Volume 35, No. 2
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Item2024 Call for Special Issue Proposals(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2023-11-21)
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ItemCall for Reviews(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2023-10-16)
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ItemOnline Extensive Reading in EAP Courses: Expanding on Zhou and Day’s 2021 “Online Extensive Reading in EAP Courses”(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2023-10-16)This article suggests that online extensive reading (ER) has a beneficial effect on English for Academic Purposes (EAP) learners’ reading attitudes, as well as language proficiency, including improvement in reading rates, vocabulary acquisition, and grammatical knowledge, in light of findings by Zhou and Day (2021) and others. Nonetheless, there are challenges associated with online ER in fostering the development of reading habits among EAP learners. The current article represents a thought experiment that turns over these challenges and considers answers. These challenges may be attributed to the nature of reading habits, the online ER environment, and hindrances posed by assessment practices of teacher educators’ comprehension of ER. The article proposes that administrators aiming to implement successful ER programs should take into account several key considerations. These include adopting a top-down approach, seeking recognition and support from various stakeholders, incorporating diverse reading materials, shifting away from an exam-oriented atmosphere, providing opportunities for professional development, ensuring access to professional resources, and fostering a cultural shift that values online ER.
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ItemThe Effects of Chunk Reading Training on the Syntactic Processing Skills and Reading Spans of Japanese Learners of English(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2023-10-16)The present study investigated the impact of chunk reading training (CRT) on the online syntactic processing and verbal working memory (WM) of Japanese EFL (English as a foreign language) learners in secondary school. For four weeks, the treatment group (N = 31) underwent CRT, while the control group (N = 25) participated in reading training in block format. A reading span test (RST) was administered as the pretest, posttest, and delayed posttest in this study to assess learners’ online syntactic processing and verbal WM. The results showed that syntactic processing and verbal WM increased only in the treatment group after training, but the differences between the two groups were not statistically significant. Nevertheless, these results suggest that CRT has the potential to positively affect the development of learners’ online syntactic processing skills and verbal WM.
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ItemReadings on L2 Reading: Publications in other Venues 2022-2023(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2023-10-16)
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ItemEstablishing an Extensive Reading Program in a Chinese as a Foreign Language Context(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2023-10-16)Extensive reading (ER) has been widely practiced in teaching English as a foreign or second language contexts. However, reports on how ER was practiced in Chinese as a foreign or second language (L2) contexts are not commonly seen. This study reports how an ER program was established in a liberal arts college in the U.S.A, and how ER affected L2 Chinese readers’ reading attitudes. The study also examined L2 Chinese learners’ perceptions of language abilities improved through ER, and their enjoyment of ER activities. Data were collected over thirteen weeks through pre- and post-reading attitude surveys, weekly ER activities, and the end of the semester reflections. The findings suggest ER significantly improved L2 Chinese readers’ confidence in reading Chinese and devotion to learning Chinese. Some students also perceived that ER improved their reading fluency, reading comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, character recognition, writing, speaking, and listening skills.
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ItemDecoding intervention for L2 students in Sweden: A single-subject design study(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2023-10-16)Many second language (L2) students in Sweden struggle with reading in Swedish. There needs to be more research on how L2 students with weak word decoding skills in Swedish could be individually supported. Therefore, the current study examined the impact of a systematic and intensive word decoding intervention in Swedish among individual L2 students identified as having a risk of reading difficulties in Grade 3. A multiple-baseline single-subject design study was conducted with three L2 students with Arabic or Dari as their first language. They were provided a word decoding intervention with Bravkod. All three students improved their decoding during the intervention phase. They decoded several words in a given time (NAP=0.96-1.00) and decreased their word decoding errors (NAP=0.91-0.98). The results are promising but should be replicated to be considered evidence-based and suitable for L2 students to improve their decoding in Swedish.
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ItemA Case Study of the Impact of Online Extensive Reading on the L2 Reading Motivation, Habits, and Linguistic Abilities of Advanced L2 English Learners(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2023-10-16)This mixed-methods case study examines how an online extensive reading project impacted the 11 participants’ motivation, habits, and linguistic abilities regarding L2 English reading. The participants engaged in extensive reading for one year on Xreading (an online extensive reading website). They were all female Japanese nationals aged between 30 and 65 whose L1 was Japanese. Previous studies have reported the benefits of extensive reading for elementary/intermediate learners, but have not fully looked at outcomes for learners at higher levels. This study’s findings suggest that extensive reading is equally beneficial for those above the intermediate level. Throughout this project, the participants accessed graded readers on Xreading, and quickly established reading habits in English, transforming from reluctant to engaged, avid L2 readers. The qualitative data obtained from interviews, journals, and records on Xreading revealed the sources of the participants’ positive changes to be: how engaging and easy to comprehend the graded readers were, a sense of commitment to the project, consistent support from the researcher, and the Xreading’s useful functions. Additionally, the participants’ vocabulary sizes and reading rates, increased significantly (vocabulary size gains, p < .0005 and reading rate gains, p < .05) in parallel to the substantial amount of reading they were doing.
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ItemThe Effects of Extensive Reading, Timed Reading, and Repeated Oral Reading on Japanese University L2 English Learners’ Reading Rates and Comprehension over One Academic Year(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2023-10-16)The effects of extensive, timed, and repeated oral reading on 101 lower-intermediate Japanese university L2 English learners’ reading rates and comprehension were investigated over one academic year. The participants were divided into four quasi-experimental groups: (a) Group 1 did extensive, timed, and repeated oral reading with prosody and chunking training; (b) Group 2 practiced extensive and timed reading; (c) Group 3 did extensive reading only; and (d) Group 4 did not receive any reading fluency treatments. Three different texts of varying length and difficulty were used to measure reading rate at three times during the year. The results indicated that all three reading fluency treatment groups made statistically significant reading rate gains on the three measures while maintaining comprehension. Notably, Group 1, the group that received the most wide-ranging treatment, outperformed the other groups. Therefore, this study underscores the importance of taking a comprehensive approach to developing reading fluency in L2 contexts.
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ItemLearners’ Reading Metacognition and Summary Writing Skills Nested in Psychological and Sociocultural Factors(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2023-10-16)This paper investigates the relationship between secondary school students’ reading metacognition and summary writing skills—which represent a part of their academic language skills—within a network of psychological and sociocultural factors consisting of positivity, tolerance and respect, resilience, and culture and cooperation. We used data from the 2018 OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) database (n = 612,004) from 79 countries. We conducted a series of confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) to validate the variance and covariance structure of the tests and questionnaires used. Next, we performed structural equation modeling (SEM) to investigate the effect of the predictors on reading metacognition and summary writing skills. A significant relationship was found between sociocultural factors, reading metacognition, and summary writing skills. We propose that it is essential to consider how a student’s background, experiences, and school curriculum determine how these indicators present themselves in each student and affect their academic language performance.