Volume 36, No. 1

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10125/107672

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Now showing 1 - 20 of 25

Expanding the discussion on second language reading strategy training: A response to Taylor’s commentary on Lin, Gao, and Huang (2023)
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2024-12-20) Lin, Jia; Gao, Gengsong; Huang, Ting
This article responds to Alan Taylor’s commentary (Taylor, 2024) on our study, Lin et al. (2023), which reported the positive effects of a strategies-based Chinese as a second language reading instruction program on reading comprehension. First, we clarify the calculation of effect size in our study, which indicates a moderate effect size. In agreement with Taylor, we emphasize that the effectiveness of reading strategy training may depend on many factors, including the types of strategies taught, learners’ language proficiency, and the linguistic features of target languages. As a result, there is no clear consensus on the impact of reading strategy training. The success of reading strategy training also largely depends on the design and structure of the training programs. Building on Taylor’s discussion, we further elaborate on the strengths and limitations of our reading strategy training program and suggest improvements for further research.
The Recognition of Chinese Compound Words by Native English- and Korean-speaking Learners of Chinese
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2024-11-18) Sun, Jing; Luo, Xiao; Pae, Hye K.
Challenges in reading Chinese as a foreign language involve the large proportion of two-character compound words which have complex intra-word morphological structures and scriptal distance between learner’s native language (L1) and Chinese as a second or foreign language. This study extended a previous investigation on the processing of Chinese coordinative compound words to various morphological structures to examine L1 effects and intra-word structure effects during compound word recognition and identified difficulty order associated with the different structures of Chinese compound words. Native English- and Korean-speaking learners of Chinese (n = 25, n = 13, respectively), along with native Chinese readers participated (n = 29). Both learners’ L1s and the morphological structures of compound words exerted significant main effects on compound word recognition. For non-native readers, the Korean group processed the five structures of compounds faster but less accurately than did the English-speaking counterpart. For both non-native groups, the subject-predicate structure was the most difficult to recognize, followed by the verb-complement structure.
Investigating the Implementation of Extensive Reading in Four Asian Countries
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2024-10-14) Puripunyavanich, Mintra; Waring, Rob
This study reports how extensive reading (ER) teachers implemented ER and used reading materials at institutions in formal educational systems in Japan, Mongolia, Thailand, and Vietnam. 259 participants completed an online questionnaire. The results revealed that ER was mainly required and done online in Japan and Mongolia while it was optional but recommended and mainly paper-based in Thailand and Vietnam. The majority of the participants assessed their students’ reading and did post-reading activities. The top three sources of funding came from the participant’s school, the students, and the use of free materials. About 40% of the responses indicated the use of graded reading materials and 60% were the use of non-ER materials such as picture books, native novels, textbooks or academic works, despite the vast majority of their students being intermediate level or lower. The implications and limitations of these findings are discussed to highlight proposals for future studies.
Effects of Test-Taking Strategy and Lexico-Grammatical Ability on L2 Local-Level Reading Comprehension
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2024-10-07) Li, Hang; Zhang, Shuting; Tang, Ximeng
While the effect of reading strategies on L2 test performance has been extensively researched, the effect of test-taking strategies remains underexplored, with mixed results due to varying contextual factors. This study, therefore, investigated the latent structure of test-taking strategies and the relationships among test-taking strategies, lexico-grammatical ability, and test performance in a test of local-level reading comprehension questions (LRCQs) by 217 Chinese EFL learners. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed test-taking strategies could be composed of test-management and test-wiseness strategies. Structural equation modeling provided further empirical evidence for this conceptual distinction, as only test-management strategies were significantly affected by lexico-grammatical ability. However, while lexico-grammatical ability had a large effect on test performance, neither test-management nor test-wiseness strategies had a significant impact on test performance. This study helps researchers and teachers better understand the test-taking strategies at play in LRCQs and their impact on test performance and carries implications for L2 reading pedagogy.
Developing L2 learners’ use of reading strategies through extensive reading
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2024-09-30) Suk, Namhee
This study investigated second language (L2) learners’ use of reading strategies through extensive reading in a Korean English as a Foreign Language (EFL) university context. Extensive reading was implemented as part of class activities over an eight-week period in an EFL class. Seven students from the class volunteered to participate in the study. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews, pre- and post-survey questionnaires, and the teacher's reflection notes to identify the types of reading strategies used to engage with texts during extensive reading, and to examine any changes in students’ use of reading strategies as a result of extensive reading. The results showed that the students engaged with the texts that they were reading by using various reading strategies. The changes in their use of reading strategies varied depending on extensive reading experience. The rationale behind the selection of diverse reading strategies for extensive reading is discussed.
Reading Speed and Reading Comprehension in an English-Medium Instruction Context.
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2024-09-23) Pecorari, Diane; Malmström, Hans; Shaw, Philip
The undeniable importance of reading in higher education prompted this investigation into the reading skills of a group often overlooked in previous research: master’s level students studying in English-medium instruction (EMI) environments. Participants (148 master's-level students of engineering) completed the Nelson-Denny Reading Test (Form G), a test of reading speed and reading comprehension. The results indicate that, at group level, these students attained levels of comprehension and rates of (silent) reading which are broadly comparable to those found for second-language users of English in better researched settings. However, a great deal of individual variation was observed, suggesting that some students may find it challenging to read for study purposes. The implications of these findings for various stakeholder groups in EMI are discussed.
Readings on L2 reading: Publications in other venues 2023–2024
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2024-09-23) Harris, Shenika; Gui, Min; Arai, Yuya; Garton, Rachel
Reading Autobiographical Comics: A Framework for Educational Settings by Markus Oppolzer
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2024-09-09) Alanazi, Zaha
Media-related out-of-school contact with English in Germany and Switzerland frequency, forms and the effect on language learning by Maleika Krüger
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2024-09-09) Zhong, Kai; Wong, Ling Yann
Can beginner JFL learners do ER? Text comprehension, reading rate, materials, and reading targets for beginner JFL reading
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2024-08-19) Mohar, Brett
L2 extensive reading (ER) research primarily studies intermediate and upper-intermediate learners, but few studies investigate beginners. This study addresses this gap by reporting on beginner Japanese as Foreign Language (JFL) learners’ attempts to do ER according to Waring and McLean’s (2015) ER principles. In this study, 13 second-semester undergraduate JFL learners were tasked with doing ER as homework for 18 weeks, self-reporting their comprehension and reading time for a total of 190 texts. Their data indicated a preference for graded readers (k = 187) over children’s literature (k = 3) and that a 45-text reading target over 18 weeks was unattainable with these materials. On average, learners reported understanding about 78% of what they read and spending seven minutes to complete a reading, with variations influenced by material, text genre, and student. The results demonstrate how materials, text genre, student reading speed, and reading habits impact the effectiveness of beginner ER and the attainability of reading targets.
Word segmentation and reading comprehension among advanced learners of Chinese
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2024-08-12) Shen, Helen H.; Dai, Dexin
This study investigated college Chinese a second language learners’ word segmentation error patterns in reading instructional-level Chinese sentences, the relationship between word segmentation errors and reading comprehension, and learners’ perspectives on the role of word segmentation in reading comprehension. The results showed that the learners made five types of word segmentation errors. Four of these types moderately correlated with reading comprehension. The survey data showed that most learners considered word segmentation skills important in reading comprehension. This perception became stronger as the learning level advanced. The learners suggested that three factors hindered them from performing accurate word segmentations.
Conducting rigorous research in Reading in a Foreign Language: A discussion
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2024-08-06) Yang, Shuyi
This discussion piece explores issues and components that makes original research manuscripts submitted to Reading in a Foreign Language truly rigorous in terms of methodology. This paper will lay out issues of and provide suggestions on how to approach research questions (RQs), sampling, research design, reporting of results, discussion, and implications, in a way that can contribute meaningfully to research practices in the field. Finally, responses are invited.
How practical extensive reading experiences changed the perceptions of L2 Japanese teachers
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2024-06-20) Tabata-Sandom, Mitsue; Ikeda, Yoko
This study examines how the perceptions that twelve teachers of Japanese as a second language (L2) had of extensive reading (ER) changed following 10 months of online English ER. Interviews provided much of the study data, supported by pre-project and post-project questionnaires. The participants’ pre-project and post-project vocabulary sizes and reading rates were measured to examine whether changes in their perceptions coincided with their linguistic change. The participants’ usage of ER led to their discovering the power of ER in overcoming psychological barriers toward L2 reading, the difficulty of routinizing reading, the importance of facilitators’ support, and the benefits of occasional dictionary use. While their reading rate gains corresponded with their unchanged high rating of ER’s benefits for reading skills, their vocabulary growth did not correspond with their decreased rating of ER’s benefits on vocabulary development. Furthermore, the participants agreed that teachers are learners’ role models more after the project.
The interplay among silent reading rate, comprehension, and an audio reading model
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2024-05-29) Taguchi, Etsuo; Gorsuch, Greta; Lems, Kristin; Toda, Hiroto; Kawaguchi, Toshiko; Snipp, Kirsten M.
This paper examines learners’ fluency development in L2 silent reading rate and comprehension. In both L1 and L2 readings, a positive relationship between readers’ silent reading rate and comprehension has not been as firmly established as theories might propose. Based on Wallot et al. (2014), the paper indicates the need to look at readers’ silent reading rates as a process rather than a result of the reading act. Variability L2 readers face while reading reflects their successful and unsuccessful attempts to comprehend the text they are reading. Through a new examination of unpublished data from Taguchi et al. (2012), the paper proposes to look at readers’ silent reading fluency development across a longer period. In addition, it indicates the need to consider different purposes readers set for their reading to understand how their rates vary. This proposal has practical implications for not only researchers but also classroom practitioners.
Inside the digital hagwons: High-stakes reading test preparation in Korea
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2024-05-29) Kim, Jieun
High-stakes reading tests significantly influence one’s future success, leading many second language learners to engage in intensive test preparation. This study examines nine TOEFL reading preparation lectures from two popular cram schools, or 학원hagwons, in Korea, with a total duration of five hours and thirty-nine minutes. Test preparation activities were analyzed using Messick’s (1982) types of test preparation and Cohen’s (2022) types of test-taking strategies. The findings indicate that, unlike previous studies on writing test preparation, construct-relevant content such as reading component abilities and reading strategies were predominantly taught. However, vocabulary knowledge was often instructed in isolation from context, with a focus on breadth rather than depth. Test-taking strategies, including reading strategies, test-management strategies, and test-deviousness strategies, were taught both implicitly and explicitly. The potential effects and limitations of instructions within the narrow scope of TOEFL on learners’ long-term development are discussed.
Facilitating L2 reading comprehension through L1 and L2 group discussions
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2024-05-10) Almalki, Abdulrahman; Alzahrani, Mohammed
The current study was set to explore the influence of the first (L1) and second (L2) language group discussions on L2 reading comprehension. It also explored two sub-elements that were considered vital to L2 reading comprehension: (a) text genre recognition and (b) character and author’s intention and perspective. Participants were 21 college students who were assigned to three groups: (a) no-discussion group, (b) L1 (Arabic) discussion group, and (c) L2 (English) discussion group. Students were introduced to five different texts, and mixed data methods were utilized to examine comprehension through participants’ free-written recalls and group discussion transcriptions. The findings showed that when the L1 was used in group discussions, greater reading comprehension of the L2 texts was achieved; students were able to use more reading strategies and higher-order cognitive and linguistic processing than students in the two other groups. The study challenges language learning conventions that prioritize target language-only methods.
Incidental Grammar Acquisition Through Meaning-focused Reading: Structure Frequency and Reading Comprehension
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2024-04-22) Nguyen, Chi Duc
Research shows that meaning-focused reading offers opportunities for incidental grammar acquisition. However, the number of such studies remains limited and none have examined the role of both in-text encounters with grammar structures and reading comprehension in this learning. The present study filled these gaps. Employing a between-group, pretest-posttest-delayed-posttest experiment, this study examined to what extent four groups of English-as-a-Foreign-Language adult learners (n = 132) in Vietnam learnt two specific grammar structures through meaning-focused reading in which they encountered these structures four, six, eight, or ten times. A control group (n = 30) was also added to this experiment to gauge test-taking effects. Grammar gain was measured by a self-report grammar-knowledge scale, while content comprehension by a topic-matching task. All treatment groups were found to make sizeable grammar gains, especially after six encounters with the structures. Reading comprehension could also predict the learning gains. These findings offer various useful pedagogical implications.
Japanese university EFL learners’ responses to lexically easy short English poems
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2024-04-15) Nishihara, Takayuki
This study explored the diverse responses of Japanese university-level learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) to lexically easy short poems. These participants had attained a high level of English proficiency and were able to grasp the literal meaning of the poems. The investigation employed confidence level and reading time as supplementary data points. The study yielded the following findings: (a) the majority of responses were heavily dependent on literal content; (b) learners typically did not substantiate their readings by referencing the poems, but when interpretations deviated from the literal content, they provided more supportive evidence; (c) the learners’ confidence level in creative interpretations was relatively low; (d) considerable variations were observed in meaning construction; and (e) learners spent the same amount of time to produce various interpretations with and without supportive evidence.
The perceived and measured difficulty of texts and tasks in L1 and L2
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2024-04-08) Grotek, Monika; Ślęzak-Świat, Agnieszka
The study investigates the effect of the perception of text and task difficulty on adults’ performance in reading tests in L1 and L2. The relationship between the following variables is studied: (a) readers’ perception of text and task difficulty in L1 and L2 measured in a self-reported post-task questionnaire, (b) the number of correct answers to the reading tasks, (c) time spent on the task in each language, (d) the number and mean duration of fixations on areas of interest assigned to texts and each of four different task instructions as measured by an eye tracker. The study shows that for readers at an intermediate level of L2, the perceived and measured text and task difficulty is higher for L2, which results in longer mean fixation durations and a higher number of fixation counts. Tasks placed lower on the difficulty scale based on the 7-point scale of reading ability by Khalifa and Weir (2009) are prone to be treated by readers as typical of a specific task format and receive less attention, which often leads to incorrect answers.
The authors respond: Issues surrounding reliability, quality, and practicality with timed-reading assessments: Expanding on Carter et al.’s (2023) a unitary measure of L2 silent reading fluency accounting for comprehension
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2024-03-12) Carter, Steven J.; Wilcox, Matthew P.
Carter et al. (2023) presented empirical evidence in support of a proposed new measure of L2 silent reading fluency. Referencing their method, this article addresses three separate practical issues related to using timed readings (TRs) to foster L2 reading fluency: TR assessment reliability, quality, and practicality. One seeming limitation of Carter et al.’s (2023) method was the relatively low reliability of three separate TR quizzes used in their study on reading fluency. However, considering that the interpretation and use of reliability estimates should be context-dependent, we argue that the standard expectations of 0.8 or higher may be simply unrealistic given the unique constraints surrounding timed readings. Furthermore, reliability is only one facet of a validity argument and intentional changes aimed at increasing reliability may, at times, come at the expense of other important aspects of validity. This article also offers practical advice for constructing effective TR quiz questions and directs the reader to tools for tracking student readers’ reading fluency progress.

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