The Correlation between Japanese EFL Learners' L1 and L2 Reading Performance

Abstract

This paper is an attempt mainly to investigate how L1 reading ability can contribute to L2 reading comprehension according to L2 language proficiency and to explore the reading process of Japanese EFL (English as a foreign language) learners. Three hypotheses were tested: (a) L1 reading ability is correlated with L2 reading ability. (b) L1 reading ability can transfer to L2 reading ability as L2 language proficiency becomes higher. (c) A certain threshold exists in Japanese EFL learners at the high school level. The participants were 186 3rd-year high school students who have been studying English for nearly six years in Japan. This experiment was conducted employing SVT (Sentence Verification Technique) test. Scores from SVT measures were subjected to correlational analysis. The results indicate that there seems to be no evident correlation between Japanese EFL learners' English and Japanese in reading performance.