Dissertation
Oral reading miscues by intermediate Chinese as second language readers
University of Iowa
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Iowa
Spring 2022
DOI: 10.17077/etd.006433
Abstract
Reading is a universal skill, but it is also adapted to different written languages. Chinese writing lacks sound-to-spelling correspondence, visible word boundaries, and overt inflection. These linguistic features of Chinese present great challenges for second language (L2) learners when reading in Chinese. It is hard for researchers and language educators to observe the reading process directly from silent reading; however, reading aloud provides us with a transparent window for observing this process. Oral reading miscue analysis can serve as a powerful tool for educators to understand Chinese L2 readers’ cognitive and linguistic difficulties in reading comprehension, so as to provide effective interventions and support.
Three research questions are addressed in this study: (1) What types, linguistic categories, and distributions of oral reading miscues do intermediate learners of Chinese make? (2) What is the relationship between the different categories of oral reading miscues and passage comprehension? (3) What perspectives do Chinese L2 readers have toward their oral reading miscues? This study encompassed various types of data, including proficiency test scores, oral passage reading recordings, translations of texts, language background survey data, and one-on-one RMA interviews, to capture a holistic picture of oral reading and its connection with literal-level reading comprehension. The participants in this study were 66 intermediate-level Chinese L2 readers from eight U.S. universities. Thirty of them completed an individual retrospective miscue analysis interview with the researcher.
The results revealed that intermediate Chinese L2 readers made 14 types of oral reading miscues. These miscue types can be further grouped into four categories based on linguistic features: orthographic knowledge-based (ORM), syntactic knowledge-based (SYM), semantic knowledge-based (SEM), and word knowledge-related miscues (WOM). A statistically significant negative correlation was observed between the number of miscues and literary-level passage comprehension. However, not all types of miscues negatively correlated with passage comprehension; in particular, four miscue types—mispronouncing tones, repetitions, long pauses between words, and inappropriate pauses within a word—showed no statistically significant correlation with comprehension. Three miscue categories—ORM, SYM, and SEM—had statistically significant negative correlations with passage comprehension, but this was not found for the WOM category. The interview data showed that linguistic difficulties in Chinese were the major cause of oral reading miscues. The participants’ linguistic difficulties lie in various domains: orthographic and phonological processing, morphological processing, word recognition and segmentation, and syntactic processing at the sentence/context level. Miscues may also result from other challenges in Chinese L2 oral reading, such as oral reading task-specific features and affective factors. The interview data also revealed that some oral reading behaviors, including self-corrections, pauses, and repetitions, can facilitate reading comprehension. The results contribute to the current understanding of the role of oral reading miscues in the cognitive processing of Chinese text and provide insights into the use of miscue analysis as an instructional intervention to optimize reading comprehension.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Oral reading miscues by intermediate Chinese as second language readers
- Creators
- Sicheng Wang
- Contributors
- Helen Shen (Advisor)Chuanren Ke (Committee Member)Yumiko Nishi (Committee Member)Walter Vispoel (Committee Member)Lia Plakans (Committee Member)
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Iowa
- Degree in
- Second Language Acquisition
- Date degree season
- Spring 2022
- DOI
- 10.17077/etd.006433
- Publisher
- University of Iowa
- Number of pages
- xiv, 208 pages
- Copyright
- Copyright 2022 Sicheng Wang
- Language
- English
- Description illustrations
- Tables
- Description bibliographic
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 175-188).
- Public Abstract (ETD)
Reading in Chinese as a second language (L2) is a complex process. Reading aloud provides us with a transparent window to observe the reading process. Oral reading miscues provide rich information for locating and diagnosing reading problems and difficulties that Chinese L2 learners encounter in reading comprehension.
In this study, I identified the types of oral reading miscues exhibited by intermediate Chinese L2 learners, investigated the relationship between miscues and literal-level Chinese passage comprehension, and explored the possible reasons for miscues in Chinese L2 reading. Sixty-six intermediate-level Chinese L2 readers participated in this study. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected.
Fourteen types of miscues emerged in Chinese L2 oral reading, which can be further grouped into four linguistic categories. Readers who made fewer miscues during their oral reading had better literal-level comprehension of Chinese passages. However, some miscue types, including mispronouncing tones, repetitions, and pauses, did not hinder comprehension. Word knowledge-related miscues were associated with reading speed and fluency, rather than reading comprehension. Chinese L2 readers’ oral reading performance was affected by both linguistic and nonlinguistic factors. The findings affirm the importance of incorporating oral reading practice into Chinese L2 reading instruction and suggest the usefulness of miscue analysis as an instructional approach for diagnosing reading problems and helping Chinese L2 learners become better readers.
- Academic Unit
- Second Language Acquisition
- Record Identifier
- 9984271254802771
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