Factors affecting English reading comprehension of Korean middle school students

Abstract

Any attempt to explain L2 reading comprehension entails a profound understanding of a reading process in which multiple factors interact with one another. This study investigated the structural relationships among factors affecting L2 reading comprehension development of 318 Korean EFL middle school students. Students’ L1 reading ability, L2 listening skills, L2 vocabulary knowledge, and L2 reading ability were assessed. The relative contribution of these factors to L2 reading performance was analyzed by the structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis. The study results showed that the students’ L2 vocabulary knowledge was the strongest direct predictor of their L2 reading comprehension and followed by L2 listening skills. However, L1 reading ability showed a nonsignificant relation to L2 reading comprehension, while L1 reading was positively related to L2 reading through a mediating role of L2 listening skills. These results provided empirical evidence for the effects of a threshold level of L2 proficiency on L2 reading performance. The pedagogical implications of the findings in relation to teaching EFL reading were suggested.