Contributions of Demographics, Language Learning Experience, and Cognitive Control to Chinese Reading Comprehension.

Zhilong Xie,Wei Wang,Meijing Chen,Fangfang Yuan,Xiaying Chu,Qing Qiu,Jinwen Huang

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.770579

Abstract

The study investigates whether learners’ demographics (e.g., age, education, and intelligence-IQ), language learning experience, and cognitive control predict Chinese (L2) reading comprehension in young adults. Thirty-four international students who studied mandarin Chinese in mainland China (10 females, 24 males) from Bangladesh, Burundi, Congo, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, and Zimbabwe were tested on a series of measures including demographic questionnaires, IQ test, two cognitive control tasks [Flanker Task measuring inhibition and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) measuring mental set shifting], and a Chinese reading comprehension test (HSK level 4). The results of correlation analyses showed that education, L2 learning history, L2 proficiency, and previous category errors of the WCST were significantly correlated with Chinese reading comprehension. Further multiple regression analyses indicated that Chinese learning history, IQ, and previous category errors of the WCST significantly predicted Chinese reading comprehension. These findings reveal that aside from IQ and the time spent on L2 learning, the component mental set shifting of cognitive control also predicts reading outcomes, which suggests that cognitive control has a place in reading comprehension models over and above traditional predictors of language learning experience.

Highlights

Reading comprehension is important not just for text understanding, but for broader learning, success in education and employment
The current study examined how demographics, language learning experience, and cognitive control were related to L2 Chinese reading comprehension among international students who learned Chinese as second/foreign language in mainland China
The results showed that demographic features, language learning experience, and cognitive control were related to L2 Chinese reading comprehension, but in different ways

Summary

Introduction

Reading comprehension is important not just for text understanding, but for broader learning, success in education and employment. Reading involves complex and interactive processes that require readers to construct a meaningful representation of a text by using background knowledge, linguistic knowledge, and different cognitive skills and abilities (Rayner and Reichle, 2010; Oakhill et al, 2015). Scholars have shown interest in L2 reading involving Asian languages, Cognitive Control and Chinese Reading Chinese, as a result of the globalization of Chinese economy (Zhu, 2021). The current study intends to fill the gap by investigating among CSL/CFL learners how Chinese reading comprehension may be attributed to multiple factors, including learners’ demographic background, linguistic experience, and cognitive control abilities, as those factors have been reported to be in association with reading comprehension

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Conclusion