Does writing improve reading comprehension?

manpreet Best Answer 3 years ago

Some study or teach Latin with the sole intent of reading old texts. Therefore some restrict studying Latin to mostly reading and the prerequisite grammar. It is quite clear that writing — or composition, but I will not make distinction in this question — one's own texts helps develop skills that aid reading comprehension, but it is far less clear whether writing is a good time investment if the sole goal is in reading. What is the effect of writing on learning outcomes in reading? Are there any studies on this subject?

For example, if I taught two classes for 4 hours a week, one spending 2+1+1 hours on reading, grammar, and writing (in that order), and the other one spending 3+1+0 hours on the same topics, would there be a difference in the ability to read Latin between the two groups? It does not have to be this very setting, but something concrete in this spirit would be great. If it helps, you can replace "writing" with any other productive use of the language, but I wanted to phrase the question narrowly enough.