Language Reading Comprehension Research Articles

Development and Optimization of Language Reading Comprehension Aids Based on Natural Language Processing

This study looks into the development and optimization of language reading comprehension aids based on Natural Language Processing (NLP) and assesses their usefulness in improving reading comprehension skills. Using a structured methodology that includes data collection, model training, interface design, and empirical evaluation, the study highlights the revolutionary potential of NLP technology in improving comprehension instruction. A random sample of 100 individuals from various educational backgrounds was randomized to experimental and control groups, with the former using NLP-based tools and the latter using traditional study methods. Following a four-week intervention session, participants were given standardized reading comprehension exams. The results show a considerable difference in comprehension scores between the experimental and control groups, with the former scoring significantly higher. Also, interaction with certain characteristics in the experimental group, such as text summary and tailored recommendations, was strongly connected with comprehension outcomes. These findings emphasize the relevance of tailored, adaptive help in text comprehension and the potential of NLP-based aids in boosting educational outcomes. While the study provides persuasive evidence for the efficacy of NLP technology in improving reading comprehension, additional research is needed to investigate the findings' generalizability across varied groups and educational settings.

Which Type of Vocabulary-Knowledge Better Correlates with Reading-Comprehension, Meaning-Recognition or Meaning-Recall?

This study investigated the relationships between two types of vocabulary tests and second language reading-comprehension (RC) in a classroom assessment setting. A group of 40 learners completed a written-receptive meaning-recall measure of the Updated Vocabulary Levels Test (UVLT) and the written-receptive meaning-recognition UVLT. Correlation analysis was conducted to examine the relationships between scores from the two tests and The TEST of English for International Communication Reading scores. The results showed that the relationship between the meaning-recall and RC ( r =0 .85, p <0 .001) was higher than between the meaning-recognition and RC ( r =0 .78, p <0 .001) with a significant difference (Steiger's z = 3.06, p =0 .002). This suggests that meaning-recall knowledge is a better predictor of RC.

The Effects of Metacognitive Strategies on Reading Comprehension of ESL Students

In Pakistan, English holds prestige as an official language. Being the language of instruction, reading comprehension of the English language is crucial in the development of critical thinking and equips learners to understand complex content. In this regard, metacognition can help the learner by understanding their thinking and improving their learning processes. Many studies show that by applying metacognitive strategies, students can develop their critical reading skills to comprehend advanced reading material. However, without correct application and understanding of the process, teachers and students remain in want of achieving results. This article explores the development of reading comprehension of ESL students by implementing meta-cognitive strategies in the students of the M.A. English programme. The aim is to explore the relation between metacognitive strategies (planning, monitoring and evaluating) and reading comprehension, and how metacognitive awareness has a direct impact on reading comprehension of ESL students.

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

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.

Assessing Executive Function Influences on Reading Comprehension in French Immersion

This study examined whether the assessment of executive function (EF) added a unique contribution to second language (L2) reading comprehension in children in French immersion. Participants were 8- to 9-year old children who completed a collection of measures assessing French reading (i.e., word reading, decoding, and reading comprehension ) and EF (working memory, inhibition, and shifting). After controlling for word-level reading, measures of shifting explained the most variance in reading comprehension compared to the variance accounted for by working memory and inhibition. The results add to the growing evidence of EF’s contribution—especially shifting—to reading comprehension within the context of early literacy learning in the L2.

The Impact of Vocabulary, Inferencing, and Metacognitive Strategies on Second Language Reading Comprehension

This study aims to explore exploring the predictive factors of second language (L2) reading comprehension scores, specifically focusing on L2 vocabulary knowledge, first language (L1) syllogistic inferencing, L1 reading comprehension, and L2 reading metacognitive strategy use. The study involved 90 Korean EFL university students. Their L2 vocabulary knowledge, L1 syllogistic inferencing, L1 reading comprehension, L2 metacognitive reading strategy use scores were collected and analyzed for their influence on L2 reading comprehension scores. A path analysis was conducted for data analysis. The findings revealed that both L2 linguistic knowledge and proficiency in L1 reading comprehension had a positive impact on L2 reading comprehension scores, underscoring the significance of language-specific and crosslinguistic factors, respectively, in the comprehension of L2 reading. The results also indicated an indirect effect of L1 syllogistic inferencing skills on L2 reading comprehension through L1 reading comprehension. This implies that L1 syllogistic inferencing may boost L1 reading comprehension, subsequently benefiting L2 reading comprehension. Furthermore, the study brought to light the potential adverse effects of L2 support reading strategies on L2 reading comprehension. Overall, this study adds to our comprehensive understanding of L2 reading comprehension by shedding light on the intricate interplay of linguistic, cross-linguistic, and metacognitive factors.

Examining the generalisability of the simple view of reading comprehension for emergent bilinguals

AbstractReading comprehension depends on oral language competence and word reading ability, as per the simple view of reading. While this theory has been studied in Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich and Democratic contexts, its applicability in different educational settings characterized by multilingualism, a lack of explicit reading instruction, and the challenges of poverty (as in South Africa) remains under‐explored. We use secondary data from approximately 263 emergent bilinguals (approximately one‐quarter isiZulu‐English, three quarters Siswati‐English) from the Second Early Grade Reading Study intervention. Participants completed tests of word reading fluency, vocabulary and reading comprehension in both of their school languages. Using within‐language path models, we examine the effects of word reading fluency and vocabulary on reading comprehension and explore whether these relations differ by first language group or intervention group. Thus, we tease out the role of the language and educational context in influencing the skills related to reading comprehension in first language and English additional language.

The Implementation of Task-Based Learning to Improve Students’ Ability in Reading Comprehension of Historical Events Through Recount Text

Learning English as a second language requires reading skills. The ability to read helps students gain information, expand their vocabulary, and solve problems better. However, many students need help understanding reading, especially in a second language. As a result, effective approaches are needed to improve students' reading comprehension. This study uses task-based learning methods (TBL) to improve students' understanding of reading historical events through text recount. This research is carried out using qualitative methods and class action research. Checklists of observations, field records, and interviews are the tools used. At SMK Terpadu Ad-Dimyati Bandung, 25 class ten students were involved in this study. Research results show that using TBL to learn to read and understand historical events through text recount has a positive effect. Students better understand reading and are more actively involved in learning activities. Students can use TBL to discover social functions, text structure, and language elements in recount text. In addition, they acquire new vocabulary and improve their ability to understand reading. According to this study, TBL may improve students’ reading comprehension in a second language. To help students understand difficult reading, teachers should use these learning strategies. Using texts that narrate historical events can also help students learn more about history and improve their reading skills.

Predictors of second language reading comprehension ability: a longitudinal study with learners from grade 9 to 11 in an English as a foreign language context

Predictors of second language reading comprehension ability: a longitudinal study with learners from grade 9 to 11 in an English as a foreign language context

Effect of Active Breaks on reading comprehension in a foreign language

The aim of the present study was to find out whether Active-Breaks (AB) improve the three levels of reading comprehension in a foreign language which could be a determining variable in the academic success of the implementation of CLIL programmes. This study involved a total of 50 healthy students [n=25: Control Condition (CC), and n= 25: Active-Break Condition (ABC)] from one secondary school in the Region of Andalucía (Spain). To investigate the acute effects of an AB on reading comprehension in a foreign language, those in the CC were asked to maintain their ordinary routines, while those in the ABC modified their class by introducing ten minutes of exercise. After that both groups complete a reading comprehension test. Significant different were found in both question of literal comprehension, p=0.03, d=0.38, p=0.001, d=0.11, and in both question of inferential comprehension, p=.003, d=0.35, p=0.03, d=0.47. Crucially, in both question of evaluation, p=0.26, d=0.20, p=0.41, d=0.40, no significant difference was appreciated. The present study demonstrated that overall student’s reading comprehension in a foreign language improves after of AB of 10 min (compared with CC) and concretely, improve the efficiency in question of literal comprehension and inferential comprehension.

Paraphrase Generation For Reading Comprehension

Reading comprehension is an assessment that tests readers understanding of a concept from the given text. The testing process is conducted by providing questions related to the content within the context of the text. The purpose of this research is to create new question variations from existing questions, and one of the methods to achieve this is by paraphrasing questions through the task of paraphrase generation. This can help ensure that readers have fully grasped a concept of a text. This study employs a traditional approach known as the thesaurus-based approach, in which the process involves substituting synonyms using the Indonesian Thesaurus dictionary. The data used consists of a list of Indonesian language reading comprehension assessment questions ranging from elementary to high school levels. To measure the quality of the generated paraphrased questions, two evaluation processes are conducted which are automatic evaluation with the scores ranging from 0-1 and human evaluation with score ranging from 1-4. The automatic evaluation includes the BLEU-4 metric, resulting in a score of 0.044, and the ROUGE-L metric, resulting an F1-score of 0.421. As for human evaluation, the obtained relevancy score is 2.533, and the fluency score is 3.186. The results from both evaluation metrics indicate that the generated paraphrased questions exhibit diverse new word choices but tend to have slightly different meanings compared to the reference questions.

Lexical Coverage Required for Minimal and Optimal Levels of Reading Comprehension in the English Tests of the Higher Education Institutions Examination

The current research investigates the lexical coverage of reading passages required for achieving the minimal and optimal levels of reading comprehension in a foreign language. More specifically, the aim of the study is to identify the word frequency bands within the reading passages in the English tests of The Higher Education Institutions Examination that surpass the 95% and 98% lexical coverage thresholds needed for minimal and optimal reading comprehension. Fifty reading passages in the exams held in the last decade (2012-2021) were analyzed in the Compleat Web VP system to determine their lexical coverage. The results indicate that when the reading passages are analyzed separately, the vocabulary needed for minimal reading comprehension varies between 2,000 and 18,000 word families. Similarly, the vocabulary required to achieve an optimal level of reading comprehension ranges from 3,000 to 18,000 word families. In addition, upon analyzing reading passages grouped by year, it becomes evident that the word families necessary for achieving minimal and optimal levels of reading comprehension are found in the 4K and 8K word frequency bands, respectively. These findings suggest that when developing a curriculum for the entire high school period, emphasis should be placed on teaching the most frequent 8,000 word families to avoid inconsistency between taught and tested vocabulary. Furthermore, given the substantial number of word families to be addressed, it is important to establish opportunities for both intentional and incidental vocabulary teaching methods. Moreover, it is essential to acquaint learners with vocabulary learning strategies that enable them to acquire vocabulary indirectly.

Investigating the effect of visualization-based activities on developing the 6th grade Jordanian female pupils’ reading comprehension skills

This study investigated the effects of visualization-based activities on improving the reading comprehension skills of 6th grade Jordanian female pupils. The study was applied to a sample of 46 pupils taken from Al-Qatrana Primary School for Girls, Education Directorate of Al-Karak Governorate. Two groups were formed; control and experimental groups; with 22 and 24 participants respectively. The quantitative method was used to investigate this study. Moreover, data was collected through the pre-test and the post-test of female pupils’ reading comprehension skills which were conducted for this purpose. The analysis of data relied on independent t-tests applied with the aim of identifying the statistical significance associated with the two groups’ achievement in reading comprehension. The results reflected the significant effect of using visualization-based activities in developing the reading comprehension skills of the 6th-grade Jordanian female pupils. This study concluded that visualization-based activities were more effective in teaching Foreign Language (FL) reading comprehension compared to the traditional method. Thus, this study helped to improve different skills among the current sample of students (of Al-Qatrana primary school for girls and would be applicable to other schools to study a foreign language with less difficulty and remove any challenges and difficulties that may come their way in learning a FL.

Second language acquisition and acculturation: similarities and differences between immigrants and refugees

Refugees and immigrants differ in their reasons for migration and their criteria for entry into Canada. While economic immigrants migrate to other countries voluntarily, refugees are forced to leave their countries due to fear of death or persecution. Due to the difference in the nature of resettlement, assumptions exist that immigrants and refugees may differ in terms of emotional well-being, social adjustment and acculturation, and second language learning outcomes. To assess these assumptions, this study was conducted on a sample (N = 45) of newcomer Iranian immigrants (Mage = 19.24, SD = 2.06) and refugees (Mage = 23.15, SD = 4.02). The participants completed a series of questionnaires regarding their English language and literacy skills, acculturation, socioeconomic status, emotional well-being, and potential traumatic experiences in the past. This study examined the relationships among these variables for the two groups. The refugees scored lower on variables related to socioeconomic status and had lower English skills than the immigrant group. English word reading and vocabulary were related to second language reading comprehension for immigrants, but only word reading was related to reading comprehension for refugees. The experienced trauma was significantly higher among the refugees. However, the trauma was not a significant predictor for any of the English proficiency skills. Acculturation was related to English reading comprehension, and enculturation was negatively associated with English vocabulary and reading comprehension for refugees but not for immigrants. The findings point to similarities and differences between refugees and immigrants. Recommendations to facilitate resettlement are discussed.

A STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF FATHER'S OCCUPATION ON THE GUJARATI READING COMPREHENSION OF 7 TH GRADE STUDENTS

In the present research the researcher studied the effect of father’s occupation on reading comprehension in Gujarati language of Grade-7 students. The researcher constructed and standardized the Reading Comprehension Test as a Tool. There were total 50 questions in the test and an OMR sheet was created to give answers in which four options A, B, C, and D were given. In this research, students of Gujarati medium upper primary schools of Gujarat state are taken as population. While a total of 102 students from one rural and one urban school from Gandhinagar district were selected by cluster sampling method as a sample. The present research was conducted by survey method. Looking at the findings of the present research, significant difference between the mean scores of reading comprehension test of students of rural area and urban area is observed. Further, there is no significant effect of father’s occupation on students` reading comprehension.

Amalgamation of Technology Use and Collocation-focused Tasks in the Expansion of Reading Comprehension Capability of Turkish EFL Learners after Covid-19 Period Biographical Information

Drastic changes in education like depending on remote and online education during and after Corona Virus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) have been undergone globally. As a result, instructors and learners were convinced to pursue their objectives despite the complications of pandemic disease. To this end, this study focuses on the effect of extra-curricular collocation-basedassignments on reading comprehension skill and the utilization of technology in the context of education. Thus, in this quasi-experimental study two homogeneous groups including sixty intermediate students from a state university in Turkey were selected. Reading comprehension instruction was given to both groups who participated in online education run by a Moodle Application.While the experimental group received additional collocation-focused education and assignments, the control group had traditional reading comprehension education without noticing the importance and conducive effect of collocations. To compare the means of the two groups pre and post-tests, and two independent T-tests were used. Ameaningful difference in the means of the groups on the post-test of reading comprehension performance was obvious in the results section. Last but not the least, assignment, as an academic extra-curricular activity, had a considerable impact on Turkish intermediate EFL learners’ foreign language reading comprehension ability after the pandemic lockdown period.

Different aspects of vocabulary depth knowledge in L2 Chinese reading comprehension: Comparing higher‐ and lower‐proficiency readers

AbstractGrammatical and vocabulary knowledge (i.e., breadth and depth) are widely acknowledged as key predictors of reading comprehension in a second language (L2). However, it remains unclear how different aspects of vocabulary depth may independently contribute to L2 reading comprehension and how learners' proficiency may moderate the relative contributions of vocabulary knowledge. Based on the Lexical Quality Hypothesis and the Reading Systems Framework, this study investigated 238 L2 Chinese learners who were college‐level students in China, using a set of reading‐related tasks. The results showed that (1) vocabulary breadth and grammatical knowledge independently contributed to L2 reading comprehension with grammatical knowledge being a more deciding factor; (2) different aspects of vocabulary depth (i.e., polysemy and synonymy), over and above vocabulary breadth and grammatical knowledge, played an independent role; and (3) more importantly, lower‐proficiency learners relied more on vocabulary breadth whereas higher‐proficiency learners made more use of vocabulary depth during text‐level comprehension.

Using digital web forms as a tool for interactive stories to promote second language reading

ABSTRACT In the context of online stories and games, web forms can be an excellent instrument for generating interactive narratives. Using web forms, authors can enable readers to make decisions that influence the story’s progression. Additionally, web forms can be used for interactive reading tasks, not only to increase reading but also to promote foreign language reading comprehension. The purpose of this study is to determine whether foreign language learners prefer using interactive narratives on web forms to read traditional texts. This was tested across 32 participants between the ages of 18 and 35 years with varying linguistic backgrounds. The participants were foreign language learners of English, and they were asked to read a version of Shakespeare’s Hamlet that was adapted to an interactive narrative using Microsoft Forms. The participants were divided into three groups (low-, medium-, and high-frequency readers) to see whether their reading habits influenced their reading motivation at the conclusion of the study. The results show that all three groups were equally motivated. Additionally, the participants reported they enjoyed reading the text in this manner, and they generally showed a preference for reading the interactive digital narrative over traditional texts.

The Effect of Using the Six Thinking Hats Method on the Development of EFL Female Eleventh- Grade Students' Reading Comprehension Skills in Petra Directorate of Education

The study aimed to explore the impact of using the six hats method on reading comprehension skills of female EFL eleventh-grade students in Petra Directorate of Education during the academic year 2022/2023. The study's goal aimed to assess the influence of a teaching technique based on six thinking hats on the development of English language reading comprehension compared to a conventional method. The research was guided by the books of Dr. Edward de Bono, who coined the phrase "lateral thinking," produced many books on thinking, including Six Thinking Hats, and pushed for teaching thinking as a subject in schools. The quasi-experimental design was used to achieve the above objective. The study sample consisted of (54) female eleventh grade students from Wadi Mousa Secondary School for Girls, who were selected purposefully and assigned randomly to two groups: an experimental group of (27) students and a control group of (27) students. To achieve the objectives of the study, all of the text topics were chosen from the eleventh grade textbook for the first semester, the instrument of the study was designed according to the characteristics of the six thinking hats, and then it was assessed for validity and reliability, to guarantee the equivalence of the two groups, the researcher administrated a writing ability pre-test, and then the experimental group was taught using the six thinking hats, whereas the control group was taught according to the conventional method. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and One Way ANOVA. The findings of the study revealed statistically significant differences at (α≤0.05) between students' mean scores in reading comprehension as a result of using the six thinking hats method compared to the conventional method and in favor of the experimental group, which indicates that the six thinking hats method was effective. Based on the findings, the study recommends that supervisors should encourage teachers to use the six thinking hats method to help them produce successful questions based on good question specifications and write and create models that simulate Tawjihi exams. Keywords: The Six Thinking Hats Method, Reading comprehension, Eleventh Grade, Conventional Method DOI: 10.7176/JEP/14-12-03 Publication date: April 30 th 2023

Strengthening the English language reading comprehension by using inferring meaning strategy

Introduction. The English language has become one of the most spoken languages all around the world. English teachers must face the challenge of achieving significant learning and for doing so, it is essential to use some strategies that facilitate the learning process. When teaching reading, which is one of the four language skills, there is a great number of strategies to apply depending on the aim of the reader. One of the most useful is Inferring Meaning Strategy. Objective. The aim of this research is to analyze the efficacy of this strategy when developing reading comprehension in 28 students from the 5th semester of Pedagogy de los Idiom’s nationals y estrangers (PINE) at Universidad Técnica de Ambato. Methodology. At first it was necessary to apply a diagnostic test to check students’ previous knowledge. For this, the second and fourth part from the reading section of the Preliminary English Test (PET) were used. Students had the opportunity of practicing the strategy for a month. During this period, they had to complete some comprehension activities related to readings. Finally, the experimental group took a post- test from PET to evaluate the effectiveness of the strategy. Results. The results obtained were analyzed using the student’s t-test. Conclusion. They evidenced that the Inferring Meaning Strategy contributes to the development and improvement of the reading comprehension