The present meta‐analysis examined the overall average correlation (weighted for sample size and corrected for measurement error) between passage‐level second language (L2) reading comprehension and 10 key reading component variables investigated in the research domain. Four high‐evidence correlates (with 18 or more accumulated effect sizes: L2 decoding, L2 vocabulary knowledge, L2 grammar knowledge, first language [L1] reading comprehension), and six low‐evidence correlates (L2 phonological awareness, L2 orthographic knowledge, L2 morphological knowledge, L2 listening comprehension, working memory, metacognition) were included in the study. For the four high‐evidence correlates, a series of moderator analyses were also carried out to examine the effects of age, L2 proficiency, L1–L2 script and language distance, and measurement characteristics. The results showed that L2 grammar knowledge (r = .85), L2 vocabulary knowledge (r = .79), and L2 decoding (r = .56) were the three strongest correlates of L2 reading comprehension. The six low‐evidence correlates had moderate‐to‐strong mean correlations, with L2 listening comprehension being the strongest correlate (r = .77) and metacognition (r = .32) being the weakest correlate. Age, some measurement characteristics, and L1–L2 language distance were found to be significant moderators for some reading components.

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This study investigates the contribution of second-language (L2) morphological awareness to foreign language reading comprehension. Tenth graders (n = 188) at a South Korean high school were assessed on 6 reading-and language-related variables: phonological decoding, listening comprehension, vocabulary knowledge, passage-level reading comprehension, metacognitive reading awareness, and morphological awareness. A series of 10 sequential regression analyses were conducted to determine the unique reading variance accounted for by each of the 2 morphological awareness tests included in this study (i.e., the Test of Morpho-The result revealed that morphological awareness was a significant predictor of L2 reading comprehension when other variables were controlled. Of the 2 tests, the TMS-R-a measure that primarily tested derivational morphological knowledge-showed stronger predictability. This provides evidence that morphological awareness, especially derivational morphological knowledge, is an important variable to be considered in explaining L2 reading comprehension among older readers. THE GOAL OF THIS STUDY IS TO INVESTIgate the importance of target language morphological awareness in reading comprehension among English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) learners. A number of recent first-language (L1; mostly English monolingual) studies have documented a strong link between morphological awareness and reading abilities. Skilled readers are more sensitive to the morphemic structure of a word than their less skilled counterparts (e.g., Stoltz & Feldman, 1995). Morphological awareness has also been found to make a significant contribution to passage-level reading comprehension over and beyond key reading-related variables such as phonology and vocabulary (e.g.

Second-language (L2) listening ability is considered to consist of a diverse range of components that collectively help one to understand aural messages (e.g., Vandergrift & Goh, 2012). By building on and expanding previous meta-analyses, this chapter reports on a meta-analysis of L2 listening and its components. Two research questions were addressed: (1) what is the overall relationship between L2 listening and all its components collectively? and (2) what is the relationship between L2 listening and each of its components? Regarding (1), results from 118 studies (533 correlations) showed a significant, moderate relationship between L2 listening and its components overall (r = .446). Regarding (2), L2 listening was more strongly related to linguistic knowledge (grammar and vocabulary) than cognitive ability and affective features (aptitude, metacognitive awareness, working memory, attitude, and motivation), with anxiety (another affective feature) located in between. These results suggest how various components relate to L2 listening. The results also support the prediction that generally core components (i.e., linguistic knowledge) were expected to be more strongly correlated with L2 listening than were peripheral components (i.e., cognitive ability).

This entry provides a review of oral reading fluency research in first and second language settings. The significance of oral reading fluency as a prerequisite for reading comprehension is discussed and the challenges unique to using oral reading fluency assessments among second language readers are explained. The entry summarizes current study findings on L2 oral reading fluency and ends with sample exercise designed to develop oral reading fluency.