Relationship among EFL Reading Comprehension, Silent Reading Rate, Vocabulary, and Reading Motivation

Merve Savasci*, Ayşe S. Akyel**
* Department of Foreign Languages Education, Sakarya University, Turkey.
** Department of Foreign Language Education, Yeditepe University, Turkey.
Periodicity:April - June'2022
DOI : https://doi.org/10.26634/jelt.12.2.18440

Abstract

As a subset of the large-scale research on several issues related to EFL reading comprehension and instruction, this study investigates the potential relationship among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) reading comprehension, silent reading rate, vocabulary knowledge (i.e., receptive and productive vocabulary knowledge), and reading motivation (i.e., intrinsic and extrinsic reading motivation), as well as the relative contribution of each of these factors to EFL reading comprehension. Data were collected through a reading comprehension and rate test, receptive and productive vocabulary tests, and a reading motivation questionnaire administered to university level EFL learners enrolled in a state university in Turkey. Findings indicated a positive, moderately significant correlation between receptive and controlled productive vocabulary knowledge (p < 0.05) and a weak but significantly positive correlation between silent reading rate and reading motivation (p < 0.05). Findings also showed that silent reading rate and intrinsic reading motivation significantly predicted EFL reading comprehension (p < 0.05). Implications for pedagogy and suggestions for future EFL reading research are discussed.

Keywords

EFL, Reading Comprehension, Silent Reading Rate, Vocabulary, Reading Motivation.

How to Cite this Article?

Savasci, M. and Akyel, A. S. (2022). Relationship among EFL Reading Comprehension, Silent Reading Rate, Vocabulary, and Reading Motivation. i-manager’s Journal on English Language Teaching, 12(2), 16-30. https://doi.org/10.26634/jelt.12.2.18440

References

[1]. Alderson, J. C., & Urquhart, A. H. (1985). This test is unfair: I'm not an economist. In P. Haupman, R. LeBlanc, & M. B. Wesche (Eds.), Second Language Performance Testing (pp. 25-44). University of Ottawa Press.
[2]. Anderson, R. C., & Freebody, P. (1981). Vocabulary knowledge. In J. T. Guthrie, (ed), Comprehension and Teaching: Research Reviews (pp. 77–117). International Reading Association.
[3]. Bachman, L. F. (2004). Statistical Analyses for Language Assessment Book. Cambridge University Press.
[4]. Cohen, J. (2013). Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences. Routledge, New York.
[5]. Creswell, J. W. (2012). Educational Research: Planning, Conducting and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research (4th ed.). Pearson.
[6]. Day, R. R., Bamford, J., Renandya, W. A., Jacobs, G. M., & Yu, V. W. S. (1998). Extensive reading in the second language classroom. RELC Journal, 29(2), 187-191. https://doi.org/10.1177/003368829802900211
[7]. De Naeghel, J., Van Keer, H., Vansteenkiste, M., & Rosseel, Y. (2012). The relation between elementary students' recreational and academic reading motivation, reading frequency, engagement, and comprehension: A self-determination theory perspective. Journal of Educational Psychology, 104(4), 1006–1021. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0027800
[8]. Fuchs, L. S., Fuchs, D., Hosp, M. K., & Jenkins, J. R. (2001). Oral reading fluency as an indicator of reading competence: A theoretical, empirical, and historical analysis. Scientific Studies of Reading, 5, 239–256. https://doi.org/10.1207/S1532799XSSR0503_3
[9]. Fujita, K., & Yamashita, J. (2014). The relations and comparisons between reading comprehension and reading rate of Japanese high school EFL learners. The Reading Matrix, 14(2), 34-49.
[10]. Gough, P. B., & Tunmer, W. E. (1986). Decoding, reading, and reading disability. Remedial and Special Education, 7(1), 6-10. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F074193258600700104
[11]. Grabe, W. (2008). Reading in a Second Language: Moving From Theory to Practice. Cambridge University Press.
[12]. Grabe, W., & Stoller, F. L. (2020). Teaching and Researching Reading (3rd ed.). Routledge.
[13]. Guthrie, J. T., & Wigfield, A. (1997). Reading engagement: A rationale for theory and teaching. In J. T. Guthrie & a Wigfield (Eds.), Reading Engagement: Motivating Readers through Integrated Instruction (pp. 1-12). International Reading Association.
[14]. Guthrie, J. T., Wigfield, A., Metsala, J. L., & Cox, K. E. (1999). Motivational and cognitive predictors of text comprehension and reading amount. Scientific Studies of Reading, 3(3), 231-256. https://doi.org/10.1207/s1532799xssr0303_3
[15]. Hiebert, E. H., & Daniel, M. (2019). Comprehension and rate during silent reading: Why do some students do poorly?. Reading and Writing, 32, 1795–1818. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-018-9917-7
[16]. Hu, M., & Nation, I. S. P. (2000). Unknown vocabulary density and reading comprehension. Reading in a Foreign Language, 13(1), 403–430.
[17]. Jeon, E. H., & Yamashita, J. (2014). L2 reading comprehension and its correlates: A meta analysis. Language Learning, 64(1), 160-212.
[18]. Kim, K. J. (2011). Reading motivation in two languages: An examination of EFL college students in Korea. Reading and Writing, 24(8), 861-881. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-010-9229-z
[19]. Kim, Y.-S. G., Quinn, J. M., & Petscher, Y. (2021). What is text reading fluency and is it a predictor or an outcome of reading comprehension? A longitudinal investigation. Developmental Psychology, 57(5), 718–732. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0001167
[20]. Klauda, S. L., & Guthrie, J. T. (2008). Relationships of three components of reading fluency to reading comprehension. Journal of Educational Psychology, 100(2), 310-321. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.100.2.310
[21]. Klauda, S. L., & Guthrie, J. T. (2014). Comparing relations of motivation, engagement, and achievement among struggling and advanced adolescent readers. Reading and Writing, 28(2), 239–269. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-014-9523-2
[22]. Koda, K. (2005). Insights into Second Language Reading: A Cross-Linguistic Approach. Cambridge University Press.
[23]. Kuhn, M. R., & Stahl, S. A. (2003). Fluency: A review of developmental and remedial practices. Journal of Educational Psychology, 95(1), 3-21.
[24]. Kuhn, M. R., Schwanenflugel, P. J., & Meisinger, E. B. (2010). Aligning theory and assessment of reading fluency: Automaticity, prosody, and definitions of fluency. Reading Research Quarterly, 45(2), 230-251. https://doi.org/10.1598/RRQ.45.2.4
[25]. Landi, N. (2010). An examination of the relationship between reading comprehension, higher-level and lower-level reading sub-skills in adults. Reading and Writing, 23(6), 701-717. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-009-9180-z
[26]. Laufer, B. (1989). What percentage of text-lexis is essential for comprehension? In C. Lauren & M. Nordman (Eds.), Special Language: From Humans to Thinking Machines (pp. 316–323). Multilingual Matters.
[27]. Laufer, B., & Nation, I. S. P. (1999). A vocabulary-size test of controlled productive ability. Language Testing, 16(1), 33-51. https://doi.org/10.1177/026553229901600103
[28]. Nagy, W. E., & Herman, P. A. (1987). Breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge: Implications for acquisition and instruction. In M. G. McKeown & M. E. Curtis (Eds.), The Nature of Vocabulary Acquisition (pp. 19-35). Psychology Press.
[29]. Nation, I. S. P. (1990). Teaching and Learning Vocabulary. Newbury House.
[30]. Nation, I. S. P. (2001). Learning Vocabulary In Another Language. Cambridge University Press.
[31]. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. (2000). Report of the National Reading Panel. Teaching Children to Read: An Evidence-Based Assessment of the Scientific Research Literature on Reading and Its Implications for Reading Instruction. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
[32]. Newton, J., Ferris, D., Goh, C., Grabe, W., Stoller, F., & Vandergrift, L. (2018). Teaching English to second language learners in academic contexts. Teaching English to Second Language Learners in Academic Contexts, 5, 69-73.
[33]. Nuttall, C. (1996). Teaching Reading Skills in a Foreign Language (2nd ed.). Heinemann.
[34]. Perfetti, C. A., Landi, N., & Oakhill, J. (2005). The acquisition of reading comprehension skill. In M. J. Snowling & C. Hulme (Eds.), Blackwell handbooks of developmental psychology. The science of reading: A handbook (p. 227–247). Blackwell Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470757642.ch13
[35]. Qian, D. (1999). Assessing the roles of depth and breadth of vocabular y knowledge in reading comprehension. Canadian Modern Language Review, 56(2), 282-308. https://doi.org/10.3138/cmlr.56.2.282
[36]. Read, J. (2004). Plumbing the depths: How should the construct of vocabulary knowledge be defined? In P. Bogaards & B. Laufer (Eds.), Vocabulary in a Second Language (pp. 209-227). John Benjamins B.V.
[37]. Samuels, S.J. (2007). The DIBELS tests: Is speed of barking at print what we mean by reading fluency? Reading Research Quarterly, 42(4), 563–566.
[38]. Schaffner, E., & Schiefele, U. (2016). The contributions of intrinsic and extrinsic reading motivation to the development of reading competence over summer vacation. Reading Psychology, 37(6), 917– 941. https://doi.org/10.1080/02702711.2015.1133465
[39]. Schaffner, E., Schiefele, U., & Ulferts, H. (2013). Reading amount as a mediator of the effects of intrinsic and extrinsic reading motivation on reading comprehension. Reading Research Quarterly, 48(4), 369–385.
[40]. Schiefele, U., Schaffner, E., Möller, J., & Wigfeld, A. (2012). Dimensions of reading motivation and their relation to reading behavior and competence. Reading Research Quarterly, 47(4), 427–463. https://doi.org/10.1002/RRQ.030
[41]. Schiefele, U., Stutz, F., & Schaffner, E. (2016). Longitudinal relations between reading motivation and reading comprehension in the early elementary grades. Learning and Individual Differences, 51, 49-58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2016.08.031
[42]. Schmitt, N. (2000). Vocabulary in Language Teaching. Cambridge University Press.
[43]. Schwanenflugel, P. J., Hamilton, A. M., Kuhn, M. R., Wisenbaker, J. M., & Stahl, S. A. (2004). Becoming a fluent reader: Reading skill and prosodic features in the oral reading of young readers. Journal of Educational Psychology, 96(1), 119-129. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.96.1.119
[44]. Soemer, A., & Schiefele, U. (2018). Reading amount as a mediator between intrinsic reading motivation and reading comprehension in the early elementary grades. Learning and Individual Differences, 67, 1-11.
[45]. Stahl, S. A. (1990). Beyond The Instrumentalist Hypothesis: Some Relationships between Word Meanings and Comprehension. University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign, IL: Center for the Study of Reading.
[46]. Stoller, F. L., Anderson, N. J., Grabe, W., & Komiyama, R. (2013). Instructional enhancements to improve students' reading abilities. English Teaching Forum, 51, 2–11.
[47]. Troyer, M., Kim, J. S., Hale, E., Wantchekon, K. A., & Armstrong, C. (2019). Relations among intrinsic and extrinsic reading motivation, reading amount, and comprehension: A conceptual replication. Reading and Writing, 32(5), 1197-1218. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-018-9907-9
[48]. Wagner, R. K., Muse, A. E., & Tannenbaum, K. R. (Eds.). (2007). Vocabulary Acquisition: Implications for Reading Comprehension. Guilford Press.
[49]. Wang, J. H. Y., & Guthrie, J. T. (2004). Modeling the effects of intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, amount of reading, and past reading achievement on text comprehension between US and Chinese students. Reading Research Quarterly, 39(2), 162-186. https://doi.org/10.1598/RRQ.39.2.2
[50]. Webb, S. (2008). Receptive and productive vocabulary sizes of L2 learners. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 30(1), 79-95. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263108080042
[51]. Wesche, M., & Paribakht, T. S. (1996). Assessing second language vocabulary knowledge: Depth versus breadth. Canadian Modern Language Review, 53(1), 13-40. https://doi.org/10.3138/cmlr.53.1.13
[52]. Wigfield, A., & Guthrie, J. T. (1997a). Motivation for reading: An overview. Educational Psychologist, 32(2), 57-58.
[53]. Wigfield, A., & Guthrie, J. T. (1997b). Relations of children's motivation for reading to the amount and breadth or their reading. Journal of Educational Psychology, 89(3), 420-432. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.89.3.420
[54]. Wolf, M., & Katzir-Cohen, T. (2001). Reading fluency and its intervention. Scientific Studies of Reading, 5(3), 211-239. https://doi.org/10.1207/S1532799XSSR0503_2
[55]. Yamaç, A., & Sezgin, Z. Ç. (2018). Relationships among fourth graders' reading anxiety, reading fluency, reading motivation, and reading comprehension. Eğitim ve Bilim, 43(194), 225-243. http://doi.org/10.15390/EB.2018.7555
[56]. Yildirim, K., Seyit, A. T. E. Ş., Çetinkaya, F. Ç., & Tosun, D. K. (2019). The Relations between Reading Comprehension and Reading Fluency: Their Reciprocal Roles as an Indicator and Predictor. Eğitim Bilimleri Araştırmaları Dergisi, 9(2), 67-81.
If you have access to this article please login to view the article or kindly login to purchase the article

Purchase Instant Access

Single Article

North Americas,UK,
Middle East,Europe
India Rest of world
USD EUR INR USD-ROW
Pdf 35 35 200 20
Online 35 35 200 15
Pdf & Online 35 35 400 25

Options for accessing this content:
  • If you would like institutional access to this content, please recommend the title to your librarian.
    Library Recommendation Form
  • If you already have i-manager's user account: Login above and proceed to purchase the article.
  • New Users: Please register, then proceed to purchase the article.