Reading–Writing Interdependence Among Kenyan Secondary School Learners: Evidence for Shared Linguistic Competence

The relationship between reading and writing has attracted considerable attention in Applied Linguistics because both skills are believed to rely on common linguistic and cognitive resources. However, empirical evidence from (ESL) contexts in Sub-Saharan Africa remains limited. This study examined reading–writing interdependence among Kenyan secondary school learners to determine whether the two skills reflect shared linguistic competence. A convergent parallel mixed methods design was employed involving 75 Form Three learners and 10 teachers of English drawn from five public secondary schools in Embu West Sub-County, Kenya. Quantitative data were collected using a reading comprehension test, a writing proficiency task while qualitative data were generated through semi-structured interviews with teachers. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Pearson's Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient. Qualitative data were analysed thematically. The findings revealed a strong positive relationship between reading comprehension and writing proficiency. Teachers similarly reported that learners who demonstrated a deeper understanding of texts generally produced more coherent and better-developed written responses. The study contributes evidence from an underrepresented African ESL context and supports pedagogical approaches that integrate reading and writing instruction.