ScholarSpace
ScholarSpace is an open-access, digital institutional repository for the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa community. ScholarSpace stores the intellectual works and unique collections of the UH at Mānoa academic community and also provides a permanent web location for those accessing these resources.
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Recent Submissions
Impact of reading strategy instruction on improvement of strategy use and reading comprehension: A meta-analysis
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2025-06-16) Ueno, Shotaro; Ikeda, Maiko; Takeuchi, Osamu; Teng, Mark Feng
Previous meta-analyses of reading strategy (RS) instruction in second and foreign language (L2) contexts have consistently shown that RS instruction has a positive impact on reading comprehension. However, whether RS instruction can promote both the use of RS and reading comprehension among English L2 learners is unclear. The effect of some moderators, such as learner and environmental factors, on the effectiveness of RS instruction among English L2 learners also remains unclear. To examine these aspects of RS instruction, our meta-analysis aimed to explore (a) the extent to which RS instruction is effective in improving not only reading comprehension but also the frequency of RS use in English L2 learners and (b) how this effectiveness varies by learner factors and learning environment. Through a rigorous literature search, we identified 27 eligible articles on English RS instruction for inclusion in our meta-analysis. The effect sizes (Hedges’ g) obtained were analyzed, followed by a moderator analysis to examine how the effects of RS instruction varied according to different moderators, including learner factors (i.e., educational level and proficiency) and environmental factors (i.e., region and context). Based on our findings, we discuss the implications for future research and teaching practices.
The impact of musical lyrics and working memory capacities on second language reading comprehension
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2025-06-16) Bui, Gavin; Zhang, Weiran
This mixed-methods study investigated the impact of musical lyrics and working memory capacities on second language (L2) English reading comprehension among adult Chinese native speakers. Participants were 57 adult ESL learners with advanced L2 proficiency, divided into high and low working memory capacity groups based on a pre-test. They completed reading comprehension tasks while listening to the same melody with either Chinese or English lyrics. The results revealed that participants exhibited better reading comprehension, hence less distraction, when exposed to Chinese lyrics compared to English lyrics, contrary to initial expectations. Interestingly, working memory capacity did not significantly mediate the effects of background music on reading comprehension, suggesting that other factors such as linguistic familiarity and cognitive load may play a more prominent role. The interview data further highlighted participants’ perceptions, indicating that music, particularly songs with lyrics in their native language, often distracts from reading tasks. This finding showed discrepancies between some adult learners’ perception and their actual L2 reading performance. This study contributes to the understanding of how background music and its lyrics influence L2 reading and provides insights into the complex interplay between linguistic familiarity, cognitive resources, and reading performance.
Enhancing Chinese reading in ethnic minority kindergarteners in Hong Kong: A bioecological approach to shared book reading interventions
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2025-06-16) Sun, Mingyao (Michelle); Chan, Shui-duen; Ke, Sihui (Echo); Zhu, Xinhua Zhu; Yao, Yuan
Shared book reading is necessary for learning Chinese as a second language (L2), but its effectiveness requires further empirical exploration and support. Scholars emphasise considering parental and child characteristics alongside school-based interventions. Guided by the bioecological framework, this study included three groups: an experimental group of ethnic minority kindergarteners in Hong Kong and two control groups of L2 and first language (L1) Chinese children . A sixteen-week shared book intervention was implemented. ANOVA and MANCOVA analyses of data from 161 children and 35 parents showed significant gains in metalinguistic awareness and word and text reading among the experimental group. The structured intervention was particularly effective in enhancing metalinguistic awareness, enabling L2 children to perform similarly to L1 children in post-tests. Additionally, fathers’ oral proficiency in Chinese and children’s use of ethnic languages positively impacted word and text reading. This study enriches the bioecological framework and offers insights for promoting L2 Chinese reading.
The impact of structural support and individual differences on incidental collocation learning and reading from task-based reading
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2025-06-16) Jung, Jookyoung; Lee, Minjin; Sze-to, Hiu-Yuet
This study investigated if second language (L2) learners’ incidental collocation learning from engaging in task-based reading would be moderated by their individual differences in cognitive abilities. Eighty-one Cantonese speakers were invited to review three English articles and determine if they were acceptable for publication in a lifestyle magazine. Half of the participants had to make the acceptance decision independently, whereas the other half received structural support containing a list of reviewing criteria. Each article contained four target collocations, and participants’ knowledge about them was measured with immediate and two-week delayed form recall and recognition tests. Participants’ cognitive abilities were measured in terms of their language aptitude (LLAMA B and F tests), working memory, and attentional control (operation span task, forward digit span task, and three-squared tasks). The results revealed that structural support did not affect reading comprehension scores. It was also found that higher scores in the LLAMA B test and the three-squared task significantly promoted collocation recall and recognition scores. Additionally, structural support was shown to neutralize the role of learners’ phonological short-term memory in the immediate collocation recall test. The findings indicate that careful task design is important to help learners overcome their limited phonological memory in acquiring new L2 features from engaging in L2 reading task.
Individual differences in reading development of bilingual children in early grades: Effects of gender and socioeconomic status
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2025-06-16) Li, Guofang Li; Zhen, Fubiao
Researchers have explored a host of individual differences factors that may be critical to language development. However, evidence on the impact of sociocultural and demographic factors such as gender and socioeconomic status (SES) on early language development among bilingual children has been limited. This study aimed to understand the role of gender and SES variables in early English reading development among Chinese-English bilinguals in the Canadian context. Chinese-Canadian children (N = 143) in grade 1 and grade 2 were investigated by assessing their early English reading skills, including receptive vocabulary, letter and word recognition, and reading comprehension. The descriptive statistics revealed a gender difference in favor of girls in all three tests and the children from low-SES families scored lower in all reading-related skills across grades. Multivariate analysis of variance results further evidenced the robustness of SES in affecting early reading development, as significant effects of SES were found in receptive vocabulary in grade 1 and all three tests in grade 2.