Music and language: exploring the acoustic dimension of ESL silent reading comprehension through music perception, phonological awareness and auditory working memory

Thesis

A large body of research has explored the intersection of music and language but mostly focused on the area of first language (L1) acquisition in early childhood. The few studies on second language (L2) learning and music have mainly concentrated on listening and speaking skills (Jekiel & Malarski, 2021; Talamini et al., 2018). Therefore, this study aims to address this gap by investigating how music perception relates to L2 reading comprehension in terms of the acoustic dimension.

This study involves Chinese adult undergraduates who learn English as a second language (ESL). In a supervised classroom, 139 participants completed the background information questionnaire, music perception test, phonological awareness test, and auditory working memory test on electronic devices and took the English reading comprehension test with pen and paper. They were divided into three groups based on their past and present involvement in musical activities: no training, basic training, and advanced training. Quantitative data were analysed using a correlation matrix, multivariate analysis of variance, and partial least squares (PLS) modelling. Participants with basic and advanced musical training outperformed their untrained counterparts in phonological awareness. Specifically, musical training enhanced their ability to segment sounds in words and blend word parts. The auditory-based PLS model revealed that phonological awareness directly predicted L2 reading comprehension, and that music perception affected reading comprehension directly and indirectly through auditory working memory. Overall, variations in L2 silent reading comprehension are well explained by this model. A rigorous pilot study, sufficient sample size, diverse and reliable research tools, and advanced data analysis enhance the robustness and generalisability of the results.

This study offers valuable evidence to support further investigation into the effectiveness of music-related interventions for L2 reading. It holds considerable potential for both pedagogical and therapeutic applications. For instance, future research can explore the integration of musical elements into reading strategy instruction and the use of background music for treating reading disabilities.

Authors: Zhang, T

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-eoopk08eb
• Type of award: MSc taught course
• Level of award: Masters
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: quantitative research; music and language; acoustic factors of reading; L2 silent reading; ALSLA2024; ALSLA
• Subjects: Applied linguistics; Second language acquisition; Silent reading; Quantitative research; Music