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Determinants of L2 English Reading Proficiency among Thai Learners of English in Tertiary Education: A Multicomponent Perspective

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Title: Determinants of L2 English Reading Proficiency among Thai Learners of English in Tertiary Education: A Multicomponent Perspective
Language: English
Authors: A. J. Benjamin Clarke
Source: LEARN Journal: Language Education and Acquisition Research Network. 2025 18(1):640-672.
Availability: Language Institute of Thammasat University. The Prachan Campus, 2 Prachan Road, Bangkok 10200 Thailand. e-mail: learnjournal@gmail.com; Web site: https://www.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/learn
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 33
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Reading Comprehension, English (Second Language), Second Language Instruction, Second Language Learning, Reading Fluency, Language Tests, Vocabulary Skills, Grammar, College Students, Listening Comprehension, Language Proficiency, Factor Analysis, Foreign Countries, Reading Rate, Decoding (Reading), Student Motivation, Student Attitudes, Student Characteristics
Geographic Terms: Thailand
ISSN: 2630-0672
2672-9431
Abstract: Multicomponent perspectives on second language reading proficiency offer a contemporary understanding of reading and its development (e.g., Yamashita, 2022). In this web-based experiment, we investigated the relationship among L2 reading proficiency measures--reading comprehension, listening comprehension, reading fluency--and component reading skills in English, assessed through tests of vocabulary, grammar, and orthographic knowledge. A sample of 101 L2 learners from a Thai university participated, providing demographic and language background information and completing a survey regarding their motivation to perform well. As expected, reading and listening comprehension were strongly correlated. Moreover, a three-factor model emerged, with word-decoding skills, linguistic comprehension, and word-processing speed as latent constructs explaining just over half of the overall variance in L2 reading proficiency. Notably, component skills in English contributed more significantly to individual variability in reading and listening comprehension than to reading fluency. These findings suggest that while both comprehension and fluency are important facets of reading proficiency, a different set of skills may underlie reading fluency in a second language. The findings are discussed in relation to current theories of reading proficiency, with implications for L2 reading instruction considered.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1471026
Database: ERIC
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  Data: Determinants of L2 English Reading Proficiency among Thai Learners of English in Tertiary Education: A Multicomponent Perspective
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  Data: Language Institute of Thammasat University. The Prachan Campus, 2 Prachan Road, Bangkok 10200 Thailand. e-mail: learnjournal@gmail.com; Web site: https://www.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/learn
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  Data: 2630-0672<br />2672-9431
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  Label: Abstract
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  Data: Multicomponent perspectives on second language reading proficiency offer a contemporary understanding of reading and its development (e.g., Yamashita, 2022). In this web-based experiment, we investigated the relationship among L2 reading proficiency measures--reading comprehension, listening comprehension, reading fluency--and component reading skills in English, assessed through tests of vocabulary, grammar, and orthographic knowledge. A sample of 101 L2 learners from a Thai university participated, providing demographic and language background information and completing a survey regarding their motivation to perform well. As expected, reading and listening comprehension were strongly correlated. Moreover, a three-factor model emerged, with word-decoding skills, linguistic comprehension, and word-processing speed as latent constructs explaining just over half of the overall variance in L2 reading proficiency. Notably, component skills in English contributed more significantly to individual variability in reading and listening comprehension than to reading fluency. These findings suggest that while both comprehension and fluency are important facets of reading proficiency, a different set of skills may underlie reading fluency in a second language. The findings are discussed in relation to current theories of reading proficiency, with implications for L2 reading instruction considered.
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      – Text: English
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        PageCount: 33
        StartPage: 640
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Reading Comprehension
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: English (Second Language)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Second Language Instruction
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Second Language Learning
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Reading Fluency
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Language Tests
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Vocabulary Skills
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      – SubjectFull: Grammar
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: College Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Listening Comprehension
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      – SubjectFull: Language Proficiency
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      – SubjectFull: Factor Analysis
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      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
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      – SubjectFull: Reading Rate
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      – SubjectFull: Decoding (Reading)
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      – SubjectFull: Student Motivation
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      – SubjectFull: Student Characteristics
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      – SubjectFull: Thailand
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      – TitleFull: Determinants of L2 English Reading Proficiency among Thai Learners of English in Tertiary Education: A Multicomponent Perspective
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