Effects of Reader's Knowledge, Text Type, and Test Type on L1 and L2 Reading Comprehension in Spanish

Abstract

The present study examined how a reader's subject knowledge, the analogy versus nonanalogy difference in text type, and type of test (written recall, sentence completion, and multiple choice) affect first language (L1) and second language (L2) reading comprehension. There were three participant groups: (a) 53 native Costa Ricans enrolled in advanced English as a Foreign Language courses in San José, Costa Rica; (b) 102 university-level students of intermediate Spanish in the United States; and (c) 138 university students of advanced Spanish in the United States. The participants read two scientific passages, two versions each (Hammadou, 2000). Analysis of covariance revealed that subject knowledge related significantly to reading comprehension as measured by three assessment tasks. However, the addition of analogies to scientific texts did not compensate for the lack of subject knowledge. There was no overall positive effect of the analogy text type on L1 and L2 comprehension as measured by recall, sentence completion, and multiple choice tests. The positive effect for the nonanalogy version held for the recall task. The participants scored higher on the nonanalogy version of both texts than on the analogy version when assessed by the recall test; no such differences emerged for either passage on the sentence completion and multiple choice tests.

Attitude Toward Reading: L1 or L2 or Both

“…Studies on the nature of reading seem very enlightening in that various components in L1 and L2 reading could be associated and explored. For instance, topical knowledge may have positive role in linking the L1 and L2 reading as topical knowledge has been reported an important component of reading comprehension in L1 (Johnston, 1984;Recht & Leslie, 1988) and L2 (Brantmeier, 2005;Johnson, 1982;Krekeler, 2006).…”

Cross-Language Transfer of Reading Ability

“…Reading in a first language (L1), in general, shares numerous basic elements, such as converting symbols to sounds, sounds to words, and words to meaning, with reading in a second language (L2; Genessee, Geva, Dressler, & Kamil, 2006). Furthermore, Brantmeier (2005) recommended that reading, in either an L1 or L2 context, involves the reader, the text, and the interaction between the reader and text to gain comprehension. A prominent hypothesis regarding the L1-L2 relationship is the linguistic interdependence hypothesis (LIH; Cummins, 1979Cummins, , 1980Cummins, , 1981, which assumes that two languages are distinct but are supported by shared concepts and knowledge derived from learning, experience, and the cognitive and language abilities of learners.…”

Brain Dominance and Test Format: A Case of Vocabulary

“…Research into the relation between test format and test takers' performance are not few (Shohamy, 1984(Shohamy, , 1997Bachman & Palmer, 1996;Brantmeier, 2005;Bowles and Salthouse, 2008). The form of a test is related to its physical aspect that relies on the form of the items making up the test (Cohen, 1994;Fulcher & Davidson, 2007).…”

“…The form of a test is related to its physical aspect that relies on the form of the items making up the test (Cohen, 1994;Fulcher & Davidson, 2007). Test format is one of the central factors which accounts for differences in test takers' performance (Shohamy, 1984(Shohamy, , 1997Bachman & Palmer, 1996;Brantmeier, 2005). A number of researchers have directed their attention to test format in the fields of language learning and educational measurement.…”