Components of Reading Comprehension in Learners of English as a Foreign Language

Purpose The Componential Model of Reading posits that cognitive, psychological, and ecological domains all contribute to understanding of reading comprehension. This study aimed to examine the reading comprehension performance of Chinese students who learn English as a foreign language (EFL) in terms of cognitive, psychological, and ecological factors simultaneously.Method Participants were 210 Grade 6 Chinese EFL students whose first language is Mandarin (51% boys; M age = 11.53, SD = .58). The cognitive domain was measured by English decoding, vocabulary, and listening comprehension; the psychological domain was measured by English reading motivation, reading attitude, and learning behavior; the ecological domain was indicated by frequency of different home literacy activities.Results Structural equation modeling showed a direct contribution of the cognitive domain to reading comprehension, whereas the psychological and ecological domains exerted indirect influences. More specifically, the contribution of the psychological domain to reading comprehension was fully mediated via the cognitive domain. The contribution of the ecological domain to reading comprehension was fully mediated via the psychological and cognitive domains.Conclusion These findings expand the reading literature among Chinese EFL learners by highlighting the multi-component contribution to reading comprehension beyond the cognitive domain.