Authors: Shibasaki, H., Tokimoto, S., Ono, Y., Inoue, T., & Tamaoka, K.



Title: English Reading Comprehension by Japanese High School
Students:Structural Equation Modeling including Working Memory and L1
Literacy.



Journal(書誌情報）: Open Journal of Modern Linguistics, 5(5), 443-458.






Abstract: The present study aims to build a model of second language (L2)
reading, taking into account working memory capacity and first language (L1)
literacy as variables within structural equation modeling (SEM). In this
study, a total of 120 Japanese L1 high school students were given a series
of tests: 1) English reading span tests, 2) English vocabulary size tests,
3) English grammar tests, 4) Japanese literacy tests, and 5) two kinds of
English reading tests. One of the English reading tests was on a general
topic, and the other required specific background knowledge to control for
the effects of topic familiarity. SEM revealed that L2 working memory, L2
grammatical knowledge, and L2 vocabulary knowledge significantly predicted
general L2 reading, while general L2 reading, along with L1 literacy, was
the significant predictor of L2 reading on a specific topic. Furthermore, L1
literacy predicted L2 vocabulary knowledge, and skilled L1 readers excelled
at creating situation model for L2 reading comprehension, even when they
lacked topical knowledge. The present study presents a more refined model of
L2 reading comprehension, which accounts for L1 literacy and working memory
more comprehensively than previous research has.



著者Contact先の email:shibalea[at]vos.nagaokaut.ac.jp



日本語によるコメント: L1でもL2でも，文章理解はテキスト内容に関する背景知識が
強い説明変数であるとの知見が得られている。それでは，背景知識を排除した状態で
L2テキストから新しい知識を得ることは可能なのだろうか。また，どのような読み手
ならばL2による新知識の獲得が可能なのだろうか。本研究はこのような疑問に答える
ため，作動記憶，語彙知識，文法知識，L1リテラシーを観測変数とし，背景知識を必
要としないL2テキストと背景知識を必要とするL2テキストを潜在変数として，SEMで
変数の関係を示した。


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