What relationships do the efficiencies of phonological coding and lexical access have with reading comprehension for Japanese learners of English?

This study examined the relationships between the efficiencies of phonological coding and lexical access of written words and reading comprehension for Japanese senior high school students of English. The primary objective was to verify the speculations on how oral reading practice helps to develop reading comprehension skills: (a) it improves the efficiency of phonological coding; and (b) it enhances the efficiency of lexical access. The efficiencies of phonological coding and lexical access were measured as the articulating speed of written words and as Stroop interference (Stroop, 1935) respectively. The results showed that there was a significant relationship between the efficiency of phonological coding and reading comprehension, which supported speculation (a), but that there was no significant relationship between the efficiency of lexical access and reading comprehension, which refuted speculation (b). Some pedagogical implications were also suggested.

This is the institute's copy, as published in Annual Review of English Language Education in Japan, Mar 2004, Volume 15, Pages 159-168.