Direct and Indirect Contributions of Three Aspects of Morphological Knowledge to Second Language Reading Comprehension

Dados Bibliográficos

ID22044572
AutoresJunko Yamashita (0000-0002-3692-9597, Nagoya University, autor correspondente), Kunihiro Kusanagi (Prefectural University of Hiroshima)
Ano2024
Volume14
Fascículo3
Páginas270
Data de publicação2024-03-05
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoEducation Sciences (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 2227-7102 • E-ISSN: 2227-7102
EditoraMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/educsci14030270
OpenAlexW4392458079
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas3
Referências citadas62

Growing attention has been devoted to the contribution of morphological knowledge to reading comprehension. Because of the complex nature of morphological knowledge, more fine-grained approaches are sought on this topic by exploring multiple aspects of morphological knowledge and multiple pathways through which each aspect contributes to reading comprehension. This study measured three aspects of affix knowledge (form, meaning, and use) and vocabulary breadth and examined how each aspect contributes to EFL (English as a foreign language) reading comprehension by modeling direct and indirect effects with vocabulary as a mediator. The participants were 211 Japanese university students. All variables were measured using standardized tests. Direct effects of meaning, use, and vocabulary and indirect effects of meaning and use via vocabulary were significant. However, form displayed no significant effect. The lack of significant effects for form may be due to the design of this study, which did not include word reading (a variable that may mediate form’s effect). In sum, although the form aspect did not show any effect, semantic and syntactic aspects demonstrated direct and indirect contributions. Overall, this study endorsed the criticality of a more fine-grained approach, shedding light on what and how morphological knowledge supports L2 reading comprehension

Affix · Cognitive psychology · Comprehension · Foreign language · Linguistics · Mathematics education · Natural language processing · Reading comprehension · Vocabulary · Computer Science · Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism · Psychology · Reading and Literacy Development · Second Language Acquisition and Learning