Reading Comprehension in Both Spanish and English as a Foreign Language by High School Spanish Students

Abstract

Several studies have highlighted that reading comprehension is determined by different linguistic skills: semantics, syntax, and morphology, in addition to one’s own competence in reading fluency (accuracy, speed, and prosody). On the other hand, according to the Linguistic Interdependence Hypothesis, linguistic skills developed in one’s own native language (L1) facilitate the development of these skills in a second one (L2). In this study, we wanted to explore the linguistic abilities that determine reading comprehension in Spanish (L1) and in English (L2) in Secondary Education students. To do this, 73 Secondary Education Students (1st and 3rd year) participated in this study. The students carried out a battery of tasks in English and Spanish, all of them related to reading comprehension (expository text) and different linguistic skills, which included syntactic awareness tasks, synonymy judgment tasks (vocabulary), and morphological awareness tasks. The results indicated a positive correlation between linguistic competencies in both languages (indicating a transfer effect between languages), which were determined by school year, with a lower performance in the 1st year than in the 3rd year. Moreover, we found more skills with correlations in English reading comprehension than in Spanish. Finally, reading comprehension in L1 was mainly explained English reading comprehension, while English reading comprehension was predicted by grade, and syntactic awareness, as well as Spanish reading comprehension. This could be explained by the different levels of exposure to L1 and L2 of sample subjects, as the linguistic variables have different influences on the reading comprehension of both languages.

Key language, cognitive and higher-order skills for L2 reading comprehension of expository texts in English as foreign language students: a systematic review

“…For what concerns the results of foundational and upper-level language skills, on the one hand, a part of the results traced L1 and L2-English between-domains relations (see, Brevik & Hellekjaer, 2018;Cueva et al, 2022;Kahan-Horwitz & Saba, 2018;Pae, 2019;Van Gelderen et al, 2004, 2007. Results showed that EFL secondary school students' L1 foundational language skills, such as vocabulary, syntactic/ grammar knowledge play a significant role on L2-English reading comprehension.…”

“…This review also extends our understanding by showing that L1 foundational language skills can be easily transferable across L1 and L2-English regardless of their family language distance. In fact, L1 foundational language skills play a significant role for L2-English reading comprehension not only when L1 and L2 are closely related in terms of family language (see, Van Gelderen et al, 2007), for example, L1-Dutch and L2-English use the same alphabetic system and have many other similarities, but even when L1 and L2 are scarcely related (see, Cueva et al, 2022) or not related (see, Pae, 2019). Most of the studies focused on the transition between lower and upper secondary school.…”

“…These studies found a statistically significant association between language skills and L2 reading comprehension in students with L1 not or partially related with L2-English. Within the group of L1 partially related with L2-English, the results by Cueva et al (2022) showed several correlations between L2-English and L2 vocabulary, Spearman value = 0.398, p < 0.001 (whole group, Grade 1), L2 syntax, Spearman value = 0.682, p < 0.001 (whole group, Grade 1 and 3), L2 morphology, Spearman value = 0.421, p < 0.001 (whole group, Grade 1). Within the group of L1 not related with L2-English, the study by Jeon (2011) was conducted with South Korean high school students to verify the independent contribution of L2-English morphological awareness to L2-reading comprehension when the variance due to other key reading-and language-related variables was controlled.…”

“…The transfer hypothesis is also supported by results found when L1 and L2 were not related or partially related in terms of family language. For example, the study by Pae (2019) showed that L1-Korean general reading skills are critical for L2-English reading comprehension skills and the study by Cueva et al (2022) found that L2-English reading comprehension of expository text was predicted by L1-Spanish syntactic awareness and reading comprehension skills in middle school years. The results by Cueva et al (2022) also showed several correlations between L2-English and L1 syntax, Spearman value = 0.453, p < 0.001 (whole group, Grade 1 and 3), L1 morphology, Spearman value = 0.462, p < 0.001 (whole group, Grade 1), L1 comprehension, Spearman value = 0.538, p < 0.001 (whole group, Grade 1).…”

“…For example, the study by Pae (2019) showed that L1-Korean general reading skills are critical for L2-English reading comprehension skills and the study by Cueva et al (2022) found that L2-English reading comprehension of expository text was predicted by L1-Spanish syntactic awareness and reading comprehension skills in middle school years. The results by Cueva et al (2022) also showed several correlations between L2-English and L1 syntax, Spearman value = 0.453, p < 0.001 (whole group, Grade 1 and 3), L1 morphology, Spearman value = 0.462, p < 0.001 (whole group, Grade 1), L1 comprehension, Spearman value = 0.538, p < 0.001 (whole group, Grade 1). Instead, the results by Brevik and Hellekjaer (2018) pose a challenge to assumptions about cross-linguistic reading given that their sample of poor readers in L1 Norwegian (16-year-old) showed adequate reading skills in L2-English.…”