Reading Comprehension in French L2/L3 Learners: Does Syntactic Awareness Matter?

• DOI: 10.3390/languages7030211
• Publication Date: 2022-08-10T06:42:53Z
• Authors: Juwairia Sohail; Kathleen Hipfner-...; Hélène Deacon; Xi Chen
• Keywords: French immersion

This study examines the contributions of syntactic awareness to reading comprehension, both within and across languages, in third-grade children learning French as a second (L2) or third language (L3). Participants were 72 non-francophone enrolled Canadian immersion program which all academic instruction is French. Children completed measures awareness, word reading, vocabulary, reading-related control variables English Regression analyses examining within-language relations revealed that made significant unique contribution comprehension after controlling for nonverbal reasoning, status (French either L2 L3), vocabulary. Furthermore, contributed languages accounting controls (word awareness) addition reasoning status. In sharp contrast, no aforementioned controls. These findings add theoretical models by highlighting importance supporting bilingual children’s comprehension.