Direct And Indirect Effects Of Morphological Awareness On Reading Comprehension Of Chinese EFL Learners In Senior High Schools

Morphological awareness (MA) plays an important role in English reading comprehension. Evidence for the contribution of morphological awareness to reading comprehension comes predominantly from the English learners of alphabetic language background. However, limited research has so far been conducted in Chinese EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners, whose mother tongue is a non-alphabetic language. With the joint effects of first language (L1) experience and unfavorable English learning environment, the contribution of morphological awareness features its uniqueness in English learning among Chinese EFL learners. As to Chinese EFL learners in senior high school, their second language (L2) proficiency has not reached mastery yet and their English learning is still influenced by mother language. So in this transitory stage from low-level to high-level, their morphological awareness also has its specific role in reading comprehension. In addition, reading is a language-based skill. Morphological awareness, as a linguistic processing skill, may contribute to reading comprehension in different manners. Apart from direct effect, morphological awareness may feed into lexical level skills, like word decoding and vocabulary knowledge, that in turn leads to efficient reading comprehension. Based on the simple view of reading, the current study probed into the direct and indirect effects of morphological awareness on reading comprehension of Chinese EFL learners in senior high school. A sample of 115 subjects participated in a battery of nine tests. With the employment of structural equation modeling (SEM), three theoretical models were constructed:a comprehensive model (including all four interested variables) and two submodels (vocabulary knowledge or word decoding was included as the single mediator in the morphological awareness-reading relationship). Results indicated that morphological awareness made unique contribution to reading comprehension in the comprehensive model and two submodels, adjusting for vocabulary knowledge and word decoding. Both indirect effects of morphological awareness to reading comprehension via vocabulary knowledge or word decoding were manifested in the comprehensive model and the submodel. As the first approach with the Chinese EFL learners in senior high school as subjects, the findings highlighted the importance of morphological awareness. With the previous research, the findings revealed the dynamic process of change concerning the morphological awareness-reading relationship in Chinese EFL learners. Besides, the implication for reading instruction was provided.