What happens once a student becomes literate in their primary language?

When a student becomes literate in their primary language, the skills they have developed can transfer to English, often without the need for complete retraining. This is grounded in research on bilingualism and second language learning; literacy skills such as phonemic awareness, vocabulary, and comprehension strategies can be transferable between languages.

When students are taught literacy in their first language, they gain foundational skills that can enhance their ability to learn a second language. For example, an understanding of text structure, decoding strategies, and the ability to make meaning from text helps facilitate the learning process in English. As they encounter the new language, they can draw upon the knowledge and strategies they cultivated while learning their primary language, which ultimately aids their literacy development in English.

The idea that skills do not need to be entirely retrained reflects the interconnectedness of language skills and the cognitive processes involved in learning; also, this promotes an environment that values multilingualism and acknowledges the power of maintaining one's native language while acquiring new language skills.