Early reading profiles of L2 English learners: how orthographic knowledge predicts reading comprehension

ABSTRACT This study examined the nature of orthographic knowledge in second langauge (L2) literacy acquisition among Chinese young readers of English as a foreign language (EFL). One hundred and four third-grade Chinese EFL children participated in this study and they completed a battery of reading measures, including phonological awareness, orthographic knowledge, vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension. Drawing upon hierarchical regression and path analysis, the study found that orthographic knowledge and vocabulary knowledge explained a unique proportion of variance in L2 English reading comprehension after phonological awareness was accounted for. It was also observed that vocabulary knowledge had a mediating effect on both orthographic knowledge and reading comprehension, whereas phonological awareness did not induce mediating patterns. These findings substantiate the unique contribution of orthographic knowledge to L2 English reading comprehension, and provide empirical evidence for the current models of reading for young L2 English readers.