TABLE V
Correlations Between
Multiple Choice Interference (MCI) Test
Scores And Informal Reading Inventory (IRI) ‑Comprehension
Scores And Specific Grammatical Structures
IV ‑ Results
The data was analyzed in different ways first in
terms of parts of speech that were affected by
interference, and then by type of structural change. In addition, a correlation
analysis as well as a regression analysis was performed. In both cases, interference
affected the reading comprehension of standard Spanish.
Table V shows the correlations between Multiple Choice Interference Test scores and Reading Comprehension Test scores for both total scores and specific grammatical structures. The correlation between Total Interference and Total Comprehension was ‑.48, which was statistically significant at the .01 level. This correlation demonstrates that greater interference is associated with poorer comprehension and thus supports the main hypothesis of this study.
This pattern of negative correlation between
interference and comprehension held true for all of the specific grammatical
structures with the exception of the substantive category. The negative
correlation between interference of additional part of the speech (one extra
word) and comprehension of additional part of the speech (one extra word) was
moderate (r = ‑.32) and significant at the .05 levels. Thus, greater
interference in additional part of the speech (one extra word) structures was
associated with lower comprehension of additional part of the speech (one
extra word) structures.
The correlations between comprehension of verbs and
word order structures and interference in verbs and word order structures were
in the expected direction, (r = ‑0.25 and r + ‑0.20, respectively),
but were not statistically significant. The correlation between comprehension
of substantives and interference of substantives was slightly positive, (r
=.09), but was not statistically significant.
Correlations Between
Multiple Choice Interference (MCI) Test
Table VI illustrates the correlation between
Multiple Choice Interference Test scores and Reading Comprehension (IRI), total
scores and specific grammatical structures. The first column of the table shows
the correlation between Total Comprehension Interference of verbs, word order,
additional part of the speech (one extra word), and substantives. All of these
correlations were negative, showing that total comprehension was related to
interference of specific grammatical structures. The two highest correlations
were those between Total Comprehension Interference on verbs, (r = ‑ .32
P <.01) and Total Comprehension Interference on additional part of the
speech (one extra word), (r s ‑ .31, P <.05).
Correlations Between
Multiple Choice Interference Tests
Scores And Informal Reading
Inventory Comprehension,
Other Grammatical Structures
Table VII presents the correlation between IRI
comprehension test and interference on other grammatical structures: lexical
change, morpheme change, one extra word, word order and major grammatical structural
change. All of the correlations, with the exception of lexical change, which
was almost zero, were in the expected negative direction.
Greater interference on the structures of morpheme
change, one extra word, word order and major structural change was associated
with lower reading comprehension scores and less interference on the structures
was associated with higher reading comprehension scores. The correlation with
the highest magnitude was the one between one extra word and reading
comprehension; (r = ‑.37, < ‑.05). The second highest
correlation was between morpheme change and comprehension; (r ‑ ‑.32,
< .05). The correlations between word order and comprehension and between
major structural arrange and comprehension were in the hypothesized direction
but were not statistically significant.
Correlations Between
Multiple Choice Interference (MCIT)
Scores (Total And Specific
Grammatical Structures)
And Spanish Cloze Reading
Levels
Table VIII illustrates the correlations between Spanish Cloze Test Reading Levels and Total Interference scores, and correlations between Cloze Test scores and Interference scores of Verbs, Word order, Additional Part of the Speech (One Extra Word), and Substantives. As can be seen from the table, the correlations were negative and small. None were statistically significant.
Correlations Between
Multiple Choice Interference (MCIT)
Scores (Total Scores and
Specific Grammatical Structures)
And LAS Oral English Scores
In Table IX are shown the correlations between LAS
English oral test scores, total interference scores, and interference scores of
Verbs, Word Order, Additional Part of the Speech, (One Extra Word), and
Substantives. As can be seen from Table IX, the correlations were not
statistically significant.
Correlations Among Informal
Reading Inventory ‑
Comprehension 'Multiple
Choice Interference Test,
Table X provides correlations among Reading
Comprehension (IRI) Multiple Choice Interference Test, Age, English Oral Level
and Cloze Spanish Reading Level. The top row of this table is of particular
interest because it shows the relationship between reading comprehension and
the other major variables of this study. An examination of the table reveals
that the variable most strongly correlated with reading comprehension is the
multiple choice interference test (r = ‑.48, P< .01).
Another variable correlated with Reading
Comprehension is English Oral Level, (r =.37, P<.05). Thus, higher English
oral level is associated with better Spanish reading comprehension.
The above table indicates that 237 of Reading Comprehension are explained by Interference. Also indicated is that 12% of English Oral Scores can be explained by Cloze Test Scores.
Table XI shows the Multiple Regression Analysis
Using Total Reading Comprehension as the dependent variable and Cloze, LAS and
Total Interference as predictor variables. Included in the table are the Multiple
R, Multiple R2, the difference in the R2 and the F‑value for the R2 change. The
table shows that the R increased from .38 to .58 when Total Interference was
added to the regression equation as a predictor variable. The F‑value for
the R2 change associated with Interference was highly significant, (F <.01).
This finding supports the hypothesis that Interference is an important
predictor of reading comprehension.
The regression analysis was performed using a method
of hierarchal inclusion. First the Cloze results were entered to examine the
effects of one's knowledge of structure of text as it related to the total
comprehension score. Second, the scores on the LAS were included. Finally, the
total interference score was entered to examine the effects of interference on
total comprehension scores having considered one's level in the Cloze and LAS.
The results indicate that interference was the variable most strongly
correlated with reading comprehension.
Summary of Multiple Regression Analysis:
Cloze, LAS and Total
Interference as Predictors
Table XII shows the Multiple Regression Analysis
using Total Reading Comprehension as the dependent variable and Cloze, LAS and
Interference subscales as predictor variables. The table includes the Multiple
R, Multiple R2, the difference in R2 and the F‑value for the R2 change. The table shows
that R increased from .38 to .50 when morpheme change was added to the
regression equation. The R2 change for morpheme change
had an F of 3.84, which approached significance (P<.06). This finding
suggests that morpheme change is an important predictor of reading
comprehension. Two other subscales, extra word and lexical change, were also
allowed to enter the regression equation. However, the F‑values
associated with their R2 change were not statistically significant.
Summary of Multiple Regression
Analysis:
