Exploring the Role of Language Knowledge and Background Knowledge in Reading Comprehension of Specific-Purpose Tests in Higher Education

Autor/inn/en	Tarlani-Aliabadi, Hasan; Tazik, Khalil; Azizi, Zeinab
Titel	Exploring the Role of Language Knowledge and Background Knowledge in Reading Comprehension of Specific-Purpose Tests in Higher Education
Quelle	In: Language Testing in Asia, 12 (2022), Artikel 48 (23 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Tazik, Khalil) ORCID (Azizi, Zeinab)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
DOI	10.1186/s40468-022-00198-x
Schlagwörter	Reading Comprehension; Readability Formulas; Prior Learning; Majors (Students); Economics Education; Language Tests; Language Proficiency; Sentences; Correlation; Reading Tests; Student Attitudes; Foreign Countries; Languages for Special Purposes; Second Language Learning; Undergraduate Students; Iran; Flesch Reading Ease Formula + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Leseverstehen; Vorkenntnisse; Wirtschaftskunde; Language test; Sprachtest; Language skill; Language skills; Sprachkompetenz; Sentence analysis; Satzanalyse; Korrelation; Lesetest; Schülerverhalten; Ausland; Sprachhandlungsfähigkeit; Zweitsprachenerwerb
Abstract	Though the empirical findings of the past studies in the literature have offered strong support to the significant role of language knowledge and background knowledge in reading comprehension, this issue has not been explored with regard to specific purposes tests in the Iranian higher education context. Therefore, this study aimed at exploring the interaction effects between language knowledge and background knowledge among Iranian university students majoring in economics. For this purpose, a total of 90 students including male students (n = 35) and female students (n = 55) majoring in economics were selected through a convenience sampling method. Having been divided into three proficiency levels, they took three high-stakes reading tests constructed by the National Organization of Educational Testing in Iran for Economics candidates. Based on three criteria, including sentences with passive, Flesch Readability Index, and sentences with participles as attributes, the three texts were ranked in order of easy to difficult (text 1, text 2, and text 3). Afterward, 15 participants participated in semi-structured interviews to express their experiences with the reading tests. The results indicated that background knowledge had marked effects on the performances of the participants across the three reading texts. However, in the more specific reading text (text 3), neither general language knowledge nor general background knowledge were strong indicators. Additionally, the results of the semi-structured interviews with the participants revealed they lacked the required language and content knowledge to perform well on the reading text 3. In light of the findings, a range of implications is proposed for pertinent stakeholders. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01