English Language Learners and Academic Achievement: Revisiting the Threshold Hypothesis

Yuliya Ardasheva · Thomas R. Tretter · Marti Kinny

127 citations0/0 files storedLanguage Learning

No readable copy stored yet — this record is metadata only.

No open-access location is known for this record yet.

Literature note Cite in a project Citation map

Multilingual Education and Policy EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning Second Language Learning and Teaching

Abstract

This nonexperimental study explored the predictive strength of English proficiency levels on academic achievement of middle school students in a sample of 17,470 native English-speaking (NES) students, 558 English language learners (current ELLs), and 500 redesignated fluent English proficient students (former ELLs). Results of multilevel analyses indicated that after controlling for relevant student- and school-level characteristics, former ELLs significantly outperformed current ELL and NES students in reading (effect sizes: 1.07 and 0.52) and mathematics (effect sizes: 0.86 and 0.42). The results support Cummins's (1979, 2000) lower level threshold hypothesis predicting that upon reaching adequate proficiency in the language of schooling and testing, ELLs would no longer experience academic disadvantages. Refinements for the theory and directions for future research are discussed.

Paper brief

Loading…

Cite this work

Citation unavailable for this work.

BibTeX RIS CSL-JSON

No public copy is stored for this record, so only the metadata is cited.

Citations in this library

Citation map →

Stored only when both papers are in the corpus — 127 citations exist upstream.

References

2000Practical Meta-Analysis 1990The Role of Consciousness in Second Language Learning1 1959Verbal behavior. By B. F. Skinner. (The Century Psychology Series.) Pp. viii, 478. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, Inc., 1957.1979Linguistic Interdependence and the Educational Development of Bilingual Children 2000Language, Power and Pedagogy 2000Language, Power And Pedagogy: Bilingual Children in the Crossfire 2000Effectiveness of L2 Instruction: A Research Synthesis and Quantitative Meta‐analysis 1962The relation of bilingualism to intelligence.

Cited by

2016Science Achievement Gaps Begin Very Early, Persist, and Are Largely Explained by Modifiable Factors 2015Language Proficiency in Native and Non-native Speakers 2018Shared Book Reading Interventions With English Learners: A Meta-Analysis 2017Exploring Effectiveness and Moderators of Language Learning Strategy Instruction on Second Language and Self-Regulated Learning Outcomes 2014A Meta-Analysis on the Effectiveness of Bilingual Programs in Europe

Explore the map →

Papers that cite the same references — the relational fallback while embeddings are still backfilling.

Imported from OpenAlex (CC0) — nothing here is generated.