Does questioning strategy facilitate second language (L2) reading comprehension? The effects of comprehension measures and insights from reader perception

This study examines the effects of an electronic reading environment’s structure on second language (L2) reading comprehension. In particular, this study explores whether clarifying the underlying structure of an electronic text, along with the ways in which its units or nodes are organized and interrelated results in better comprehension as well as whether L2 reading proficiency affects the comprehension of electronic text. In this study, 40 English as a second language (ESL) learners, grouped into proficient and less-proficient groups based on their scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language’s (TOEFL’s) Reading section, were asked to read two electronic texts using computerized programs classified as either “well structured” or “less structured.” To assess the efficacy of each type of reading environment, two tests—a multiple-choice test and a mapping of main ideas and details (MOMID) test—were developed and administered to the participants after they read each text. The results of these tests were analyzed using a paired-samples t-test and a two-way (proficiency level by computerized reading program) mixed-model analysis of variance (ANOVA). The findings revealed that well-structured electronic texts can aid ESL readers in developing a more coherent mental representation of the electronic texts’ content, thereby increasing their reading comprehension. Furthermore, well-structured electronic texts are more helpful for less-proficient readers than for more-proficient readers. These findings have significant pedagogical and technological implications for L2 reading instructors and instructional designers.

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A meta-analysis of the relationship between working memory and second language reading comprehension: Does task type matter?

Applied Psycholinguistics ◽

10.1017/s0142716420000272 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 41 (4) ◽

pp. 873-900

Author(s):

Jihye Shin

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Second Language ◽

Reading Comprehension ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Quantitative Description ◽

Span Task ◽

Word Recall ◽

Reading Span ◽

L2 Reading ◽

L2 Reading Comprehension

AbstractDespite the increasing attention paid to the role of working memory in reading, findings and measurement of working memory have been inconsistent. The current meta-analysis aims to provide a quantitative description of the overall relationship between second language (L2) reading comprehension and working memory measured through reading span task and identify methodological features that moderate this relationship. Following a comprehensive search, 25 primary studies (23 peer-reviewed studies and 2 dissertations) were included comprising 37 unique samples (N = 2,682), all of which were coded for substantive and methodological features. The results showed that (a) there is a moderate relationship between L2 reading comprehension and working memory (r = .30), (b) reading span task features such as the scoring procedure, task language, and final word recall order moderate this relationship, and (c) the degree to which working memory’s involvement in L2 reading comprehension may vary depending on the type of reading tasks at hand. Implications are discussed in terms of conceptualization and measurement of working memory. Future directions are also offered in relation to measurement practices to encourage consistency and to improve our understanding of the link between working memory and L2 reading comprehension.

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What can Teachers do to Improve Reading Comprehension?: An Examination of Second Language Reading Research and Implications for English Language Teaching Practices

The Arbutus Review ◽

10.18357/tar2120119063 ◽

1969 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 62-74 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Carrie Hill

Keyword(s):

Second Language ◽

Reading Comprehension ◽

Teaching Methods ◽

Teaching Practices ◽

English Language ◽

English Language Teaching ◽

Second Language Reading ◽

Reading Research ◽

L2 Reading ◽

L2 Reading Comprehension

This paper looks at English-as-an-additional-language (EAL) reading research and the implications it has for teachers. In particular, research focusing on second language (L2) reading comprehension is reviewed, deficiencies noted, and teaching methods reviewed.

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Using LARA for language learning: a pilot study for Icelandic

CALL and complexity – short papers from EUROCALL 2019 ◽

10.14705/rpnet.2019.38.982 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 33-38 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Branislav Bédi ◽

Cathy Chua ◽

Hanieh Habibi ◽

Ruth Martinez-Lopez ◽

Manny Rayner

Keyword(s):

Second Language ◽

Reading Comprehension ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Language Learning ◽

Open Source ◽

L2 Reading ◽

Online Tool ◽

Pilot Testing ◽

Reading Assistant ◽

L2 Reading Comprehension

This paper presents a brief overview of LARA (Learning And Reading Assistant), an open source online tool that has been under development since summer 2018. LARA currently contains a corpus of about 25 texts in ten languages and a crowdsourcing model used to expand the corpus. The central goal is to provide support for improving second language (L2) reading comprehension. The focus here is on the development of Icelandic content and its use during pilot testing amongst adult L2 learners of Icelandic. Preliminary feedback from users, while mostly positive, contained suggestions on how the tool might be improved.

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The explicit/implicit knowledge distinction and working memory: Implications for second-language reading comprehension

Applied Psycholinguistics ◽

10.1017/s0142716411000932 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 34 (4) ◽

pp. 727-753 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

GÜLCAN ERÇETİN ◽

CEM ALPTEKİN

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Second Language ◽

Reading Comprehension ◽

Explicit Knowledge ◽

Procedural Memory ◽

Implicit Knowledge ◽

Knowledge Sources ◽

L2 Reading ◽

Control Processes ◽

L2 Reading Comprehension

ABSTRACTFollowing an extensive overview of the subject, this study explores the relationships between second-language (L2) explicit/implicit knowledge sources, embedded in the declarative/procedural memory systems, and L2 working memory (WM) capacity. It further examines the relationships between L2 reading comprehension and L2 WM capacity as well as those between L2 reading comprehension and L2 explicit/implicit knowledge sources. Participants were late adult learners of English as an L2, with a relatively advanced level of English proficiency. They completed tests measuring their WM capacity, explicit knowledge, implicit knowledge, and L2 reading comprehension. Correlation analysis revealed significant relationships between L2 WM capacity and both explicit and implicit L2 knowledge. Exploratory factor analysis showed that explicit knowledge, WM capacity, and L2 reading comprehension loaded on a single factor whereas implicit L2 knowledge formed an independent factor with no relationship to L2 reading. The results suggest that L2 WM is able to manipulate and store both explicit and implicit L2 input through controlled and automatic processes. They also suggest that L2 explicit knowledge, connected with the control processes of the declarative system's lexical/semantic features, and L2 WM, reflecting attentional resource capacity/allocation associated with control processes, play an important role in L2 reading comprehension.

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Verbal Working Memory in Second Language Reading Comprehension: A Correlational Study

Communication Disorders Quarterly ◽

10.1177/1525740121991475 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 152574012199147

Author(s):

Melissa J. Pretorius ◽

Mia le Roux ◽

Salomé Geertsema

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Second Language ◽

Reading Comprehension ◽

Verbal Working Memory ◽

Receptive Language ◽

Linguistic Knowledge ◽

Auditory Information ◽

Poor Reading ◽

L2 Reading ◽

L2 Reading Comprehension

This study investigated the correlation and predictive capacity of verbal working memory (VWM) to the reading comprehension of children in their first language (L1) and second language (L2). The term VWM refers to a cognitive system with a limited capacity that can hold and manipulate verbal and auditory information temporarily. A subaim was to investigate the contribution of L2 linguistic knowledge in L2 reading comprehension. Sixty-three Grade 3 South African children completed a reading comprehension test and VWM assessment (forward span, backward span, and sentence repetition tasks). L2 participants completed a receptive language assessment to delineate whether their linguistic knowledge (L2 vocabulary and grammar knowledge) would be more predictive of L2 reading comprehension in comparison with VWM. Regression and correlation analyses revealed that VWM is not predictive of L1 or L2 reading comprehension. L2 linguistic knowledge, however, significantly correlates with L2 comprehension and VWM capacity, although it is not a significant predictor of L2 reading comprehension. Our findings suggest that reading in an L2 is a multidimensional skill where no single isolated variable can account for good versus poor reading comprehension.

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