Multiple benefits of Home Shared Reading: the case of English as a Foreign Language

Different studies have shown that home shared reading encourages the development of lexical, semantical, comprehensive and social-emotional skills of young students. In turn, transferences between mother tongue and second languages have also been analyzed. The aim of this study is to observe if among the multiple benefits shared reading may have, there is also a positive impact on the foreign language students are learning. 64 students from the first and the second year of Primary Education have taken part in this exploratory study. Throughout a semi-structured interview, their parents informed about the reading habits of their children during Nursery and Preschool Education. The results show that those Preschoolers who carry out shared reading at home acquire better linguistic skills not only in their mother tongue but also in the foreign language at Primary level.