complexity in the different types and degrees of bilingualism that may exist on individual levels. Depending on one’s perspective, language can be seen as a “hard-wired” skill specific to our species (Pinker, 1994) or the enabler of cultural transmission in human societies (Vygotsky, as cited in Lantolf & Appel, 1994), with different implications for what it means to know a language (e.g., as an innate endowment and/ or as a socially acquired competence for communication). There is also diversity in terms of the level of fluency that any given bilingual person has with their two or more languages. Bilinguals may differ in whether they are equally proficient in their two languages (balanced/