The impact of lexical inferencing strategies on second language reading proficiency

Abstract. This study focuses on the source of reading problems of English as a second language learners at the high school level. The results indicate that while reading comprehension is impacted by level of receptive vocabulary knowledge, the ability to select and implement word-appropriate lexical inferencing strategies can compensate for low receptive vocabularies in relation to the demands of the text. The ability to make this selection, however, implies not only sensitivity to word structure, but also the ability to implement morphological analysis in conjunction with contextual guessing, where appropriate. These findings suggest that the development of English as a second language reading proficiency may be accelerated by acquisition of the meanings of the most productive affixes of English in conjunction with instruction in the principles of morphological analysis.     

提高商务英语语言应用能力的重要性及策略分析

在全球经济一体化的进程当中,英语的作用越来越明显。由于商务英语在各方面都具有自身的特点,了解这些才是提高商务英语应用能力的基础。本文率先针对商务英语的用词、结构、语体等进行了全方位的探讨,并以此为基础,从词语涵义、文化差异、专业背景的角度,大致阐述了提高商务英语应用能力的在国际上的重要性及策略。     

Relationship between language proficiency and growth during reading interventions

Many English language learners (ELLs) experience difficulties with basic English reading due in part to low language proficiency. The authors examined the relationship between English language proficiency and growth during reading interventions for ELLs. A total of 201 second- and third-grade students with a variety of home languages participated. The students were identified as needing a targeted intervention, because scores on the fall oral reading fluency screening measure fell below the benchmark criterion. Thus, all participating students received reading interventions approximately four times each week throughout the school year. Results indicated that those students identified in the lowest English proficiency stage on the Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State (ACCESS) made the highest growth as indicated in the spring benchmark assessment, and the ACCESS score added negligible variance beyond baseline reading skills. Implications for practice and research are discussed.     

A prediction model of foreign language reading proficiency based on reading time and text complexity

In textbooks, foreign （second） language reading proficiency is often evaluated through comprehension questions. In case, authentic texts are used as reading material, such questions should be prepared by teachers. However, preparing appropriate questions may be a very demanding task for teachers. This paper introduces a method for automatically evaluating proficiency, wherein comprehension questions are not required. This method assesses a learner＇s reading proficiency on the basis of the linguistic features of the text and the learner＇s reading time. A reading model following this method predicted reading proficiency with an ER （error rate） of 18.2%. This ER is lower than those of models proposed in previous studies. Furthermore, the ER of the authors＇ reading model for various learner groups classified by their RS （reading speeds） was examined. The result of this examination showed that the error rate was the lowest for the group of learners with fast RS.     

First and second language vocabulary affect early second language reading comprehension development

The aim of this study was to examine variation in early reading comprehension development for second language (L2) readers compared with first language (L1) readers and to investigate the impact of vocabulary knowledge in their first and second language. Participants were 75 Dutch monolingual children (L1 readers) and 71 Turkish–Dutch bilingual children (L2 readers), aged between 6 and 8 years old at the start of the study. In a longitudinal design, three waves of data were collected across second and third grades. The L2 readers had lower reading comprehension scores than the L1 readers on average, but this performance gap narrowed over time. To further investigate variation among the L2 readers, four categorical subgroups of L2 readers were identified with varying levels of L1 (Turkish) and L2 (Dutch) vocabulary knowledge by means of cluster analysis. Group membership was related to reading comprehension and showed an interaction with time, indicating that reading comprehension performance of the two L2 subgroups with high L1 vocabulary increased more over time compared with L1 readers. The L2 subgroup with high vocabulary in both languages even caught up with their monolingual peers in third grade. These findings demonstrate how individual differences in L1 and L2 vocabulary knowledge explain variation in early L2 reading comprehension development and highlight the importance of considering L2 readers' first language in research and education.     

教师课堂提问对第二语言习得的影响

教师的课堂提问是教学的质量的指标之一,它可以帮助教师检查学生对知识的理解程度,促进课堂上的交互。本文浅析课堂提问策略以及等待学生回答的时间对学生第二语言学习的影响。     

Oral English language proficiency and reading mastery: The role of home language and school supports

The analysis of 21,409 participants of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Kindergarten cohort focused on home and school factors sought to understand the level of reading mastery that children experienced throughout elementary school and Grade 8 by relating home language use, timing of oral English language proficiency, and the provision of school-based English language learner services to reading mastery. Results confirm that non-English language use at home is associated with a decreased reading mastery at higher levels of proficiency in Grades 1 and 3, and is reduced to nonsignificance in Grades 5 and 8 with the inclusion of teacher and school factors. Also, the negative association between timing of oral English language proficiency and reading mastery is partially explained by teacher and school factors, particularly children's receipt of English language learner services. The findings provide support for policies that provide language services for language minority children and families during the transition to school and through the elementary school years.     

运用元认知策略提高学生英语阅读水平

阅读作为四项基本技能之一,既是一个学习目标又是一个获取知识的一个重要的渠道。新课程改革使越来越多的学者开始关注学习策略的研究,笔者试图将元认知策略运用到英语阅读教学实践中,探索元认知策略在提高英语阅读水平中的作用。     

The impact of bilingual dictionaries on lexical sophistication and lexical accuracy in tests of L2 writing proficiency: A quantitative analysis

Writing assessment essentially juxtaposes two elements: how ‘good writing’ is to be defined, and how ‘good measurement’ of that writing is to be carried out. The timed test is often used in large-scale L2 writing assessments because it is considered to provide reliable measurement. It is, however, highly inauthentic. One way of enhancing authenticity in a way that might also promote good writing is to include access to support resources in the test. This article reports a study into whether allowing a bilingual dictionary enhances good writing in German writing tests. Participants (n = 47) took two tests, one with and one without a bilingual dictionary. The essays of sub-sets of the participants were compared in terms of lexical sophistication, lexical accuracy and test score. Lexical sophistication was measured by means of the Lexical Frequency Profile (Laufer & Nation, 1995). Lexical accuracy was determined through a quantitative analysis of words looked up in the dictionary. The results revealed an increase in lexical sophistication in ‘with dictionary’ tests but frequent misuse of look-ups. There was also no improvement in test scores. Subsequent issues for the use of dictionaries in writing tests are raised.     

外语阅读课堂教学策略

本文首先叙述了外语阅读课堂教学的本质，然后详细分析了课堂教学的两个核心因素；教师的教学策略和学生的学习策略，以及这两个策略在课堂教学中的具体操作和运用。     

Oral reading fluency of Chinese second language learners

Reading and Writing - The present study examined the components of oral reading fluency (ORF) via various indices and their relationships with comprehension and learner-perceived difficulty of oral...     

The simple view of second language reading throughout the primary grades

In the Simple View of Reading proposed by Hoover and Gough (1990), reading comprehension is conceived as the product of word decoding and listening comprehension. It is claimed that listening comprehension or the linguistic processes involved in the comprehension of oral language strongly constrain the process of reading comprehension. In several studies, evidence for this theoretical framework has been provided for first language learners. In the present study, an attempt was made to find empirical evidence for the same view underlying second language reading. Therefore, the word decoding and listening comprehension skills of samples of 1,293 first language (L1) learners and 394 second language (L2) learners of Dutch were related to their reading comprehension abilities throughout the primary grades. It was found that the levels of word decoding were more or less equal in the two groups of learners, whereas the L2 learners stayed behind their first L1 peers in both listening, and reading comprehension. The relationships between word decoding, listening comprehension and reading comprehension turned out to be highly comparable. A longitudinal analysis of data showed the Simple View of Reading to be equally valid for L1 and L2 learners. With progression of grade, the impact of word decoding on reading comprehension decreased, whereas the impact of listening comprehension showed an increase to the same extent in the two groups of learners. However, the reciprocity of the relationship between listening comprehension and reading comprehension tended to be less prominent in the group of L2 learners.     

二语习得理论在日语阅读课课件设计中的应用

本文在研究心理语言学关于语言的理解和产出以及二语习得理论的基础上,受到了Schmidt(1986)的"注意假说"的启发,结合kreshen"i+1"理论、输出假说理论,提出了利用汉语译文的句子,把学习者的注意力聚焦到目标语的语言形式当中的新的课件设计,并以阅读课为例,提出了具体的课件设计方法。本研究所讨论的新的教学课件的设计的独到之处在于,大胆地利用了母语汉语以及将"i+1"的形式具体化到课件当中。     

The role of vocabulary components in second language learners' early reading comprehension

Background

In countries with German as an official language, children with German as a second language perform overall worse in school than their German native speaking peers. This particularly affects written language skills, which require advanced language knowledge. The reasons are manifold, but one is prominent, namely poor vocabulary knowledge. Vocabulary, however, consists not only of the number of known words but also of a complex and hitherto under-researched lexico-semantic framework, which is referred to as vocabulary depth.

Method

In the present study, a sample of 373 children (322 German native speakers and 51 with German as a second language) was examined longitudinally in Grade 2 and 3 for their reading comprehension and vocabulary breadth and depth. Vocabulary depth was defined as relational and semantic word knowledge. Latent change score models on vocabulary breadth and depth development including reading precursor skills, non-verbal intelligence and SES were conducted.

Results

The children with German as a second language scored lower than the native German speakers in reading and vocabulary tests, with the difference in vocabulary depth being more pronounced than in vocabulary breadth. Importantly, the differences did not tend to diminish over time, which could have been expected. The differences in reading comprehension can be accounted for mainly by the variations in vocabulary, especially in vocabulary depth.

Conclusions

These findings emphasise the importance of including not only vocabulary breadth but also vocabulary depth in the context of reading research on children who do not speak the majority language.

     

On teaching strategies in second language acquisition

How to acquire a second language is a question of obvious importance to teachers and language learners, and how to teach a second language has also become a matter of concern to the linguists＇ interest in the nature of primary linguistic data. Starting with the development stages of second language acquisition and Stephen Krashen＇s theory, this paper puts forward teaching strategies： analyzing learner characteristics, signing classroom contracts, creating learner-centered classroom, setting language goals, integrating theory with practice and building learner motivation.     

Education and skill mismatches among immigrants: The impact of host language proficiency

This paper asks to what extent host language proficiency can insure immigrants against the risk of ending up in mismatched jobs. Using the 2003-2016 waves of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA), the paper discriminates between three forms of mismatch, overqualification, underqualification and overskilling. Host language proficiency is instrumented using Bleakley and Chin (Rev Econ Stat 86:481–496, 2004) strategy, which exploits the fact that younger children learn languages more easily than older ones. To differentiate between local average treatment effects (LATE) and average treatment effects (ATE), the paper considers two alternative models, 2SLS instrumental variables and biprobit. We find that treatment effects are heterogeneous. English language proficiency among immigrants in Australia reduces the probability of ending up in overqualified jobs, by between 17.2 (LATE) and 36.7 (ATE) percentage points. The ATE of overskilling is also significant and about -8.9 percentage points. In contrast, language skills tend to raise the probability of being underqualified at the job, by approximately 8.6 percentage points according to the ATE. Local effects of overskilling and underqualification fail to be statistically significant, suggesting that host language proficiency may be innocuous for some workers. Overall, the results indicate that host language proficiency is a country-specific, valuable form of human capital.     

二语动机自我系统理论下的二语动机策略研究

在第二语言习得进程中,动机是必不可少的组成部分。在二语研究范围的重点由"教"到"学"的转移进程中,将二语学习动机和学习策略两个领域成果融为一体的二语动机策略愈发显出自身重要的价值。教育心理学家D?rnyei所提出的动机自我系统理论是借鉴了社会心理学的新发展成果,他的"二语动机自我系统"为当今的二语动机策略研究奠定了坚实的理论基础。本文以D?rnyei的"二语动机自我系统"为理论基础,结合国内外相关研究成果,探讨如何更好地研究二语动机策略,并恰当地应用到语言教学中,从而提高教学效果。     

Exploring metacognitive strategies and hypermedia annotations on foreign language reading

The effective use of reading strategies has been recognized as an important way to increase reading comprehension in hypermedia environments. The purpose of the study was to explore whether metacognitive strategy use and access to hypermedia annotations facilitated reading comprehension based on English as a foreign language students’ proficiency levels. The primary investigation finding revealed that the strategies used the most were problem-solving strategies, followed by global strategies, whereas support strategies were used the least. The specific strategy of guessing content was used much more frequently which was reliably predicted by their comprehension scores; on the contrary, reading slowly might hinder hypermedia reading comprehension. Regarding the frequency of access to annotations, background information was viewed the most frequently, while word glossary was identified as least frequently; no significant relationship, however, was observed among proficiency levels, frequency of annotation use, and reading strategies. Based on further think-aloud investigation results, limitations and future research are discussed and presented.     

母语与第二语言词汇通达中音、形、义的启动效应

通过对青海师范大学使用藏汉双语的学生进行启动词与目标词的启动试验研究发现,当启动词与目标词之间语义相关时能够产生较大的启动效应,学生对于目标词为汉语词汇的判断比目标词为藏语词汇的判断快,经常使用的词汇的语义在理解中可以达到自动化加工水平。