Investigating the relationships between second language test takers' strategy use and reading performance on Chinese proficiency tests

Abstract

This study examines second language (L2) test takers’ cognitive, metacognitive, and affective strategy use and its relationship to Chinese reading test performance, within the context of international students taking Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK) in mainland China. Using a quantitative approach, the study explores whether and how L2 test takers’ strategy use affected their reading test performance, using a strategy use questionnaire and a HSK Level 5 reading subtest. Based on data collected from 706 L2 test takers who were learning Chinese in universities in mainland China, results from item-level exploratory factor analysis indicate that L2 test takers demonstrated three categories of cognitive strategy use (i.e., comprehending, memory, and retrieval), three categories of metacognitive strategy use (i.e., planning, monitoring, and evaluating), and two categories of affective strategy use (i.e., generating and maintaining motivation and activating supportive emotions). Their Chinese reading test performance was explained by two underlying factors, through item-level confirmatory factor analysis (literal comprehension ability, and inferential comprehension ability), which supports the reading test objectives of HSK. Structural equation modeling results reveal that only cognitive strategy use had a direct and significantly positive effect on literal comprehension ability. Affective strategy use had an indirect and significantly positive effect on literal comprehension ability, mediated by cognitive and metacognitive strategy use, while metacognitive strategy use had an indirect and significantly positive effect on literal comprehension ability, through the mediation of cognitive strategy use. All strategy use categories had indirect and significantly positive effects on inferential comprehension ability. No group differences were found for the relationship between strategy use and reading test performance across low- and high-ability test takers. However, cognitive strategy use had a significantly positive effect on literal comprehension ability only in the high-ability group; its impact on the low-ability group’s literal comprehension ability was not significant. Testing the models between L2 test takers’ strategy use and reading test performance contributes to the knowledge of factors that influence L2 test performance. The implications of the study specify the importance of understanding L2 test takers’ characteristics, especially their affective strategy use, in the reading test context, and the significance of integrating strategy instruction into L2 Chinese classroom teaching and learning.