Volume 36, No. 1

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https://hdl.handle.net/10125/107672

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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.

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