Studies examining linguistic outcomes of immigrant students in Spain are scarce and do not report on variables that influence their results. Data from Catalonia is of particular interest to understanding the complexity of the interrelationships between variables that -according to bilingual education- have an impact on learning a new language. This research study assesses the proficiency in written tests in Catalan and Spanish of 97 sixth grade immigrant students living in Catalonia, and analyses the impact of 14 variables in these students' linguistic performance through multivariate linear regression analysis. The results showed six variables that mediate immigrants' written outcomes in both languages. In particular, they stress the importance of the sociolinguistic environment (CS) and oral uses of language. The findings highlight the need to distinguish between oral skills (BICS) and academic skills related to oral language in order to understand the impact of the CS variable in the linguistic performance of immigrant students. It also suggests how the distinction can be used to incorporate psycho-educational measures to promote second language acquisition at school. © 2011 Fundación Infancia y Aprendizaje.

second language Sociolinguistic environment Primary education Linguistic abilities Linguistic interdependence Immigration

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