ABSTRACT
Factors shaping human cognitive and linguistic development are intertwined and found within a nested structure of conceptual levels. Proximal levels contain concrete stimuli to the learner, while distal variables only exert indirect effects and often represent container variables made up of numerous proximal ones. The Proximity of Stimulation Hypothesis holds that effects are best explained using proximal factors with immediate effects on the learner. This study examines the impact of exemplary influencing variables at different conceptual levels on L2 lexical and grammar reception, working memory, and phonological awareness. Structural equation modeling with mediator analyses accounted for the hierarchical data structure of 93 L2 learners of English in German conventional and bilingual primary schools. Results supported the Proximity Hypothesis in that the effect of both distal variables, SES and L2 program, on internal variables was partially mediated by proximal variables (parental language/literacy support and teachers’ input quality, respectively). L2 program also predicted L2 lexicon and phonological awareness without a mediating effect, showing the effectiveness of bilingual teaching programs. Additionally, parental language/literacy support predicted L2 lexicon, teachers’ patience predicted L2 grammar and phonological awareness, and children’s degree of multilingualism predicted L2 grammar. Phonological awareness correlated with L2 grammar, corroborating the interconnectedness of cognitive-linguistic development and a cognitive advantage hypothesis.
