The Effects of Context, Voice, and Vowelization on the Word Recognition Speed, Accuracy, and Comprehension of L2 Arabic Readers at Different

The present study focuses on the effects of context, grammatical voice (hereafter, voice), and vowelization on the word recognition of L2 Arabic readers at different proficiency levels. It examined the role of different context and voice conditions and different types (amounts) of vowelization usage in Arabic word recognition and their effects on L2 Arabic learners word decoding speed, accuracy, and comprehension at different stages of L2 Arabic acquisition. The study used Arabic verbs whose active and passive forms are heterophonic homographs, that is, forms that differ in their pronunciation, while their letter orthography in the Arabic writing system remains identical. The use of different contexts and voice conditions and different types of vowelization with such verbs provides important insights about the role of context, voice, and vowelization in L2 Arabic reading. Forty-eight English-speaking L2 learners of Arabic were recruited to perform two tasks: 1) reading aloud Arabic verbs that are differently vowelized (fully, partially, and non-vowelized) with and without context, and 2) selecting their correct meaning. Participants were also interviewed to answer a few questions about their thoughts and preferences regarding the use of vowelization in Arabic. The findings of this study showed that while context had no effect on the reading speed and accuracy of all proficiency groups, it enhanced their reading comprehension. The study also showed that voice greatly affected the reading speed, accuracy, and comprehension of all groups of L2 Arabic readers. Partially vowelized and unvowelized active verbs were read faster and more accurately and were understood better than were passive verbs. Lastly, the study findings showed that vowelization improved the reading speed, accuracy, and comprehension of all groups of L2 Arabic readers. Particularly, partial vowelization was found very beneficial for the accuracy and comprehension of L2 Arabic readers. The theoretical and practical implications of the studys findings are discussed in light of recent research on L2 Arabic word recognition.