Do word-level skills show cross-linguistic transfer and predict bilingual reading?

Abstract This study investigates whether word-level skills (including morphological compounding, vocabulary, and word reading) and reading comprehension show cross-linguistic transfer between Chinese and English. It further explores whether and how word-level skills in a first language contribute to reading in a second language, and vice versa. A total of 179 Chinese–English bilingual children aged from 8 to 10 years old participated in this study, and they completed a series of bilingual tasks. The results show cross-linguistic transfer of morphological compounding and reading comprehension between Chinese and English; however, vocabulary and word reading were not transferrable. Chinese morphological compounding affected English word reading via the mediation of English morphological compounding. English morphological compounding affected Chinese word reading through Chinese morphological compounding, and it also had a small direct effect on Chinese word reading. Chinese morphological compounding affected English reading comprehension via English morphological compounding and word reading as well as via Chinese reading comprehension, totally explaining about 7.7% of the variance in English reading comprehension. English morphological compounding affected Chinese reading comprehension in similar ways and explained approximately 14.6% of the variance in Chinese reading comprehension. Vocabulary and word reading did not affect reading comprehension across the languages. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.