Second Language Oral Proficiency Characteristics of Low, Intermediate, and High Second Language Readers

Abstract

Investigating relationships between second language (L2) oral proficiency and reading, this study examined differences between low, intermediate, and high L2 readers on four L2 oral language variables. Subjects were 57 native Spanish-speaking third-grade children, who began learning English as a second language after entering kindergarten. Subjects were divided into three groups according to their performance on a diagnostic reading test: low, intermediate, and high L2 readers. L2 oral proficiency was individually assessed using an interactive, simulated science lesson. Resulting oral language samples were rated on four variables: grammatical complexity, well-formedness, informativeness, and comprehension. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to detect significant differences among the three groups. Post hoc pairwise comparisons were then made, using the Mann-Whitnney U to test for significance. Results indicated significant differences on all four oral language variables between the low and high L2 readers. In addition, differences between the intermediate and high groups were significant for well-formedness and informativeness. Results are discussed in terms of a theory of general second language proficiency encompassing both oral and written language.