L2 Reading Rate and Word Length: The Necessity of Character-Based Measurement

Autor/inn/en	Kramer, Brandon; McLean, Stuart
Titel	L2 Reading Rate and Word Length: The Necessity of Character-Based Measurement
Quelle	In: Reading in a Foreign Language, 31 (2019) 2, S.201-225 (25 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1539-0578
Schlagwörter	Reading Rate; Second Language Learning; Second Language Instruction; Comparative Analysis; English (Second Language); Reading Materials; Reading Fluency; Class Activities; Correlation; Computational Linguistics; Foreign Countries; Language Tests; Vocabulary Development; Novels; Nonfiction; Undergraduate Students; Text Structure; Japan + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Reading readiness; Reading speed; Lesegeschwindigkeit; Zweitsprachenerwerb; Fremdsprachenunterricht; English as second language; English; Second Language; Englisch als Zweitsprache; Korrelation; Linguistics; Computerlinguistik; Ausland; Language test; Sprachtest; Wortschatzarbeit; Novel; Roman; Non-fiction; Nichtfiktionaler Text; Textstruktur
Abstract	Reading rate, usually measured in words per minute, is a common operationalization of reading fluency in second language (L2) research and pedagogy. However, the impact of word length is often not addressed. This paper presents two studies showing how the number of characters in a text influences L2 reading time, independent of word counts, within classroom-based activities for Japanese university English as a Foreign Language students. In Study 1, students (N = 160) read two sets of graded texts manipulated to differ only in the total number of characters. The texts with more characters required significantly more time to read, with a small effect size. In Study 2, the average reading times for students (N = 27) throughout a semester-long timed reading course were strongly associated with text length as measured in characters, controlling for differences in word counts. Together these studies support the inclusion of character-based counting units when measuring L2 reading rate or reading amount. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Reading in a Foreign Language. National Foreign Language Resource Center, 1859 East-West Road #106, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822. e-mail: readfl@hawaii.edu; Web site: http://nflrc.hawaii.edu/rfl/
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01