Translanguaging in Reading Comprehension Assessment: Implications on Assessing Literal, Inferential, and Evaluative Comprehension

• Main Authors: CHU, CURTIS SHU-SUN, 朱樹燊
• Other Authors: TZENG, YUHTSUEN
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2019
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/b9m6t4

博士 === 國立中正大學 === 教育學研究所 === 107 === This research explored the feasibility of applying the notion of Translanguaging in English (L2) reading comprehension assessments among EFL learners in Taiwan. Two studies were conducted in this research. One explored the performance on L2 reading comprehension assessment among Elementary school level EFL learners, and the other among CEFR A2 level EFL learners. Data was collected from 490 elementary school and 464 CEFR A2 level EFL learners in Taiwan. Two self-designed reading comprehension assessments with questions aimed at assessing the three dimensions of comprehension (literal, inferential, and evaluative comprehension) were employed for data collection. Two versions of both assessments were designed: the L2 version contained reading passages, multiple-choice questions, options, and open-ended questions entirely in L2, whereas the L1 version contained reading passages in L2, but multiple-choice questions, options, and open-ended evaluative questions in L1. English proficiency of the targeted EFL learners were obtained from English examination scores in study one, and from administering the General English Proficiency Test Elementary, provided by the Language Training and Testing Center, in study two. Findings from both studies discovered the following: the confounding effects of testing with multiple-choice questions and options in L1 were not significant; EFL learners in both studies achieved significantly higher scores on all three dimensions of comprehension; the lower the English proficiency, the larger the effect size values of testing with questions in L1; effect size values of testing with L1 questions ranged from evaluative > inferential > literal comprehension; when English proficiency among participants of both studies were respectively divided into high, middle and low English proficiency groups, the effects of testing with L1 questions were found to be most significant on both inferential and evaluative comprehension dimensions among middle > low > high proficiency groups; open-ended evaluative questions that were provided in L1 and allowed L1 response were much more effective on capturing elementary level EFL learner’s true knowledge. Based on the findings in this dissertation, assessing English reading comprehension with questions provided in L1 seemed to better capture the true comprehension of EFL learners.