INTERDEPENDENCE AMONG AMHARIC LANGUAGE (L1) READING ABILITY, ENGLISH LANGUAGE (L2) PROFICIENCY AND L2 READING ABILITY OF GRADE ELEVEN STUDENTS
INTERDEPENDENCE AMONG AMHARIC LANGUAGE (L1) READING ABILITY, ENGLISH LANGUAGE (L2) PROFICIENCY AND L2 READING ABILITY OF GRADE ELEVEN STUDENTS

Summary/Abstract: The purpose of the current study was to examine interdependence among mother tongue or Amharic language (L1) reading ability, English as foreign language (L2) proficiency and reading ability of grade eleven students at Damot Preparatory Secondary School for Higher Education, West Gojjam Administrative Zone, Ethiopia. Researcher randomly selected a sample of fifty grade eleven students. Mixed-method approach was employed for data gathering and analyses. To make the tests contextualized, one Amharic language and one English language school teachers prepared the tests to measure students’ L1 reading ability and L2 reading ability respectively. For students’ L2 proficiency, their first semester English language (L2 proficiency) final examination result was used. Then, the reading ability tests and L2 proficiency examination were analyzed through quantitative data. Correlations and regression were used to analyze the quantitative data. Researcher used unstructured-interview questions to collect qualitative data and analyzed in descriptions. It was found that learners’ (L2) reading ability score is influenced both by their first language (L1) reading ability and English as foreign language (L2) proficiency, with differences in effect. Students’ L2 reading ability is influenced both by their L1 reading ability and their L2 proficiency. This might imply both the interdependence and threshold level hypotheses contribute to L2 reading ability of learners. Thus, it is recommended that students’ L1 reading ability and L2 proficiency be promoted to help them improve their L2 reading ability. Besides, students need to be trained on L1 reading strategies so that they can transfer and employ them while they read their L2. In doing so, students could develop both their L1 reading ability and L2 reading proficiency and use them as facilitator in learning reading in their L1 and L2 language skills, promote their reading ability, acquaint them with academic reading, and in their day-to-day activities. Further research could be made to check interdependence among L1 reading ability, L2 proficiency, L2 reading ability and reading strategies in different contexts and grade levels. Studies might also be conducted on reverse effects of transfer from students’ L2 reading ability and L2 proficiency to students’ L1 reading ability at universities and colleges of Ethiopia and other multilingual countries.

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