Reading in English as a Second Language (L2): a study about how working memory capacity, reading habits, and self-assessed L2 proficiency are associated with comprehension

Autores/as

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17058/signo.v51i100.21091

Palabras clave:

L2 reading comprehension , workin memory capacity , reading habits, self-assessed proficiency

Resumen

This study examines how working memory capacity (WMC), reading habits, and self-assessed L2 proficiency relate to reading comprehension in L2 English. It aims to determine whether these variables influence overall L2 reading comprehension as well as reading comprehension of referential and inferential information. A total of 36 participants took part in the study: 29 undergraduate students of Letras Inglês at UFRGS and 7 independent learners. They completed three tasks: a Language History and Reading Habits Questionnaire, a Self-Applicable Reading Span Test, and a Reading Comprehension Task, which assessed understanding of both referential and inferential information. Spearman correlation analyses revealed a significant positive association between WMC and overall reading comprehension, and the understanding of both referential and inferential information, supporting previous findings (Daneman; Carpenter, 1980; Azevedo et al., 2022). Self-assessed proficiency also correlated positively with overall comprehension and with the understanding of both referential and inferential information, although the association with inferential comprehension was weaker. Interestingly, no significant correlation was found between reading habits and overall L2 reading comprehension, nor the comprehension of referential and inferential information, which may reflect self-reporting limitations (Cunningham; Stanovich, 2001; Hicks, 2023). These results suggest that cognitive and linguistic factors, particularly WMC, play a critical role in L2 reading performance.

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Biografía del autor/a

  • Laríssa Pacheco Machado, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul

    Mestranda em Psicolinguística no PPG Letras na Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) e Pós-graduanda em Mídias Integradas na Educação no Instituto Federal de Santa Catarina (IFSC)

  • Bruno de Azevedo, Instituto Federal de Santa Catarina

    Doutor em Inglês: Estudos Linguísticos e Literários pelo PPG em Inglês da Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC)

    Professor Efetivo do Ensino Básico, Técnico e Tecnológico no Instituto Federal de Santa Catarina (IFSC) Câmpus São José

  • Davi Alves Oliveira, Universidade do Estado da Bahia

    Doutor em Difusão do Conhecimento (PPGDC - UFBA, UNEB, IFBA, UEFS, LNCC, SENAI CIMATEC

    Professor Auxiliar da Universidade do Estado da Bahia, Departamento de Ciências Humanas – Campus IV, Jacobina, BA, Brasil

  • Ingrid Finger, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul

    Professora Titular do Departamento de Línguas Modernas da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), com vínculo permanente ao Programa de Pós-Graduação em Letras.

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Publicado

2026-02-25

Número

Vol. 51 Núm. 100 (2026): Leitura e Cognição: 20 Anos de Pesquisas

Sección

Artigos

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Cómo citar

Pacheco Machado, L. ., de Azevedo, B., Alves Oliveira, D., & Finger, I. (2026). Reading in English as a Second Language (L2): a study about how working memory capacity, reading habits, and self-assessed L2 proficiency are associated with comprehension. Signo, 51(100), 129-144. https://doi.org/10.17058/signo.v51i100.21091