Addressing cultural and linguistic diversity in educational contexts is an important issue, since classrooms in many European countries are characterised by a large number of pupils learning the language of instruction as their second language. In the German context, the acquisition of school-based competencies and educational success are repeatedly shown to be tied to linguistic and social background. While the general disadvantage of second language learners in the German educational system is well documented, still little is known about underlying mechanisms as well as successful interventions to provide equal educational opportunities to all pupils.
With respect to underlying mechanisms of educational disadvantages, the concept of institutional discrimination (Gomolla & Radtke 2009) implies that pupils with an immigrant background are underprivileged in the context of institutional routines such as grading or recommendations for their future educational path in the selective German educational system.
Interventions which are designed to improve the educational opportunities of disadvantaged pupils commonly refer to the notion of Academic Language or Academic Language Proficiency, respectively (Cummins 2000; Gogolin et al. 2013). Since a relation between language proficiency and educational success is commonly assumed and the bulk of skills in all school subjects is acquired through language, pupils’ linguistic skills are intended to be supported by means of, for example, supplementary lessons or language-sensitive subject-teaching (Becker-Mrotzek et al. 2012). However, studies investigating the association between language proficiency and educational achievement (in terms of grades) are sparse (e. g. Chudaske 2012, Maaz, Baeriswyl & Trautwein 2011).
Hence, the present study is designed to investigate the influence of academic language proficiency in reading and writing on academic achievement as shown in the grades of ninegraders attending German ‘Hauptschule’. The following research-questions are addressed:
1) How strong is the association between language proficiency and the average grade point of the pupils,
- with respect to reading and writing?
- with respect to first- and second language learners?
2) Does the association between language proficiency and academic achievement differ with respect to particular subjects?
3) Do type of language acquisition and cultural capital influence grading while controlling for language proficiency in reading and writing?
Data were collected in the evaluation of a program providing supplementary lessons to pupils of German Hauptschule. These courses were designed to improve pupils’ academic language proficiency and therewith their educational success. A team of researchers of the University of Cologne was assigned with the evaluation of the program. In order to investigate treatment effects, we measured language proficiency in a longitudinal design and compared the outcomes of the treatment group with those of a control group.
