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Volume 6-1 March 2010. | home |
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Title
The Contribution of Perceptual, Linguistic, and Cognitive Processing
Skills to Early EFL Reading Development
Authors
Mahmood Reza Atai (Ph.D.)
Tehran Tarbiat Moallem University, Iran
Mahbobeh Saberi (M.A.)
Tehran Tarbiat Moallem University, Iran
Bio Data
Mahmood Reza Atai is associate professor of TEFL at Tehran Tarbiat Moallem
University. His research interests include ESP, task based language teaching, and teacher
education. He has published articles on EAP reading comprehension issues and three
EAP textbooks for Iranian university students.
Mahbobeh Saberi is an EFL instructor. She completed her MA in TEFL at Tarbiat
Moallem University, Tehran, Iran. Her research interests are reading comprehension and
vocabulary instruction to elementary learners.
Abstract
This paper reports the results of a study which investigated the underlying
traits of word recognition skills and probed their validity as predictors of
reading ability. Employing an ex post facto design, we selected 63 female
students from a larger sample comprising 260 third grade junior high school
students. In addition to a proficiency exam and reading comprehension test
batteries, the subjects took a number of tests developed to measure their
perceptual, linguistic, and cognitive processing skills. Moreover, to assess
their word recognition skills, some word naming tasks were administered to
them individually. The results of factor analyses demonstrated that word
reading ability consists of four major skills: ‘General Word Analysis’,‘Phonological Processing’, ‘Visual Memory’, and ‘Visual Perception’.
Multiple regression analyses revealed that word recognition was the best
predictor of general proficiency and that general proficiency and word recognition together accounted for 71% of the variance in reading
comprehension. Finally, implications of the findings for teaching
vocabulary and reading to elementary EFL learners are presented.
Key words: Orthographic processing, Phonological awareness, Visual
Perception, Word recognition, Working memory
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