scholarly journals Influence of Background Knowledge and Language Proficiency on Comprehension of Domain-Specific Texts by University Students

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 59-74
Author(s):  
Justyna Kendik-Gut
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Statistical Tests ◽  
Background Knowledge ◽  
Study Groups ◽  
Domain Specific ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Comprehension Tests

This paper presents the results of a quantitative study that explores two factors contributing to reading comprehension of domain specific texts, namely level of language proficiency and background knowledge. Overall, 32 students participated in the study by taking two custom-designed reading comprehension tests. The test scores were further  analyzed using SPSS statistical software. The results of statistical tests revealed the differences between study groups as well as the effects of compensation. More precisely, the most proficient group scored higher on almost all tests and completed the tests more quickly than the remaining groups. The statistical tools used to test the data showed that there are significant differences between all the groups in their performance on Proficiency Level Test and in timing. Hence, our hypothesis concerning the influence of background knowledge and language proficiency on reading comprehension of domain-specific texts has been confirmed. Finally, the paper discusses limitations of the study as well as implications for EFL teaching.

scholarly journals The Effect of Reflective Reading on Reading Comprehension of Iranian EFL Learners

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 267
Author(s):  
Nava Nourdad ◽  
Rasoul Asghari
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Study Groups ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Survival Skill ◽  
Comprehension Ability ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Reading Comprehension Ability

Reading comprehension as a survival skill in EFL context is included in almost all language proficiency and achievement tests. However, it seems that traditional approaches to reading comprehension instruction have not been successful at satisfying the learners’ need. Considering the advantages of reflective reading, it appeared as a probable solution to reading problem of EFL learners. Therefore, this experimental study aimed at investigating the effect of reflective reading on reading comprehension of Iranian EFL learners. To this end 49 male and female participants were selected through convenient sampling and were randomly assigned to two control and experimental groups. An English proficiency test was given to the sample to make sure about the homogeneity of the participants and equality of proficiency levels of the two groups. Later reading comprehension ability of the study groups was measured. As the ten-session treatment began the experimental group experienced reflective reading, while the control group followed conventional method of reading and answering comprehension check questions. After the treatment period, the groups’ reading comprehension ability was assessed once more. Independent samples t-tests were run to analyze the gathered data. It was found that reflective reading has positive effect on reading comprehension of Iranian EFL learners. Pedagogical implications of this finding for language teachers, learners, material developers, policy makers and researchers are discussed. 

scholarly journals Predictors of Successful Reading Comprehension in Bilingual Adults: The Role of Reading Strategies and Language Proficiency

Languages ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 18
Author(s):  
Deanna C. Friesen ◽  
Bailey Frid
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Text Analysis ◽  
Reading Strategies ◽  
Background Knowledge ◽  
Strategy Use ◽  
Dominant Language ◽  
Analysis Strategies

The current study investigated the type of strategies that English–French bilingual adults utilize when reading in their dominant and non-dominant languages and which of these strategies are associated with reading comprehension success. Thirty-nine participants read short texts while reporting aloud what they were thinking as they read. Following each passage, readers answered three comprehension questions. Questions either required information found directly in the text (literal question) or required a necessary inference or an elaborative inference. Readers reported more necessary and elaborative inferences and referred to more background knowledge in their dominant language than in their non-dominant language. Engaging in both text analysis strategies and meaning extraction strategies predicted reading comprehension success in both languages, with differences observed depending on the type of question posed. Results are discussed with respect to how strategy use supports the development of text representations.

scholarly journals Test-Taking Strategies and Reading Comprehension: A Correlational Investigation

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 155-165
Author(s):  
Fadi Al-Khasawneh
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
English Language ◽  
Placement Test ◽  
Test Taking ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
Data Collection Process ◽  
Test Taking Strategies ◽  
Efl Students

There is an increasing interest of studies investigating the correlation between Test-Taking Strategies (TTSs) and reading comprehension achievement among EFL learners. The relationship between the aforementioned variables is still unclear and more studies are needed on this area. The major concern of this study is to examine the correlational relationship between the use of test-taking strategies and reading comprehension. The sample of this study included 64 undergraduate students majoring in English language in King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia. The present research employed three instruments for data collection process; English Language Placement Test was used to distribute students according to their proficiency level, two reading passages taken from TOEFL reading comprehension tests, and a questionnaire adapted from Cohen and Upton (2007) asking about TTSs. The results of the present study illustrated that Saudi EFL students used test-taking strategies at a moderate level. There was no statistically significant correlation between test-taking strategies use and students’ achievement in reading comprehension test. There was also no significant differences between test-taking strategies and students; achievement in reading comprehension attributed to language proficiency level. Some pedagogical implications for EFL teachers were presented and discussed.

scholarly journals The Countervailing Effect of Language Proficiency and Cultural Adaptation on the Frequency of Cognitive-Metacognitive Strategies among EFL Readers

2021 ◽  
Vol 04 (01) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ebrahim Daryaee Motlagh ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Metacognitive Strategies ◽  
Expository Texts ◽  
Advanced Learners ◽  
Intermediate Students ◽  
Language Groups ◽  
Culturally Adapted ◽  
Intermediate Learners ◽  
Comprehension Tests

This article is an attempt to investigate how advanced and high-intermediate learners of English receiving culturally familiar or nativized contents may differ in terms of both their performance in reading comprehension and the use of cognitive and metacognitive strategies. To this end, a total of 73 advanced and high-intermediate students of English were selected and assigned to two groups in order to acquire relevant data across different levels of language proficiency. Subsequently, the participants received culturally adapted texts with sociologically, semantically and pragmatically nativized contents in the form of narrative and expository texts. Following this step, the participants were given reading comprehension tests and cognitive-metacognitive questionnaires. While culturally familiar texts are generally believed to have facilitating impacts on the overall reading comprehension for all language groups, the findings of the present study suggest that the advanced learners of English may use these strategies more frequently compared to high-intermediate learners of English. These results may raise strong implications concerning the suitability and effectiveness of nativized or culturally adapted materials for learners at varying levels of language proficiency.

scholarly journals Oral Language Proficiency Level of International Business Process Outsourcing Agents

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramil S. Bulilan ◽  
Shaun James T. Ponte
Keyword(s):  
Educational Attainment ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Oral Language ◽  
Call Center ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
Statistical Tests ◽  
Oral Proficiency ◽  
Oral Language Proficiency ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
Significant Difference

Oral English language proficiency is an important skill every call center agent must possess. Towards this end, this study sampled 125 call center agents of Sykes in Cebu City, Philippines primarily to determine their level of proficiency in oral discourse. A descriptive-quantitative design was pursued wherein respondents were assessed using the said industry’s standardized instrument that measured on their pronunciation, stress, and intonation; language accuracy, and vocabulary range; discourse and strategic competency; and, interactive fluency and sociolinguistics. It also specifically sought answers on their gender, highest educational attainment, school attended, and place of origin. We presumed that their highest educational attainment and gender had influenced their oral language proficiency level. Results revealed they were modest users which mean that they are non-native-speaker-like agents. They have partial command of the language. Statistical tests revealed no significant difference and relationship, respectively, on respondents’ oral proficiency level in terms of their gender and highest educational achievement. These imply that whether male or female, and finished college or not, their oral proficiency level is not affected. In other words, gender and college achievement are not the factors towards their oral proficiency level. Nevertheless, call center agents of Sykes to need to improve their oral language skills for them to retain employment.

The Influence of Content Familiarity, Gender Difference and Proficiency Level on Reading Comprehension Performance: A Study on Malaysian Undergraduate Students in UPM

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Waseem Alkelani ◽  
Hadina Habil
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Language Proficiency ◽  
The Other ◽  
Independent Variables ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
Content Familiarity ◽  
Malaysian Students

Much research has been done on the influence of several variables individually on Reading comprehension, but the influence of these variables as a whole was not given much attention. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between reading comprehension as a dependent variable and three independent variables namely: gender differences, English language proficiency level and content familiarity. An additional goal was to examine the interrelation between the three independent variables. The participants were 127 male and female Malaysian students attending English language proficiency classes at the English language department in University Putra Malaysia (UPM). The study employed a quantitative approach and the data was collected through a questionnaire which was of three main parts: two reading passages (one is content-familiar and the other one is content- unfamiliar texts) and a written interview. All participants were asked to answer the whole survey and then they were classified on the basis of their proficiency level and gender. The major findings revealed that there was a direct relation between content familiarity and reading comprehension while there was an indirect relation between each of gender differences and English language proficiency level on one side and reading comprehension on the other side.

scholarly journals Test-taking Strategies on Reading Comprehension Tests: A Review of Major Research Themes

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 207
Author(s):  
Mohammed S. Assiri ◽  
Emad A. Alodhahi
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Reading Test ◽  
Reading Tests ◽  
Test Taking ◽  
Research Themes ◽  
Test Taking Strategies ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Comprehension Tests ◽  
Reading Comprehension Tests

<p><em>There is a growing body of thought and research on strategy use on tests of reading comprehension. Nevertheless, there have been few research reviews that have treated major themes involved in thought and research on test-taking strategies, specifically in the context of reading comprehension. Hence, this paper reviews the themes that are central to the discussion of strategy choice and use on reading comprehension tests. Research themes that form the foci of the paper include discussion of test-taking strategies as they relate to the process of reading test-taking, formats of reading tests, validation of reading tests, level of language proficiency, and performance on tests of reading comprehension.</em></p>

scholarly journals An Investigation of the Relationship between Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary Knowledge, and English Language Proficiency Level of Saudi EFL Learners

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 59
Author(s):  
Huda Suleiman Al Qunayeer
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Word Knowledge ◽  
Multiple Choice Questions ◽  
Vocabulary Size ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
The Relationship

The present study is an attempt to explore the relationship between the breadth (the number of words known) and the depth of vocabulary knowledge (the richness of word knowledge) (the richness of word knowledge), and reading comprehension of EFL learners in an English as a foreign language (EFL) context. Furthermore, it tries to find the effect of language proficiency level of learners on the breadth and the depth of lexical vocabulary and reading comprehension of Saudi EFL learners. The participants of the study were seventy-five intermediate and advanced level majoring in English Translation at Qassim University in KSA. The level of language proficiency of participants had been checked through an OPT by the department in advance. To collect the relevant data, two tests measuring breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge were administered to all participants. They also received a reading comprehension test in which they were asked to read the passages and answer some multiple-choice questions. The findings obtained from the analysis of the data indicated that there is a significant relationship between breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge and Saudi advanced/intermediate EFL learner’s reading comprehension performance totally. The results further revealed that both dimensions of vocabulary knowledge are positively correlated, that is, those learners who had large vocabulary size had a deeper knowledge of the words, too. The results further showed that language proficiency level of learners have an effect on Saudi EFL learners’ reading performance and vocabulary knowledge. These results confirm the importance and the value of developing students‟ breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge in EFL classrooms.

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