| Author: | Zheng, Shuyan |
| Title: | Second language reading emotions : predictive effects on comprehension via cognitive-conative mediation |
| Advisors: | Rogers, John (ENGL) Li, Shaofeng (ENGL) |
| Degree: | DALS |
| Year: | 2025 |
| Subject: | Reading, Psychology of Second language acquisition -- Psychological aspects Reading comprehension English language -- Study and teaching -- Chinese speakers Hong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertations |
| Department: | Faculty of Humanities |
| Pages: | xiii, 305 pages : color illustrations |
| Language: | English |
| Abstract: | This thesis investigates second language reading emotions and their correlates through the lens of the Control-Value Theory (CVT) among 1,919 Chinese secondary school students learning English as a foreign language (EFL). Through a mixed-methods approach comprising two interconnected studies, the research addresses two gaps: the lack of a validated instrument for measuring reading boredom and the limited empirical exploration of the interplay of cognition, conation, and emotions in second language (L2) reading. Study 1 lays the foundation by conceptualizing and measuring foreign language reading boredom. Drawing on the CVT, the study developed and validated the 14-item Foreign Language Reading Boredom Scale (FLRBS) using an exploratory sequential design with 1,516 participants. The scale revealed a robust four-factor structure—under-challenge, over-challenge, value-related, and trait reading boredom—providing a critical measurement tool for further investigations into L2 reading emotions. Utilizing the FLRBS as well as relevant instruments, Study 2 examines the relationships among cognitive (working memory), conative (reading motivation), and affective variables (reading anxiety, reading boredom, and reading enjoyment) and their links to foreign language reading comprehension among 403 EFL seventh graders. Correlation analyses revealed that reading anxiety, reading motivation, and reading enjoyment demonstrated the strongest associations with reading comprehension, while working memory and reading boredom showed only modest correlations. While all the other variables correlate with each other, working memory did not significantly correlate with reading enjoyment. Reading anxiety significantly had negative predictive effect on reading comprehension while reading motivation significantly had positive predictive effect on reading comprehension. Mediation analyses using structural equation modeling partially supported the cognitive-motivational model of the CVT, demonstrating that reading motivation significantly mediated the relationship between reading enjoyment and reading comprehension while working memory did not function as a mediator when controlling for prior L2 reading comprehension. This research contributes to both theoretical understanding and practical applications in L2 reading by: (1) providing a valid and reliable tool for quantifying reading boredom; (2) validating the CVT in L2 reading contexts; (3) advancing existing L2 reading models to incorporate affective and conative dimensions. The findings also offer valuable pedagogical implications for L2 reading instruction and emotion regulation in EFL contexts, particularly for younger adolescent learners—a relatively understudied population in L2 reading research. |
| Rights: | All rights reserved |
| Access: | restricted access |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8791.pdf | For All Users (off-campus access for PolyU Staff & Students only) | 4.83 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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