Effects of sociolinguistic environment and the length of residence on the linguistic performance in Catalan and Spanish of sixth grade immigrant pupils in Catalonia

The arrival of immigrant students in Spain has tested the capacity of the educational system to successfully address diversity, especially in the bilingual communities. Many studies have pointed out that mastering the school language is a key factor in explaining the academic performance of immigrant students (Cummins, 2000; Nusche, 2009; OECD, 2006; Siguan, 1998; Vila, Siques and Roig, 2006). According to Cummins (1981b), the development of skills related to language use in academic contexts is based on the prior development of conversational skills. Thus, in the case of immigrant students, if exposure to the new language is ensured both at school and in the social context, cognitive/academic language skills can be transferred from the first to the second language (or vice versa) thus producing positive effects on school performance. In Catalonia, in contrast to other countries that have implemented bilingual education programmes, sufficient exposure to Catalan is not guaranteed due to the sociolinguistic situation of the country. This research analyses the effects that sociolinguistic variables and individual and contextual factors have on the development of school language acquisition. Conclusions point how sociolinguistic environment affect the development of language skills of immigrant students.