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24 pages, 2135 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How a Phonics-Based Intervention, L1 Orthography, and Item Characteristics Impact Adult ESL Spelling Knowledge

by Katherine I. Martin

Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(4), 421; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14040421 - 17 Apr 2024

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Abstract

Spelling ability is a key dimension of orthographic knowledge and a crucial component literacy skill that supports automatic word recognition and fluent reading. There has been substantial research on first language (child) English speakers’ spelling ability, including the effectiveness of instruction interventions for [...] Read more.

Spelling ability is a key dimension of orthographic knowledge and a crucial component literacy skill that supports automatic word recognition and fluent reading. There has been substantial research on first language (child) English speakers’ spelling ability, including the effectiveness of instruction interventions for improving spelling knowledge. However, there is relatively little research on spelling in adult learners of English as a second language, and even less examining instructional interventions for improving their spelling. The current study addressed this gap by implementing an adaptation of a phonics-based instructional intervention in a university-based intensive English reading class. Compared to two different control cohorts, the cohort receiving the intervention significantly improved their ability to accurately identify whether an English word was spelled correctly or not. Analyses also considered the influence of a variety of lexical characteristics as well as participants’ L1 writing system. The results demonstrate the efficacy of this intervention in adult L2 English learners and also highlight the importance of considering word characteristics and participants’ language background when examining spelling performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Science of Second Language Reading: Ecological, Educational, Neurolinguistic, Psychological, and Sociocultural Perspectives)

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11 pages, 219 KiB

Open AccessArticle

L2 Reading Assessment from a Sociocultural Theory Perspective: The Contributions of Dynamic Assessment

by Ali Kushki and Hossein Nassaji

Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(4), 342; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14040342 - 24 Mar 2024

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Abstract

Our understanding of assessing L2 reading has significantly expanded in recent years, including both theoretical and practical aspects. There is a growing consensus that reading comprehension involves multiple skills and subskills. Classroom-based assessment practices reflecting such conceptualizations have also become widely utilized. This [...] Read more.

Our understanding of assessing L2 reading has significantly expanded in recent years, including both theoretical and practical aspects. There is a growing consensus that reading comprehension involves multiple skills and subskills. Classroom-based assessment practices reflecting such conceptualizations have also become widely utilized. This article explores the Vygotskyan sociocultural theory (SCT) and its implications for L2 reading assessment, with a specific focus on dynamic assessment as an effective classroom-based approach for L2 reading and literacy instruction. We will review the research that has applied DA principles to the assessment and teaching of L2 reading. We conclude by outlining potential avenues for future DA research and L2 reading instruction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Science of Second Language Reading: Ecological, Educational, Neurolinguistic, Psychological, and Sociocultural Perspectives)

14 pages, 542 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Direct and Indirect Contributions of Three Aspects of Morphological Knowledge to Second Language Reading Comprehension

by Junko Yamashita and Kunihiro Kusanagi

Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(3), 270; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14030270 - 5 Mar 2024

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Abstract

Growing attention has been devoted to the contribution of morphological knowledge to reading comprehension. Because of the complex nature of morphological knowledge, more fine-grained approaches are sought on this topic by exploring multiple aspects of morphological knowledge and multiple pathways through which each [...] Read more.

Growing attention has been devoted to the contribution of morphological knowledge to reading comprehension. Because of the complex nature of morphological knowledge, more fine-grained approaches are sought on this topic by exploring multiple aspects of morphological knowledge and multiple pathways through which each aspect contributes to reading comprehension. This study measured three aspects of affix knowledge (form, meaning, and use) and vocabulary breadth and examined how each aspect contributes to EFL (English as a foreign language) reading comprehension by modeling direct and indirect effects with vocabulary as a mediator. The participants were 211 Japanese university students. All variables were measured using standardized tests. Direct effects of meaning, use, and vocabulary and indirect effects of meaning and use via vocabulary were significant. However, form displayed no significant effect. The lack of significant effects for form may be due to the design of this study, which did not include word reading (a variable that may mediate form’s effect). In sum, although the form aspect did not show any effect, semantic and syntactic aspects demonstrated direct and indirect contributions. Overall, this study endorsed the criticality of a more fine-grained approach, shedding light on what and how morphological knowledge supports L2 reading comprehension. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Science of Second Language Reading: Ecological, Educational, Neurolinguistic, Psychological, and Sociocultural Perspectives)

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15 pages, 589 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Independent Semantic and Syntactic Representations in L2 Mandarin Learners: Evidence from Structural Priming

by Douglas J. Getty, Xiang Wei and Lin Chen

Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(2), 204; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14020204 - 17 Feb 2024

Viewed by 735

Abstract

Structural representations in English have been shown to be quite abstract, with structural information being represented independently from semantic information. Mandarin has a relatively sparse marking of syntactic information, with no inflections for case, number, or tense. Given this syntactic sparsity, Huang et [...] Read more.

Structural representations in English have been shown to be quite abstract, with structural information being represented independently from semantic information. Mandarin has a relatively sparse marking of syntactic information, with no inflections for case, number, or tense. Given this syntactic sparsity, Huang et al. (2016) hypothesized that, distinct from English-language findings, Mandarin learners may have shared syntactic and semantic representations, such that semantic information can guide structure building. We examined this question in L2 Mandarin learners using a structural priming paradigm that required reading Mandarin primes. We found that L2 Mandarin learners exhibit within-language structural priming, and this effect is independent of semantic information. These findings have two implications: (1) this represents the first demonstration of within-language L2 Mandarin structural priming; (2) L2 learners can develop syntactic representations independent of semantic representations, even when the target L2 language lacks rich marking of syntactic information. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Science of Second Language Reading: Ecological, Educational, Neurolinguistic, Psychological, and Sociocultural Perspectives)

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15 pages, 563 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Role of Second Language Reading Proficiency in Moderating Second Language Word Recognition

by Xiaomeng Li and Tianxu Chen

Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(2), 193; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14020193 - 15 Feb 2024

Viewed by 763

Abstract

Drawing upon the division of labor between orthographic and phonological information, this study investigated whether and how L2 reading proficiency moderates learners’ reliance on phonological and orthographic information in retrieving word meanings. A total of 136 Chinese collegiate students who learned English as [...] Read more.

Drawing upon the division of labor between orthographic and phonological information, this study investigated whether and how L2 reading proficiency moderates learners’ reliance on phonological and orthographic information in retrieving word meanings. A total of 136 Chinese collegiate students who learned English as a foreign language (EFL) completed English reading proficiency tests and were divided into higher and lower reading proficiency groups using an extreme-group approach. Behavioral tasks were used to measure the participants’ sensitivity to and processing skills of orthographic and phonological information. The analysis showed that the reliance on phonological and orthographic information differed significantly across L2 reading proficiency groups: The higher reading proficiency group was sensitive to both phonological and orthographic information within words, while the lower reading proficiency group was only sensitive to orthographic information; only orthographic processing skills significantly contributed to the word meaning retrieval of individuals in the higher reading proficiency group, while phonological processing skills were the only predictor for the lower reading proficiency group. These results suggest that the use of phonological and orthographic information vary as a function of L2 learners’ English reading proficiency. Implications regarding the changing patterns of L1 influences and the language-universal and language-specific aspects of word recognition were discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Science of Second Language Reading: Ecological, Educational, Neurolinguistic, Psychological, and Sociocultural Perspectives)

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10 pages, 268 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Chinese Students Learning English as a Second Language

by Maria McQuade, Dora Jue Pan, Jana Chi-San Ho, JingTong Ong, Melody Chi Ying Ng, Xiangzhi Meng and Catherine McBride

Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(2), 180; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14020180 - 10 Feb 2024

Viewed by 899

Abstract

The way in which different cities teach children to read in Chinese may have an impact on the skills they later utilize to acquire English word reading skills. This study examined the relative contributions of several cognitive–linguistic measures to English word reading for [...] Read more.

The way in which different cities teach children to read in Chinese may have an impact on the skills they later utilize to acquire English word reading skills. This study examined the relative contributions of several cognitive–linguistic measures to English word reading for Chinese students learning English as a second language in two Chinese cities, one whose school system teaches Pinyin (Beijing) and one whose school system does not teach Pinyin (Hong Kong). Students in grades 2–3 completed measures on Chinese morphological awareness (MA), Chinese phonological awareness (PA), Pinyin writing, and English word reading. In the Beijing group, it was found that PA (β = 0.334, p < 0.01) and Pinyin (β = 0.257, p < 0.05) were significant predictors of English word reading. In contrast, in the Hong Kong group, only MA (β = 0.263, p < 0.05) was found to be a significant predictor of English word reading. The difference in predictors could be due to the availability of a phonological tool (Pinyin) for the Beijing students when learning Chinese, while the Hong Kong group may have relied more heavily on learning using MA and rote memory techniques. Overall, the results from this study provide data supporting the benefits of having a phonological tool like Pinyin for Chinese children when learning to read in English. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Science of Second Language Reading: Ecological, Educational, Neurolinguistic, Psychological, and Sociocultural Perspectives)

16 pages, 825 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Bilingual Home Literacy Experiences and Early Biliteracy Development among Chinese–Canadian First Graders

by Guofang Li, Fubiao Zhen, Zhen Lin and Lee Gunderson

Educ. Sci. 2023, 13(8), 808; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13080808 - 6 Aug 2023

Viewed by 1279

Abstract

This study was designed to examine the role of early bilingual home literacy experiences (HLE) (including parent–child shared reading, parents’ direct teaching in Chinese and English, the availability of books in both languages, and children’s access to digital devices for bilingual learning) in [...] Read more.

This study was designed to examine the role of early bilingual home literacy experiences (HLE) (including parent–child shared reading, parents’ direct teaching in Chinese and English, the availability of books in both languages, and children’s access to digital devices for bilingual learning) in the biliteracy development of 66 Chinese–Canadian first graders during the COVID-19 pandemic. Descriptive analyses reveal that overall, parents report higher engagement in English than in Chinese across the four HLE measures. Parent’s engagement in bilingual HLE differs by gender, SES, and immigration status. Pearson correlational analyses of English reading, decoding, and bilingual oral receptive vocabulary reveal that the four dimensions of HLE are not strongly related to English early literacy skills but are positively related to Chinese receptive vocabulary. Finally, hierarchical regression analyses indicate that the availability of books in Chinese and parent–child shared reading in Chinese are key factors associated with Chinese receptive vocabulary score variance; the amount of time using digital devices is found to be significantly related to English reading comprehension, but not Chinese vocabulary; and parents’ direct teaching is not significant with either English early literacy skills or Chinese receptive vocabulary. These findings have important implications for parental engagement in early bilingual home literacy activities and early literacy instruction in school. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Science of Second Language Reading: Ecological, Educational, Neurolinguistic, Psychological, and Sociocultural Perspectives)

Review

Jump to: Research

26 pages, 816 KiB

Open AccessReview

What Can Eye Movements Tell Us about Reading in a Second Language: A Scoping Review of the Literature

by Juan Francisco Quiñonez-Beltran, Taylor Marissa Seymour, Robert A. J. Robbins, Ying Xu and R. Malatesha Joshi

Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(4), 375; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14040375 - 4 Apr 2024

Viewed by 748

Abstract

There is a growing interest in the similarities and differences in reading processes in L1 and L2. Some researchers propose that reading shares commonalities across languages, while others state that each language has particularities that would affect reading processes. One way to better [...] Read more.

There is a growing interest in the similarities and differences in reading processes in L1 and L2. Some researchers propose that reading shares commonalities across languages, while others state that each language has particularities that would affect reading processes. One way to better understand the reading processes is by using eye-tracking methodologies to explore reading processes online. This review focuses on the research done about reading processes in bilinguals to understand the effect of L1 in L2 processing. We found that most of the studies followed two methods of comparison: Bilinguals vs. monolinguals and L1 vs. L2. In general, bilinguals presented longer times in all reading measures; however, the results are discussed based on different characteristics of the studies and the type of comparison. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Science of Second Language Reading: Ecological, Educational, Neurolinguistic, Psychological, and Sociocultural Perspectives)

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