Language proficiency and reading ability as predictors of academic performance of Grade 7 English second language students in submersion contexts

• Main Author: Lendrum, Julie-Ann
• Other Authors: Nchindila, Bernard Mwansa
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: 2015
• Subjects: English Second Language students; Academic performance; English language proficiency; English reading ability; Submersion contexts; Primary school learners; Content and language integrated learning; Bilingualism; Multilingualism; Linguistic interdependence; Bilingual teaching; Multilingual teaching; 372.65210968; English language > Study and teaching (Elementary) > Foreign speakers; English language > Study and teaching (Elementary) > South Africa; Academic achievement > South Africa; English language > Ability testing > South Africa; Reading (Elementary) > Ability testing > South Africa
• Online Access: Lendrum, Julie-Ann (2014) Language proficiency and reading ability as predictors of academic performance of Grade 7 English second language students in submersion contexts, University of South Africa, Pretoria, <http://hdl.handle.net/10500/19009>; http://hdl.handle.net/10500/19009

In South Africa learners do not achieve as well as their international counterparts on tests of literacy, and language proficiency is often blamed for their poor academic performance. In this study, the relationship between English language proficiency, reading ability and the academic performance of Grade 7 students in submersion contexts was investigated using quantitative methods. The participants of the study were Grade 7 students based in a former Model C school in the South African city of Johannesburg. Their English language proficiency and reading ability were measured by means of The Proficiency test English Second Language: Intermediate level and the Neale Analysis of Reading Ability tests respectively. The students’ performance on these tests was correlated with the students’ average summative assessment results using the Pearson-product moment correlation. Results showed that both English language proficiency and reading ability were significantly correlated with academic performance, with language proficiency having the most robust correlation. These findings indicate that teachers should aim at improving language proficiency by using multilingual teaching strategies that support home language as a cognitive tool. === English Studies === M. A. (TESOL)