EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN METACOGNITION, L1 READING ABILITY, L2 LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY AND L2 READING COMPREHENSION AMONG CHINESE UNIVERISTY EFL LEARNERS DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Lin Guo, M.A. Graduate Program in Education The Ohio State University 2014 Dissertation Committee: Dr. Alan Hirvela, Advisor Dr. Ian Wilkinson Dr. Richard Lomax 1 Copyright by Lin Guo 2014 2 Abstract Reading is a multi-componential process comprising an array of knowledge and skills. Though numerous studies in the field of native language (L1) reading have identified factors that influence reading comprehension in a complex way, there has been little research which has explored the influence and interaction of these factors on second language (L2) reading comprehension. In an attempt to help fill that gap in the research literature, this study addressed the following questions: 1) What is the difference in metacognitive strategy use when Chinese university English as a foreign language (EFL) learners approach L1 (Chinese) and L2 (English) texts? 2) Are metacognition, L1 reading ability and L2 language proficiency separate constructs? 3) What is the relationship between metacognition, L1 reading ability, L2 language proficiency, and L2 reading comprehension among Chinese university English as a foreign language (EFL) learners? The study employed a quantitative research approach that included an English proficiency test, reading comprehension tests, and metacognitive strategy questionnaires as its data gathering instruments. Participants were 268 sophomore university students learning English as a foreign language in China and the data was collected in classrooms during the normal English class sessions. The dependent ii samples t-test disclosed similar and different patterns in which the Chinese university EFL learners approached L1 texts and L2 texts. Confirmatory factor analysis suggested that metacognition, L1 reading ability and L2 language proficiency were separate constructs. Structural equation modeling indicated that 1) metacognition, L1 reading ability and L2 language proficiency were significantly correlated; 2) metacognition, L1 reading ability and L2 language proficiency all directly contributed to L2 reading comprehension; 3) metacognition assumed a more dynamic relationship with L2 reading comprehension by exerting an indirect impact on L2 reading by means of L1 reading ability and L2 language knowledge; 4) L2 language proficiency also yielded a distal influence on L2 reading comprehension via L1 reading ability; 5) taking into consideration both the direct and indirect effects, metacognition accounted for more variance in L2 reading comprehension when compared with L1 reading ability and L2 language proficiency. In a nutshell, the findings of this study provide new insights into the scholarship on L2 reading by suggesting that metacognition was the common underlying proficiency across L1 reading ability and L2 language proficiency and provided a platform for both cognitive and linguistic factors to work in tandem for L2 reading comprehension. Furthermore, the results revealed that L2 language proficiency and L1 reading ability establish the grounds for metacognition to function in an effective manner. iii Acknowledgements Pursuing a doctoral study is journey full of challenges, efforts and wonders. Writing a dissertation is a process of discovery, reflection and anticipation. I would like to take this opportunity to extend my gratitude to my advisor Dr. Alan Hirvela. Thank you for taking the time and effort to review my drafts and offering thought- provoking comments. Needless to say, the discussions with you during the office hours always awakened me to new ideas. Without your supervision, I could not have put my feet on the right track or improved my multiple drafts. Also, I would like to express my gratitude to Dr. Charles Hancock. Under his guidance, I shaped my research interest in metacognition; with his encouragement, I drafted the research proposal. In addition, I need to thank Dr. Richard Lomax for joining my dissertation committee and writing me the supportive email when I was receiving medial treatment in China. Also, I need to express my appreciation of Dr. Ian Wilkinson’s constructive comments during my proposal defense and the reading lists he suggested. I have to say that had it not been for my committee members’ support, I could not have identified the weakness in my proposal and refined my drafts. Apart from the academic support I have received, I have to express my deepest iv gratitude for the spiritual and financial support from my parents. Whenever I feel stressed, depressed or overwhelmed in the doctoral study, your phone calls immensely keep my chin up. I can feel your firm belief in my potential of being a researcher, which drives me to brush off and move on. Lastly, I would like to extend my thankfulness to those people who offered me help in the process of writing my dissertation. Thanks to Uncle Shen for contacting universities in China and printing the test materials. Thanks to those teachers and students who participated in my research project. Thanks to Yingxue Zheng for always being on my side and sharing her experience through emails and phone calls. In brief, writing a dissertation is a painstaking process; however, all of your affection toward me transforms it into a rewarding experience. The words I write down are not strong enough to convey my gratitude for the support I have received in the past five years. All of your faces and voices flash through my mind and move me to tears as I wrote the acknowledgements. v Vita 2002…………………………………..…B.A. English Nanjing University, Nanjing, China 2005…………………………………..…M.A. English Nankai University, Tianjin, China Fields of study Major Field: Education (Foreign, Second and Multilingual Education) Minor Field: Educational Measurement and Evaluation vi Table of Contents Abstract ................................................................................................................................ ii Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................... iv Vita ........................................................................................................................................ vi Table of Contents ............................................................................................................ vii List of Tables ...................................................................................................................... xi List of Figures .................................................................................................................. xiii Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Purpose of the study .......................................................................................................... 7 1.2 Statement of research gaps ............................................................................................. 8 1.3 Research questions .......................................................................................................... 10 1.4 Significance of the study ................................................................................................. 10 1.5 Methodology ....................................................................................................................... 12 1.6 Basic assumptions ............................................................................................................ 13 1.7 Limitations .......................................................................................................................... 14 vii 1.8 Definition of key terms ................................................................................................... 14 1.9 Summary .............................................................................................................................. 19 1.10 Overview of the dissertation ...................................................................................... 20 Chapter 2: Literature Review ...................................................................................... 22 2.1 Reading models ................................................................................................................. 24 2.2 The relationship between L1 reading ability and L2 reading comprehension ........................................................................................................................................................ 28 2.3 The relationship between L2 language proficiency and L2 reading comprehension ......................................................................................................................... 32 2.4 Indicators of L2 (English) language proficiency ..................................................... 36 2.5 Metacognition and L2 reading comprehension ...................................................... 42 2.6 Reading strategies ............................................................................................................ 47 2.7 Summary .............................................................................................................................. 55 Chapter 3: Methodology ...............................................................................................