The Influence of English Language Experience and Motivation on College Students’ Reading Vocabulary Assessment Performance

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Abstract

Students learning English often face challenges in high-stakes assessments for college-course placement. This study explores the influence of motivation, specifically self-reported reading confidence and enjoyment, and exposure to English (i.e., native English speaker or exposed to English later in life), on college students’ reading vocabulary assessment performance. Later English speakers with lower motivation exhibited the lowest performance on lower-frequency words; however, those with higher motivation performed similarly to their native English-speaking peers. Later English speakers with higher motivation had similar years of English exposure as their less motivated peers, but exhibited more years in college. These results emphasize the importance of incorporating motivational measures into educational assessments to ensure accurate placement decisions for students with diverse linguistic backgrounds.

Authors

• Gal Kaldes, Georgia State University

• Jason Braasch, Georgia State University

• Erica Kessler, University of Memphis