Validated tests for language research with university students: Tests of vocabulary, general knowledge, author recognition, reading comprehension, reading frequency, attention check

We present five studies aimed at developing a new vocabulary test for university students. Such a test isuseful as an indication of crystallized intelligence and because vocabulary size correlates well withreading comprehension. In the first study, a list of 100 words based on Nation’s Vocabulary Size Test waspresented to 195 participants and compared to other tests of crystallized intelligence. Analysis suggestedthe presence of two distinct factors, which we interpreted as evidence for the possible existence of twotypes of difficult words: Unfamiliar words for general knowledge and unfamiliar words for specializedknowledge. In the subsequent studies we tried to develop vocabulary tests for each type of words, at thesame time trying out various reading comprehension tests to use as validation criterion. However, in thefinal study a high correlation (r =.82) was found between our two vocabulary tests, indicating that theymeasure the same latent factor, contrary to our initial assumption. Both tests have high reliability (r >.85) and correlate well (r > .4) with general knowledge, author recognition, and reading comprehension.As part of our research efforts, a collection of new and existing tests was used and (often) improved toverify the validity of the vocabulary tests. An exploratory factor analysis on all tests established 3 factors(text comprehension, crystallized intelligence, and reading rate), with the vocabulary tests loading on thefactor of crystallized intelligence, which in turn correlated with reading comprehension. Structuralequation modeling corroborated the interpretation. We end by providing an overview of the differenttests that were developed or improved throughout the studies. They are freely available for researchpurposes at https://osf.io/ef3s4/.

Using Technologies to Foster the Reading Habit in L2 (English)

In a society which is becoming more and more globalized, it is essential to promote teaching processes that enable the meaningful acquisition of knowledge, emphasizing the learning of English, as the main goal of the teachers. Reading in education is the paradigm of culture and is part of the language learning process. Nevertheless, its practice has declined in recent years. Consequently, through this Project, with the aim of motivating the Reading frequency, we intend to take a deeper look into the role of technologies in order to foster the Reading habit in a foreign language, highlighting the importance of reading for the student cognitive development. For that reason, an innovation proposal for promoting reading based on the use of ICT in the educational field is presented, with a specific focus on the Booktube community, as a tool to increase interest and motivation in reading.

Effect of Gender Differences in Reading Habits of University Students in Sri Lanka

Reading habits of university students, which is crucial in building a robust individual, are affected by various factors. This study was conducted to explore the effect of gender differences in reading habits of university undergraduates in Sri Lanka. Data were obtained using a questionnaire from 192 male and 474 female students of six universities. Enjoying reading, reading preferences, how often they are reading and reading frequency showed significant variations between the two genders (p<0.05). Female students enjoyed reading and spent more time in reading than their male counterparts. Most female students preferred novels (28.5%), while male respondents (7.5%) selected books to read. Both male (14.5%) and female (33.1%) students selected education as their preferred genre while politics and poetry were preferred by least number of female students (6.6%) and male students (2.1%) respectively. Personal satisfaction was the main reason for reading to both the male (17.4%) and female students (39.9%) while the least number of male (2.1%) and female (7.2%) students read for reinforcing their lessons. The majority of the female students responded that preparation for exams (39.6%) was the main barrier against reading, while male students selected social networks (16.5%). In terms of frequency, the majority of the girls (19.5%) read once a week, while 9.3% of boys read less frequently, whereas 0.9% of them never read. Based on this study, female are better in reading than male students in Sri Lankan universities.

Beyond the Educational Context: Relevance of Intrinsic Reading Motivation During COVID-19 Confinement in Spain

What role could have intrinsic motivation toward reading in an extraordinary situation like the recent confinement? This research examines the relationship between intrinsic reading motivation (IRM) and reading habits in an adult population considering types of reading (for leisure, work/study, social networks, and news), gender, and distress generated by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Participants were 3,849 adults from Spain who were surveyed about their reading practices: before, during the first weeks, and after several weeks of confinement. Linear mixed effects models (LMMs) were used to analyze data. Results showed a three-way interaction between reading frequency, IRM, and type of reading. Also, distress seems to pose a differential impact depending on the type of reading. The higher the IRM, the lesser the time devoted to study/work reading and the more to social and news reading (at the beginning of confinement). In this sense, IRM can function as a protective factor of reading behavior but only for leisure reading. Results support previous findings of the importance of consciously promoting this type of motivation in all individuals beyond educational contexts, since it seems to be positively related to well-being. Other results and implications are discussed.

Leisure reading in multilingual Singapore

What are bilingual children reading? Do children who enjoy reading books in one language also enjoy reading books in the other language? Drawing on survey data from 1,312 children (aged 9–11) in two government primary schools in Singapore, this study examined reading enjoyment, habits and preferences of two groups of bilingual children – English-Chinese and English-Malay bilingual children. Results showed that children generally enjoyed reading in English more than reading in Chinese/Malay, and that they read English books more often and for longer duration. Within each language, reading enjoyment was significantly associated with reading frequency and reading duration. Crosslinguistically, children’s reading duration and frequency in their two languages were closely related, despite their different reasons for reading English and Chinese/Malay books. Even though levels of reading enjoyment in the two languages were not significantly correlated, results suggested that English reading enjoyment may facilitate Chinese/Malay reading. Results highlight the important role of language policy, the focus of language curriculum and language-specific features in shaping bi-/multilingual children’s reading habits and preferences. Implications for classroom applications and the need to promote Chinese/Malay reading are discussed.

Understanding the robustness of incidental vocabulary acquisition through reading: Qualitative insights from biolinguistics

Studies have shown the potentials of reading on the development of language. Especially, the literature on second language reading is replete with evidence that unearths the incidental acquisition of vocabulary through reading. Free and pleasurable reading, which has a marked effect on the frequency of reading, contributes significantly to the incidental acquisition of vocabulary. However, only a few studies have explored the interconnection among vocabulary acquisition, free and/or pleasure reading, and the reading frequency. To this end, this study manifests the incidental acquisition of vocabulary through reading and foregrounds the importance of free reading, reading pleasure, and reading frequency for vocabulary development. By confirming the strong correlation between reading frequency and the vocabulary test scores of the participants we attest that the reading frequency is significantly associated with free and/or pleasure reading (in our case, liking towards self-selected reading). We also theoretically contextualize and support the argument of incidental vocabulary learning through reading from a biological perspective. Given that the acquisition of any language subskill is enabled by the amalgamation of nature and environment, insights into the biological system of reading implicates a better understanding of the incidental acquisition of vocabulary through reading.

Changes in reading behaviour of periodicals on mobile devices: A comparative study

Mobile devices not only bring convenience to aspects of life but also change people’s behaviour in their daily lives, in particular reading. While most of the studies focus on reading books, there are few systematic publications primarily focusing on electronic periodicals, especially comparing the different needs of patrons from different faculties. Through an online questionnaire, the authors explored whether and how university patrons of the University of Hong Kong changed their reading behaviour of e-periodicals in the context of mobile devices. Six reading patterns were investigated: reading frequency, types of periodicals, preference of mobile devices, reading time spent, reading time slot and reading location. The authors purposefully compare subjects selected from three faculties (Education, Engineering and Science) to examine whether research and learning requirements affect their behaviours. The analysis found that reading patterns did indeed change after patrons adopted mobile devices to read periodicals. There are also some statistically significant differences among the faculties investigated, reflecting their different information needs. The findings can help academic libraries review their periodical subscription policies and reading promotion schemes to satisfy various patrons’ needs.

The contributions of oral language to English reading outcomes among young bilingual students in the United States

Aims and objectives/purpose/research questions: The current study examined the language-reading relationship for bilingual students in two grade levels (grades 1 and 3) and for two reading outcomes (decoding and comprehension) to understand the contribution of oral language in English reading. The study also explored the potential mediating role of oral language between language use, reading frequency, and reading outcomes. Design/methodology/approach: The study included 60 bilingual students from bilingual households that speak a language other than, or in addition to, English. All participants completed a battery of language and reading assessments and a background survey. Data and analysis: Three separate confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to derive an Oral Language factor (from oral language assessments), a Language Use factor, and a Reading Frequency factor (from survey items). A multivariate regression was conducted to investigate whether the language-reading relationship differed by grade and reading outcome. A multivariate mediation analysis was also conducted to examine whether the Oral Language factor mediates the effect of Language Use and Reading Frequency on reading outcomes. Findings/conclusions: Oral language proficiency significantly predicted both decoding and comprehension for both grades. Oral language also mediated the relationship between reading frequency and reading outcomes. Originality: This study investigates the contributions of oral language in young bilingual students’ English reading outcomes, which is an under-explored topic. Significance/implications: The results demonstrated the importance of oral language proficiency in bilingual students’ reading outcomes. Oral language plays a robust role in not only reading comprehension but also decoding. The study also clarified that the effects of reading frequency on reading outcomes are indirect and mediated via oral language. Improving bilingual students’ oral language proficiency coupled with promoting their reading frequency can help promote their reading outcomes.

Hábitos de lectura y consumo de información de los adolescentes en el ámbito digital

The present work tries to echo how the communicative metamorphoses occurred in the last years, inferring in the reading habits and in the consumption of information in a general way and more specifically in adolescents. The analysis will start from the report prepared by the writers’ guild 2018 (2019), since it allows us to monitor the state of reading habits and book purchases in a generalized way in Spain. Then, apply what has been poured out to young people extensively and, finally, materializing by extrapolating all the data analyzed to the geographical area of Cádiz adolescents and their position in relation to the rest of Spanish adolescents. Gender variables will also be taken into account in a very special way, to see if there is a certain preference depending on the sex of the reader in the choice of medium (digital or analogue) and if within the digital medium there are discrepancies in the type of text read. We will also check whether digital reading by young people is reduced exclusively to short texts and whether this choice can be derived from the very nature of digital. In the same way, we will pay special attention to the preferences of analogical reading versus digital reading, when we talk about long texts, again due to the personal nature of paper reading. We will analyze the reading frequency of the different digital media, as well as the choice of other shorter texts, categorized within the taxonomy of digital reading. Finally, we will take into account what types of readers with respect to reading frequency become from digital media. The idea is to draw up a panorama that shows how reading occurs among adolescents in the digital world, by definition, closer to their thoughts and feelings.