L2 oral language shows a moderate to strong positive relationship with L2 reading comprehension for multilingual learners, and the correlation increases with age¶
Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · quant-synthesisr2·q3·i3large
Currency · newest study 2024 · checked against its sources 2026-10-20 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person
Subclaims¶
Reading the evidence codes
q is the design tier, i the impact, n the sample, and the kind with its r
the rigour judged within that kind: what each code means.
This claim: no standardized effect is recorded in observations/ for it yet, so no benchmark reading is possible.
q3 i3 A meta-analysis found a moderate to strong positive linear relationship between L2 oral language and L2 reading comprehension (r = 0.46), with the correlation increasing as children get older. → Kittle 2024
Evidence¶
Kittle 2024¶
Kittle, J. M., Amendum, S. J., & Budde, C. M. (2024). What Does Research Say About the Science of Reading for K-5 Multilingual Learners? A Systematic Review of Systematic Reviews. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-024-09942-6
q3 · i3 · quant-synthesis · r2
Meta-analysis of eight independent correlations from eight studies covering 1,039 children, most with English as the L2. The review reports "a moderate to strong positive linear relationship" with r = 0.46, p < 0.001, and that age had a significant impact, the correlation increasing as children become older.
"A meta-analysis by Melby-Lervåg and Lervåg (2011) found a moderate to strong positive linear relationship between L2 oral language and L2 reading comprehension (r = 0.46, p < 0.001)."
Discussion¶
Learner Variables¶
- Communication Skills — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes
- Oral Language — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes
- Reading and Language — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes
Related Claims¶
- English (L2) decoding shows a strong linear relationship with English reading comprehension, with the correlation decreasing as children get older — related
- L1 decoding is positively related to English reading comprehension for Spanish- and Chinese-speaking MLs, with the correlation decreasing as children get older — related
- Six component reading skills show strong average relationships with reading comprehension in struggling adult readers (rs ≥ .50) — related
- L1 (Spanish) reading comprehension is positively correlated with English reading comprehension, with the relationship weaker for students with lower English proficiency — related
- L2 oral language proficiency predicts reading comprehension more strongly than decoding skills — related
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
type |
claim |
id |
l2-oral-language-correlates-english-reading-comprehension |
title |
L2 oral language shows a moderate to strong positive relationship with L2 reading comprehension for multilingual learners, and the correlation increases with age |
description |
L2 oral language shows a moderate to strong positive relationship with L2 reading comprehension for multilingual learners, and the correlation increases with age |
status |
review |
evidence_strength |
moderate |
newest_evidence |
2024 |
source_checked |
2026-10-20 |
generated |
by process:wiki-ingest on 2026-10-20 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
sources |
1 — kittle-2024 |
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