Volume 29, No. 1

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https://hdl.handle.net/10125/68077

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Recent Submissions

Now showing 1 - 5 of 11
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    From the Editors
    (University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2017-04) RFL Staff
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    Spreeder: A web app to develop and enhance reading speed
    (University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2017-04) Nushi, Musa
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    Extensive Reading Strategies in EFL Classrooms: A Practical Overview for Enhancing Reading Comprehension by B Fawzi Al Ghazali
    (University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2017-04) Choi, Jeongim
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    Foreign language reading anxiety in a Chinese as a foreign language context
    (University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2017-04) Zhou, Jing
    This study examined the foreign language (FL) reading anxiety level of learners of Chinese as a FL (n = 76) in the United States. Data from an FL reading anxiety survey, a background information survey and a face-to-face interview indicated that there was no significant difference in reading anxiety level among four course levels. In general, Chinese L2 learners experienced a medium level of reading anxiety. 100- and 400-level students experienced higher levels of reading anxiety compared to 200- and 300-level students. A regression model with background variables such as years of learning Chinese, heritage learner status, the number of foreign languages learned, and time spent in China significantly predicted learners’ reading anxiety levels and explained 15% of the variance in their reading anxiety. Worries relating to comprehension, unfamiliar topics, unknown pronunciation, and feeling uncomfortable reading aloud were identified as major sources of FL reading anxiety.
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    The effects of L1 and L2 group discussions on L2 reading comprehension
    (University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2017-04) Turnbull, Blake ; Evans, Moyra Sweetnam
    The aim of this study was to explore the effects of post-reading group discussions in both first (L1) and second (L2) languages on L2 reading comprehension. The participants were fifteen Japanese university students of intermediate-level English. Three cohorts read four English texts and produced individual written recalls. Group 1 (the control group) responded in writing without discussion; group 2 discussed the texts in their L2 (English) before producing written recalls, and group 3 discussed the texts in their L1 (Japanese) before writing their recalls. The findings show that participants in the L1 discussion group used a larger number of higher-order processing and reading strategies than did those in the other two groups, suggesting that L1 group discussions have a positive effect on learners’ reading comprehension. The authors make recommendations for teachers to use bilingual teaching strategies and to encourage the strategic use of the L1 in the L2 classroom.