Volume 38, No. 1

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10125/112677

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    Spaces of Multilingualism Edited by Robert Blackwood & Unn Røyneland
    (University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2026-04-08) Farhan, Athil Khaleel
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    Extensive Reading Outcomes for Adult Emergent Bilinguals in a Community-Based ESL Program
    (University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2026-04-03) Nguyen, Dung; González-Carriedo, Ricardo; Ng, Monica
    This study investigated the effects of an Extensive Reading (ER) program on adult Emergent Bilinguals enrolled in a community-based ESL program in the United States. Using a quasi-experimental design, we examined pre and post test changes in reading, language, vocabulary, spelling, and language mechanics for a treatment group (n = 53) and a “business-as-usual” group (n = 43). Results from Wilcoxon signed-rank and paired-samples t-tests revealed significant gains for the treatment group in reading, language, language mechanics, and spelling, with moderate to large effect sizes. Vocabulary did not show significant improvement. These findings provide evidence that ER can support literacy-related language development among adult ESL learners outside formal academic settings. The study contributes to the ER literature by focusing on non-college adult ESL learners and highlights the value of ER for community-based programs.
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    Grit subcomponents, reading efficacy, and change in standardized L2 reading performance
    (University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2026-04-01) Satori, Miki
    This study examined the relationship between second language (L2) grit, reading efficacy, reading enjoyment, and gains in standardized L2 reading performance among 66 Japanese university students. The participants received 20 sessions of reading strategy instruction over two semesters and completed questionnaires regarding L2 grit, reading efficacy, and reading enjoyment. Their TOEIC reading scores were compared before and after the instruction. The results showed that the consistency of interest component of L2 grit and reading efficacy significantly predicted TOEIC reading score gains. Although the perseverance of effort component of L2 grit was positively associated with reading efficacy and enjoyment, its effect on reading performance gains was indirect and mediated by reading efficacy. Reading enjoyment was not significantly related to reading performance gains. These results suggest that sustained interest and task-specific confidence play important roles in improving standardized L2 reading performance in instructional contexts.
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    Working memory in foreign language reading comprehension: Examining mediation through morphological awareness
    (University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2026-03-24) Teng, Mark Feng
    Drawing on the lexical quality perspective and recent pathway-based accounts of morphology, the present study employed regression-based parallel mediation analysis to examine (1) interrelationships among morphological awareness (MA), working memory (WM), and reading performance, and (2) MA’s mediating role between WM and comprehension. The focus is on the cognitive-linguistic interplay between WM and MA in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) reading comprehension among Chinese undergraduates (N = 396). Participants completed standardized assessments of Phonological WM (PWM; nonword repetition task) and Executive WM (EWM; reading span task), MA (Morpheme Sensitivity Test), and TOEIC-based reading comprehension. Results revealed three key findings. First, significant correlations emerged among all variables. Second, PWM demonstrated a significant total effect on reading comprehension (c = .35), and the linguistic mediators (MA) partially mediated this relationship, accounting for approximately 31.4– 31.7% of the total effect. Third, the mediating role of MA was task-dependent: syntactic category tasks showed significant indirect effects, whereas derivational relatedness (Relatedness Task) did not. These findings underscore the importance of assessing discrete MA dimensions when examining cognitive contributions to reading comprehension.
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    Instructional effects of a CFL reading-strategy instruction incorporating lower- and higher-level strategies
    (University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2026-01-21) Hsu, Wei-Li; Yeh, Meng
    Learning to read Chinese characters presents significant challenges for students of Chinese as a foreign language (CFL), particularly those with alphabetic language backgrounds. Despite the recognized importance of reading strategy instruction (RSI), research on its implementation and effects in CFL contexts remains limited. This study examines an RSI instructional effect on reading comprehension, integrating both lower- and higher-level reading strategies. The experimental group received the RSI, and the control group received no RSI. Pre- and post-tests evaluated real-time strategy use and reading comprehension through verbal reports, retelling, and multiple-choice questions. The results suggest that the experimental group receiving RSI showed medium-sized effects on retelling and strategy-use effectiveness and a large-sized effect on strategy-use frequency compared to the control group. Additionally, the experimental group showed more balanced improvements in lower- and higher-level strategies than the control group. This study also discusses suggestions for modifying the RSI.