English As A Foreign Language Readers Research Articles

Text and Instruction Necessary for the Facilitation of EFL Reader’s Predictive Inference Generation

Inference generation is necessary for reading to understand stories. However, it may be difficult for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) readers to generate inferences owing to their limited cognitive resources that are mostly used in lower-level processing such as lexical and syntactical analysis. Predictive inference, which facilitates readers’ context processing and construction of a situational model, can be challenging for EFL readers to produce during reading. This study focuses on textual conditions and teacher’s task instructions to suggest the appropriate text choices and task instructions to help EFL readers produce predictive inferences. Two story versions (High-predictability Target vs. Control) and two different instructions (Predict the end of the story vs. Memorize the names of characters) were compared using recall rates. The findings indicated that the combination of a high-predictability target story with instructions to predict the end of the story would be the most effective pair for predictive inference.

Individual differences in self-regulated learning profiles of Chinese EFL readers: A sequential explanatory mixed-methods study

AbstractThis study explored the latent profiles of self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies (cognitive, metacognitive, and motivational regulation) endorsed by Chinese English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) readers in a high-stakes testing environment, and also their associations with individual factors (gender, grade, reading proficiency, and motivational beliefs). With a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design, students in grades 11 and 12 (n = 1,113) completed a reading comprehension test and a questionnaire regarding their strategy use and individual factors, and some (n = 16) were randomly selected for follow-up semi-structured interviews. Findings revealed three SRL profiles, characterized by high, medium, and low levels of SRL-strategy use. Self-efficacy and extrinsic motivation most powerfully predicted an individual’s profile membership; all the intrinsic and extrinsic motivation variables were significantly higher for learners from the higher strategy-use profile. Moreover, reading proficiency did not significantly predict profile membership, but more self-regulated students still achieved higher reading scores as a group tendency.

A Study of the Implicit Reading Beliefs of a Cohort of College EFL Readers and Their Responses to Narrative Text

This study investigates the implicit reading beliefs (RBs) of a cohort of diverse English-as-a foreign language (EFL) undergraduate university students and their responses to a narrative text. Sixty-two (n = 62) students enrolled in an introductory reading education course participated in the study. The participants completed a demographic questionnaire and a modified version of the Schraw and Bruning Reader Belief Inventory (RBI). In addition, they read and responded to a narrative text. Descriptive statistics (means, standard deviations, frequencies, percentages, mean rank order) were computed as well as theme coding analysis and a Factorial Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) test was conducted to address the study questions. Results indicate that the study participants hold dichotomous as well as less contrasting transmission and transaction RB beliefs. Likewise, they tend to read in a balanced way that reflects combination of text-based, critical evaluation, and personal reaction responses to narrative reading. Conceptual, and pedagogical implications and suggestions for further research into the formation of reading implicit beliefs and their interplay with the comprehension of texts of various types and difficulty levels are discussed.

Exploring Metacognitive Strategies in Reading Academic Texts among More and Less Proficient EFL University Students

Research has showed a positive relationship between metacognitive knowledge and success in reading comprehension. Thus, it is important to be aware of metacognitive strategy use in reading comprehension. This study was intended to explore metacognitive strategies in reading academic texts among more and less proficient English university student readers. To this end, 75 English as a foreign language (EFL) students (including 45 more proficient and 30 less proficient students), who were selected nonrandomly from two universities, participated in this mixed-methods study. To collect data, the Survey of Reading Strategies and the Test of English as Foreign Language were administered to them. Also, to elicit how they utilize the metacognitive strategies, five more proficient and five less proficient EFL readers were asked to undertake think-aloud tasks. Results of quantitative (t-tests) and qualitative data analysis showed that there were significant differences between the metacognitive strategies used by more and less proficient readers. More proficient readers reported using the strategies at a high frequency level overall, but less proficient readers reported using them at a moderate frequency level. More proficient readers preferred to use problem-solving strategies followed by global strategies, whereas less proficient ones preferred to use problem solving strategies followed by support strategies. In addition, the results of think-aloud indicated that the more and less proficient readers’ methods of employing metacognitive strategies differed, to some extent, from each other in quality of use. The findings provide implications for low proficiency EFL readers who intend to improve their reading comprehension and learning autonomy.

Training EFL Learners in Self-Regulation of Reading: Implementing an SRL Model

ABSTRACTThis study examined whether training English as a foreign language (EFL) learners in a self-regulated learning (SRL) model could help them develop the ability to self-regulate their reading in English and whether their proficiency level could moderate the efficacy of self-regulation training. Two experimental groups received instruction in self-regulatory processes, whereas 2 control groups received the traditional routine reading instruction. We collected SRL data using the adapted Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire and think-aloud protocols. Parametric 2-way analyses of covariance of both measures showed that the experimental groups outperformed the control ones in using self-regulation processes, but proficiency level did not moderate the efficacy of self-regulation training. The results revealed that EFL readers could be successfully trained in the target SRL model and become able to self-regulate their reading in English. These findings can provide an incentive for EFL teachers to use self-regulation strategies in reading classes.

Why Do Saudi EFL Readers Exhibit Poor Reading Abilities?

<p>The aim of the current study was to investigate the reasons behind Saudi learners’ poor reading skills. To this end, the objectives were to identify the reading habits of Saudi English as a Foreign Language (EFL) middle school learners, to understand the extent to which Saudi EFL middle school learners use reading comprehension skills and to explore the perceptions of learners, teachers and supervisors regarding Saudi EFL learners’ reading abilities. The study sample consisted of 90 Saudi EFL middle school students, eight EFL teachers and six supervisors. The students were surveyed and interviewed about their reading habits and use of reading skills, while the teachers and supervisors were interviewed to explore their perceptions about reading instruction in the Saudi context. The results revealed that most Saudi EFL students lack the necessary reading habits in L1 and L2. In addition, they rarely make use of important reading skills when they read English texts. This study identified “lack of exposure to target language”, “poor teaching skills and teacher training programs”, “little attention to comprehension and more attention to reading aloud”, “students’ lack of motivation”, “little emphasis on reading skills in textbooks”, “unfamiliar and unsuitable reading topics”, “lack of reading skills training for students”, “students’ limited vocabulary” and “lack of parental involvement” as the most important factors behind Saudi students’ poor reading abilities. The study concluded with important recommendations and suggestions for future research.</p>

Reading Skills and Strategies: Assessing Primary School Students’ Awareness in L1 and EFL Strategy Use

The present study was designed and conducted with the purpose to assess primary school students’ awareness in GL1 (Greek as first language) and EFL (English as a foreign language) strategy use and investigate the relations between the reported reading strategies use in first (L1) and foreign language (FL). The sample (455 students attending the fifth and sixth grades of primary schools in Northern Greece) was first categorized into skilled and less skilled L1 and EFL readers through screening reading comprehension tests, one in L1 and one in FL, before filling in the reading strategy questionnaires. The findings revealed participants’ preference for “problem solving” strategies, while “global strategies” coming next. Girls were proved to be more aware of their reading strategies use with the boys reporting a more frequent use in both languages. Also, skilled readers were found to use reading strategies more effectively, and appeared to be more flexible in transferring strategies from L1 to FL compared to less-skilled readers.

The Perceptual Span in Second Language Reading: An Eye-Tracking Study Using a Gaze-Contingent Moving Window Paradigm

The perceptual span, which is the visual area providing useful information to a reader during eye fixation, has been well investigated among native or first language (L1) readers, but not among second language (L2) readers. Our goal was to investigate the size of the perceptual span among Japanese university students who learn English as a foreign language (EFL) to investigate parafoveal processing during L2 reading. In an experiment using the gaze-contingent moving window paradigm, we compared perceptual span between Japanese EFL readers (N = 42) and native English L1 readers (N = 14). Our results showed that (1) the EFL readers had a smaller perceptual span than the L1 readers did, and (2) the facilitating effect of parafoveal information was greater for faster EFL readers than it was for slower EFL readers. These findings provide evidence that EFL readers can only utilize little parafoveal information during fixation when compared with L1 readers.

Morphological awareness in biliteracy acquisition: A study of young Chinese EFL readers

This study examined contribution of morphological awareness to reading comprehension in two typologically diverse languages, focusing on young Chinese EFL (English as a Foreign Language) readers in China. It was particularly interested in how cross-linguistic similarities and variations in morphological awareness affected its transfer in Chinese–English biliteracy acquisition. Grades 5 and 6 children were measured in compound awareness and reading comprehension in English, and compound awareness, radical awareness, and reading comprehension in Chinese. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that compound awareness contributed to reading comprehension within both Chinese and English. In addition, over and above English compound awareness and Chinese reading comprehension, Chinese compound awareness, but not radical awareness, explained a unique amount of variance in English reading comprehension. After Chinese compound awareness was controlled for, English compound awareness, however, did not make a significant contribution to Chinese reading comprehension. These findings were discussed in light of the common and language/script-dependent aspects of morphological awareness in Chinese and English and the context of biliteracy acquisition.

L1 and L2 Strategy Use in Reading Comprehension of Chinese EFL Readers

This study revealed the relationship between L1 (Mandarin Chinese) and L2 (English) strategy use in L2 reading comprehension by focusing on the correlation of L1 reading ability, L2 proficiency and employed reading strategies. The participants, 222 undergraduates learning English as a foreign language (EFL), were classified into skilled and less-skilled groups. Almost no difference of strategy use is confirmed between skilled and less-skilled readers in reading L1 material, whereas in L2 that skilled readers use more strategies is confirmed within various categories to increase their comprehension than their less-skilled counterparts. Specific reading strategies are identified differentiating skilled from less-skilled readers.

Investigating readers’ mental maps of references in an online system

Referential identification and resolution are considered the keys to help readers grasp the main idea of a text and solve lexical ambiguities. The goal of this study is to design a computer system for helping college students who learn English as a Foreign Language (EFL) develop mental maps of referential identification and resolution in reading. Four modules, Natural Language Processing (NLP), User Interface, Recording, and Feedback Tool, are implemented in the system. Results of this study showed that the more-proficient EFL readers were able to identify and resolve most of the references to form a coherent mental map from different parts of a text. The less-proficient readers commonly resolved references by relying on grammatical rules instead of semantic contextual clues. They often referred references to incorrect objects. To overcome the difficulties in figuring out the relationship between two words, the less-proficient readers usually asked for more feedbacks. As students progressed in reading, they requested fewer feedbacks in the online system. Some recommendations for future studies are discussed.

Graphic Display of Linguistic Information in English as a Foreign Language Reading

Two studies investigated the advantage and instructional effectiveness of the spatial graphic representation of an English sentence with coordinators over a linear sentential representation in English as a foreign language (EFL) reading settings. Experiment 1, Study 1, examined whether readers studying EFL could better comprehend the sentence—in which multiple information items are connected by coordinating conjunctions—when provided with a spatial representation than when provided with a sentential representation. Experiment 2 of Study 1 examined whether the advantage observed in Experiment 1 was due to Larkin and Simon's (1987) computational efficacy by testing whether two different task‐completion times would affect the performance of two different display groups. Study 2 examined the effectiveness of the instruction manual, which we compiled, in enabling students to rearrange a linear text with coordinating conjunctions into a spatial display for self‐study. The results indicated that the spatial graphic display enhanced EFL readers' comprehension of sentences with coordinators more than the sentential display did, and EFL readers were able to accurately rearrange a linear sentential text into a spatial display by using the instruction manual.

Weak and strong novice readers of english as a foreign language: Effects of first language and socioeconomic status

This study examined individual differences among beginning readers of English as a foreign language (EFL). The study concentrated on the effects of underlying first language (L1) knowledge as well as EFL letter and vocabulary knowledge. Phonological and morphological awareness, spelling, vocabulary knowledge, and word reading in Hebrew L1, in addition to knowledge of EFL letters and EFL vocabulary, were measured. The study also investigated the effect of socioeconomic background (SES) on beginning EFL readers. Participants included 145 fourth graders from three schools representing two socioeconomic backgrounds in the north of Israel. The results indicate that knowledge of English letters played a more prominent role than knowledge of Hebrew L1 components in differentiating between strong and weak EFL readers. The Linguistic Coding Differences Hypothesis was supported by L1 phonological awareness, word reading, and vocabulary knowledge appearing as part of discriminating functions. The presence of English vocabulary knowledge as part of the discriminant functions provides support for English word reading being more than just a decoding task for EFL beginner readers. Socioeconomic status differentiated the groups for EFL word recognition but not for EFL reading comprehension.

Effects of Variations in Orthographic Information on Asian and American Readers' English Text Reading.

Orthographies vary in the support they provide for word identification based on grapheme-phoneme correspondences. If skills developed in acquisition of first-language (L1) reading transfer to reading English as a foreign language (EFL), the extent to which EFL readers' word identification shows reliance on information other than grapheme-phoneme correspondences could be expected to vary with whether their L1 orthography is a non-Roman alphabet such as Korean hangul or a nonalphabetic (morpho-syllabic) system such as Chinese characters. Another influence could be whether EFL readers have learned to read a morpho-syllabic L1 by means of an alphabetic transliteration. English text reading speeds and oral reading quality ratings of three groups of adult Asian EFL readers attending an American university were compared with those of two groups of American L1 readers: Graduate student peers and eighth-grade students. All EFL groups read more slowly than both groups of L1 readers, and their reading was more impaired when orthographic cues were disrupted by mixed case print or pseudohomophone spellings. Some of these effects were reduced in EFL readers from Hong Kong, who had earlier exposure to English. Contrary to previous findings, no effects could be attributed to type of first orthography or early exposure to alphabetic transliteration of Chinese characters, which differentiated the Taiwanese and Hong Kong groups. As a whole, the results suggest that, at least across the L1 groups studied, differences in EFL word reading are associated less with type of L1 orthography than with history of exposure to English.