Advertisement

Exploring the interplay between Iranian EFL learners’ first language (L1) literacy resources and their performance on L2 receptive skills

  • Reza Abbasian
  • Bahram HadianEmail author
  • Mehdi Vaez-Dalili
Article
First Online:
  • 37 Downloads

Abstract

The purpose of the present research was to examine what role first language (L1) non-linguistic variables (literacy related resources) could play in predicting second language (L2) reading and listening comprehension performance in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context. Drawing on a nonrandom purposive sampling strategy, the participants were selected from senior high school students in Iran. Data were analyzed usingbivariate correlations between the variables andalso multiple regressions in order to look at the relative contribution of literacy related resources (with five factors: participants’ number of overall books at home, number of children’s and adults’ books available, computer ownership, and newspaper subscription among families) on L2 reading and listening comprehension. The findings indicated that the correlations between these literacy resources, on the one hand, and L2 listening and reading comprehension, on the other, were statistically significant. Moreover, the results indicated that the number of children’s books was the strongest predictor of listening and reading comprehension. The obtained results are discussed in terms of their relationship with the extant literature and implications for TESOL, especially with regard to the role of non-linguistic variables in acquiring second language reading and listening.

Keywords

First language literacy related resources Second language reading comprehension Second language listening comprehension English as a foreign language 
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

Notes

Compliance with Ethical Standards

Ethical Approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed Consent

Oral informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Conflicts of Interest

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

References

  1. Ansari, H., & Babaii, E. (2003). Subliminal sexism in current EFL/ESL textbooks. The Asecondsian EFL Journal. http://asian-efl-journal.com/march03.sub1.pdf. Accessed 5 Dec 2017.
  2. Australian Bureau of Statistics. (1996): Aspects of Literacy Assessed Skill Levels Australia 1996. Catalogue Number 4228.0. Canberra,Commonwealth of Australia. http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Previousproducts/4228.0Main%20Features11996?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=4228.0&issue=1996&num=&view=. Accessed 12 Nov 2017.
  3. Australian Bureau of Statistics. (1997): Australians’ Literacy Skills Put to the Tests. http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Previousproducts/4228.0Media%20Release11996?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=4228.0&issue=1996&num=&view=. Accessed 12 Nov 2017.
  4. Babbie, E. R. (1990). Survey research methods Wadsworth Pub (pp. 78–82). Belmont: Wadsworth Publishing.Google Scholar
  5. Bialystok, E. (1997). The structure of age: In search of barriers to second language acquisition. Second Language Research, 13(2), 116–137.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  6. Borjian, M. (2013). English in Post Revolutionary Iran. From Indigenization to internationalization. Multilingual Matters.Google Scholar
  7. Burt, M., Peyton, J. K., & Adams, R. (2003). Reading and Adult English Language Learners: A Review of the Research. National Center for ESL Literacy Education (NCLE).Google Scholar
  8. Calderon, M. E., & Minaya-Rowe, L. (Eds.). (2003). Designing and implementing two-way bilingual programs: A step-by-step guide for administrators, teachers, and parents. Corwin Press.Google Scholar
  9. Chiu, M. M., & Khoo, L. (2005). Effects of resources, inequality, and privilege bias on achievement: Country, school, and student level analyses. American Educational Research Journal, 42(4), 575–603.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  10. Chiu, M. M., & McBride-Chang, C. (2010). Family and reading in 41 countries: Differences across cultures and students. Scientific Studies of Reading, 14(6), 514–543.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  11. Cook, V. (2001). Using the first language in the classroom. The Canadian Modern Language Review, 57(3), 402–423.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  12. Corthals, P. (2010). Nine-to twelve-year olds' metalinguistic awareness of homonymy. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 45(1), 121–128.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  13. Creswell, J. W. (2002). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative (pp. 146–166). Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.Google Scholar
  14. Crystal, D. (1997). English as a Global Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
  15. Cummins, J. (2000). Language, power, and pedagogy. Bilingual children in the crossfire. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  16. Dornyei, Z. (2007). Research methods in applied linguistics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
  17. Duncan, L., & Seymour, M. (2000). Socioeconomic Differences in Foundation-Level Literacy. British Journal of Psychology, 91, 145–166.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  18. Duursma, E. (2007). Low-income parents reading to their toddlers: Differences and similarities in style of bookreading (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Cambridge: Harvard University.Google Scholar
  19. Echevarria, J., Vogt, M., & Short, D. (2008). Making content comprehensible for English learners: The SIOP model.Google Scholar
  20. Edmonds, W. A., & Kennedy, T. D. (2016). An applied guide to research designs: Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.Google Scholar
  21. Ellis, N. C., Simpson-vlach, R., & Maynard, C. (2008). Formulaic language in native and second language speakers: Psycholinguistics, corpus linguistics, and TESOL. TESOL Quarterly, 42(3), 375–396.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  22. Evans, L. (2009). Developing research capacity in the social sciences: a professionality-based model. International Journal for Researcher Development, 1(2), 3–19.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  23. Faltis, C., & Coulter, C. (2008). Teaching English learners and immigrant students in secondary schools. Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall.Google Scholar
  24. Gass, S. M. (2013). Second language acquisition: An introductory course. London: Routledge.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  25. Gass, S. M., & Selinker, L. (2001). Second language acquisition: An introductory course. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
  26. Geranpayeh, A. (2003). A quick review of the English Quick Placement Test. University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations. Extract form Research Notes, 12, 8–10. Retrieved Jan 29 from http://www.uniss.it/documenti/lingue/what_is_the_QPT.pdf
  27. Goldenberg, C., Rueda, R. S., & August, D. (2006). Sociocultural influences on the literacy attainment of languageminority children and youth. In D. August & T. Shanahan (Eds.), Developing literacy in second-language learners: Report of the National Literacy Panel on Language-minority Children and Youth (pp. 269–318). Mahwah: Erlbaum.Google Scholar
  28. Gorman, B. K. (2009). Cross-linguistic universals in reading acquisition with applications to English- language learners with reading disabilities. In Seminars in speech and language (Vol. 30, No. 04, pp. 246260). © Thieme Medical Publishers.Google Scholar
  29. Grabe, W. P., & Stoller, F. L. (2013). Teaching and researching: Reading. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
  30. Greenwood, C. R., Walker, D., & Buzhardt, J. (2010). The early communication indicator for infants and toddlers: Early head start growth norms from two states. Journal of Early Intervention, 32(5), 310–334.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  31. Gumus, S., & Atalmis, E. H. (2011). Exploring the relationship between purpose of computer usage and reading skills of Turkish students: Evidence from PISA 2006. TOJET: The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 10(3).Google Scholar
  32. Hayati, A. M., & Mashhadi, A. (2010). Language planning and languagein-education policy in Iran. Language Problems and Language Planning, 34, 24–42.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  33. High Council of Cultural Revolution. (2002). Investigation of ELT quality in Iran. Tehran: High Council of Cultural Revolution.Google Scholar
  34. Horwitz. (2007). Age-related differences in the motivation of learning English as a foreign language: Attitudes, selves, and motivated learning behavior. Language Learning, 58(2), 327–355.Google Scholar
  35. Hummel, K. M. (2013). Introducing second language acquisition: Perspectives and practices. New York: John Wiley & Sons.Google Scholar
  36. Huntley, H. S. (1992). The new illiteracy: A study of the pedagogic principles of teaching English as a second language to non-literate adults.Google Scholar
  37. Jahangard, A. (2007). Evaluation of the EFL materials taught at Iranian high schools. The Asian EFL Journal, 9, 130–150.Google Scholar
  38. Johnson, K. (2017). An introduction to foreign language learning and teaching. Chicago: Routledge.Google Scholar
  39. Kirby, J. R., & Hogan, B. (2008). Family literacy environment and early literacy development. Exceptionality Education International, 18(3), 112–130.Google Scholar
  40. Larsen Hall (2015). A Guide to Doing Statistics in Second Language Research Using Spss. Wiley Pub. Co.Google Scholar
  41. Lesaux, N. K., & Geva, E. (2006). Synthesis: Development of Literacy in Language-Minority Students. In D. August & T. Shanahan (Eds.), Developing literacy in second-language learners: Report of the National Literacy Panel on language-minority children and youth (pp. 75–122). Mahwah: Erlbaum.Google Scholar
  42. Lo Bianco, J. (1997). Public Policy and Literacy Research Data: Will Knowing Lead to Doing? In W. Mclennan (Ed.), Aspects of Literacy: Assessed Skill Levels Australia 1996. Australia: Australian Bureau of Statistics. Catalogue Number 4228.0:80–88.Google Scholar
  43. Mensah, F. K., & Kiernan, K. E. (2010). Gender differences in educational attainment: Influences of the family environment. British Educational Research Journal, 36(2), 239–260.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  44. Olsen, L. (2010). Fulfilling the unkept promise of educational opportunity for California’s long term English learners. Retrieved from http://www.ctdev.changeagentsproductions.org/wpcontent/uploads/2015/01/ReparableHarm2ndedition.pdf. Accessed 2 Dec 2017.
  45. Olshtain, E., Shohamy, E., Kemp, J., & Chatow, R. (1990). 1990: Factors predicting success in EFL among culturally different learners. Language Learning, 40, 23–44.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  46. Palls, B. (2010). Cultural portraits: A synoptic guide (2nd ed.). Clearwater Beach: B&B Educational Consultants.Google Scholar
  47. Phillipson, R. H. L. (1992). Linguistic Imperialism. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
  48. Polat, N., & Mahalingappa, L. J. (2010). Gender differences in identity and acculturation patterns and L2 accent attainment. Journal of Language, Identity, and Education, 9(1), 17–35.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  49. Qian, D., & Schedl, M. (2004). Evaluation of an in-depth vocabulary knowledge for assessing reading performance. Language Testing, 21, 28–52.  https://doi.org/10.1191/0265532204lt273oa
  50. Radi, O. (2002). The impact of computer use on literacy in reading comprehension and vocabulary skills. AC Minternational conference proceeding series, Vol. 26: Proceedings of the seventh world conference on computers in education: Australian topics, Vol. 8, Copenhagen, Denmark (pp. 93–97).Google Scholar
  51. Ready, D., & Tindal, G. (2006). An investigation of language-minority children: Demographic characteristics, initial performance, and growth in achievement (No. 686). CSE Tech. Rep.Google Scholar
  52. Reese, L., Garnier, H., Gallimore, R., & Goldenberg, C. (2000). Longitudinal analysis of the antecedents of emergent Spanish literacy and middle-school English reading achievement of Spanish-speaking students. American Educational Research Journal, 37(3), 633–662.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  53. Rost, M. (2013). Teaching and researching: Listening. London: Routledge.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  54. Royer, J. M., & Carlo, M. S. (1991). Transfer of comprehension skills from native to second language. Journal of Reading, 34(6), 450–455.Google Scholar
  55. Sanz, C. (2005). Mind and context in adult second language acquisition: Methods, theory, and practice. Texas: Georgetown University Press.Google Scholar
  56. Saville-Troike, M., & Barto, K. (2016). Introducing second language acquisition. Melbourne: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  57. Schedl, M., Thomas, N., & Way, W. (1995). An investigation of proposed revisions to section3 of the TOEFL test (TOEFL Research Report No. 47). Princeton: Educational Testing Service.Google Scholar
  58. Silva, S. M., Verhoeven, L., & van Leeuwe, J. (2011). Socio-cultural variation in reading comprehension development among fifth graders in Peru. Reading and Writing, 24(8), 951–969.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  59. Spolsky, B. (1989). Conditions for Second Language Learning, Introduction to a General Theory. Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
  60. Trochim, W. M. (2005). Research Methods Knowledge Base. Retrviewed from http://www.anatomyfacts.com/research/researchmethodsknowledgebase.pdf. Accessed 21 Nov 2107.
  61. Uchikoshi, Y. (2006). English vocabulary development in bilingual kindergarteners: What are the best predictors? Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 9(1), 33–49.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2018

Authors and Affiliations

  • Reza Abbasian
    • 1
  • Bahram Hadian
    • 1
    Email author
  • Mehdi Vaez-Dalili
    • 1
  1. 1.Department of EnglishIsfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad UniversityIsfahanIran

Personalised recommendations

Cite article

Buy options