The Relative Contribution of L1 Reading Ability and L2 Proficiency to L2 Reading Ability.doc
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1、The Relative Contribution of L1 Reading Ability and L2 Proficiency to L2 Reading AbilityAbstract:This study aims at exploring the relative contribution of L1 reading ability and L2 proficiency to L2 reading ability in terms of the linguistic threshold hypothesis (LTH) and the linguistic interdepende
2、nce hypothesis (LIH). It addresses the following two research questions: 1. What is the relative contribution of L1 reading ability and L2 proficiency to L2 reading ability at the low L2 proficiency level ? 2. What is the relative contribution of L1 reading ability and L2 proficiency to L2 reading a
3、bility at the high L2 proficiency level ? In this study, L2 proficiency is operationalized as a comprehensive English proficiency test paper, which includes listening comprehension, vocabulary, grammar and writing test. Another two reading test papers are employed for the measurement of L1 reading a
4、bility and L2 reading ability respectively. Eighty English majors, who are either freshmen or juniors, participated into the research and each one of them completed these three tests. Then, based upon their scores on L2 proficiency test, the subjects are divided into two groups: the low L2 proficien
5、cy group and high L2 proficiency group. Multiple regression analyses of the two variables predicting L2 reading ability indicate that at the low L2 proficiency level, only L2 proficiency plays a role in L2 reading ability and that at the high L2 proficiency level, both L1 reading ability and L2 prof
6、iciency contribute significantly to L2 reading ability, with L2 proficiency remaining a better predictor. The results confirm LTH and provide partial support for LIH, thus suggesting important pedagogical implications for the second language instruction. If the students L2 proficiency is below the t
7、hreshold level, teachers should attach much importance to L2 linguistic knowledge instruction, otherwise, teachers should include L1 reading strategies instruction to help their students to have a smooth transfer of L1 reading skills and strategies to L2 reading. In addition, teachers should choose
8、appropriate reading materials for their students based on their L2 proficiency levels, so that they could not only understand the major content of the reading passages by employing L1 reading strategies and skills as well as L2 knowledge in the reading process, but acquire L2 linguistic knowledge fr
9、om the reading materials to further improve their L2 proficiency level. Key words: L1 reading ability L2 proficiency L2 reading ability linguistic threshold hypothesis linguistic interdependence hypothesis母语阅读能力和外语语言水平对外语阅读能力的不同作用摘要:本文旨在研究母语阅读能力和外语语言水平对外语阅读能力的不同作用,并对两个理论假设(语言阈限假设和不同语言相互依赖性假设)进行检验论证。
10、主要回答以下两个问题:1当外语语言水平较低时,母语阅读能力和外语语言水平对外语阅读能力的作用关系如何?2当外语语言水平较高时,母语阅读能力和外语语言水平对外语阅读能力的作用关系如何?在本研究中,外语语言水平由一份综合性语言水平测试卷测量,包括听力理解、词汇、语法和写作四个部分。另外两份阅读试卷分别用于测量受试的母语阅读能力和外语阅读能力。共80名英语专业一年级和三年级学生参加了实验,每人按要求完成了三份试卷。基于不同的外语语言水平,将受试分成两组:低水平组和高水平组。对两组数据的多元回归分析表明:当外语语言水平较低时,只有外语语言水平对外语阅读能力有显著的贡献作用;当外语语言水平较高时,母语阅
11、读能力和外语语言水平都对外语阅读有贡献作用,但是外语语言水平的贡献作用要比母语阅读能力大得多。因此,研究结果基本证实了语言阈限假设,同时也部分支持了不同语言相互依赖性假设。本次研究结果告诉我们:针对不同外语语言水平的学生,教师应采取不同的教学方法。对于外语语言水平低于语言阈限水平的学生,教学重点应放在提高学生的外语语言技能上;对于外语语言水平越过语言阈限的学生,教师应注重母语阅读技能的训练,使学生在外语阅读中更好地运用母语阅读技能。此外,教师应当根据学生的外语语言水平有目的地选择难度适宜的阅读材料,使他们既能通过在阅读过程中运用母语阅读技能和外语知识恰如其分地领会文章的主要内容,又能有效地吸收
12、、积累阅读材料中的词法、句法等,从而进一步提高其外语语言水平。关键词:母语阅读能力 外语语言水平 外语阅读能力 语言阈限假设 不同语言相互依赖性假设1. IntroductionThe past quarter century has witnessed much first and second language reading research, resulting in many new insights into second language (L2) reading instruction. During this period of time, language research
13、ers have posed many seminal research questions concerning L2 reading, among which is whether second language reading is a language problem (linguistic threshold) or a reading problem (linguistic interdependence).The linguistic threshold hypothesis (LTH) posits that L1 reading ability is “short-circu
14、ited” if the reader does not have an adequate level of L2 knowledge whereas the linguistic interdependence hypothesis (LIH) supposes that L1 reading ability can be greatly transferred to L2 reading. 1.1 Need for the studyAlthough several experimental studies have been carried out both at home and ab
15、road to verify these two hypotheses, almost all of them have exposed a major problemthe inappropriate operational definition of L2 proficiency. Some researchers either use the subjects grade level or their instructional level or their part of L2 language proficiency (vocabulary and grammar) to repre
16、sent their overall L2 language proficiency. Whats more, the related experiments have rarely been done in the Chinese context. In contrast, most of them have been undertaken in the context of Indo-European languages. Whether the conclusions drawn from these studies are applicable in the Chinese conte
17、xt is still unknown yet. Consequently, further research into the relative contribution of L1 (Chinese) reading ability and L2 (English) proficiency to L2 (English) reading ability needs to be carried out.Except for theoretical needs, the research into this question in the Chinese context should be u
18、ndertaken also because the corollary of it will have significant implications for teaching English reading in China. If the linguistic threshold hypothesis (LTH) is verified, the teachers should focus on improving students second language proficiency. If the linguistic interdependence hypothesis (LI
19、H) is confirmed, then presumably the teaching of foreign language reading should include instruction in appropriate L1 reading strategies so that the students can transfer their L1 reading strategies to L2 reading. 1.2 Research purposeThe present study is intended to find out the relative contributi
20、on of L1 reading ability and L2 language proficiency to L2 reading ability. Specifically speaking, how much contribution Chinese (L1) reading ability and English (L2) proficiency make to English (L2) reading ability at different L2 proficiency levels will be examined in the current empirical study.
21、Its purpose is to ascertain whether LTH or LIH can still be confirmed even if L2 proficiency varies.2. Literature reviewIn this chapter, previous literature is reviewed in three parts, first on two theoretical hypothesesthe linguistic threshold hypothesis (LTH) and the linguistic interdependence hyp
22、othesis (LIH), second on related empirical studies testing the two hypotheses and third on problems in the previous studies.2.1 Two theoretical hypotheses: LTH and LIHFor more than thirty years, the question of whether reading in a foreign language is a reading problem or a language problem has arou
23、sed much attention in the second language reading research community, beginning with Aldersons (1984, p. 4) testing of the following hypotheses:1. Poor reading in the L2 is due to poor ability in the L1; therefore, poor L1 readers will read poorly in the L2 and good L1 readers will read well in the
24、L2. 2. Poor reading in the L2 is due to inadequate knowledge of the L2.Underlying these hypotheses are two other seemingly conflicting yet complementary ones: the linguistic threshold hypothesis (LTH) and the linguistic interdependence hypothesis (LIH).The first hypothesis, also known in its earlies
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