This paper attempts to determine the extent to which variation in English reading ability exists among students from northern, central, and southern Taiwan. Examined as well are the possible patterns of differences among students from these regions as delineated through reading grade equivalents (GE). The subjects, 344 freshmen enrolled at a medical university in central Taiwan, were selected to represent two ability groups: high-ability (HA) and high-intermediate ability (HIA). The participants in either group were sorted into the three regions in accordance with the high schools from which they graduated. Used as the measure was the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Tests (GMRT) - Level 7/9, Form S, the Fourth Edition, a norm-referenced group survey reading test developed for American students from preprimer to twelfth grade. Comparisons of the mean scores revealed the same pattern of differences in either ability group: Center > North > South. The ANOVA analyses, however, revealed no significant differences among the HA groups, F (2, 188) = 0.7140, p > 0.1 and among the HIA groups, F (2, 150) = 0.7548, p > 0.1. Analyses of grade distributions by percentage revealed that among the subjects who scored within the high school range, this pattern was observed in both ability groups: Center > North > South. Among the subjects who scored within the elementary school range, this pattern was found in the HA group: South > Center > North; while a different pattern was observed in the HIA group: South > North > Center. The paper ends with explanations of the possible causative factors and concludes with some suggestions for further studies.
This paper attempts to determine the extent to which variation in English reading ability exists among students from northern, central, and southern Taiwan. Examined as well are the possible patterns of differences among students from these regions as delineated through reading grade equivalents (GE). The subjects, 344 freshmen enrolled at a medical university in central Taiwan, were selected to represent two ability groups: high-ability (HA) and high-intermediate ability (HIA). The participants in either group were sorted into the three regions in accordance with the high schools from which they graduated. Used as the measure was the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Tests (GMRT) - Level 7/9, Form S, the Fourth Edition, a norm-referenced group survey reading test developed for American students from preprimer to twelfth grade. Comparisons of the mean scores revealed the same pattern of differences in either ability group: Center > North > South. The ANOVA analyses, however, revealed no significant differences among the HA groups, F (2, 188) = 0.7140, p > 0.1 and among the HIA groups, F (2, 150) = 0.7548, p > 0.1. Analyses of grade distributions by percentage revealed that among the subjects who scored within the high school range, this pattern was observed in both ability groups: Center > North > South. Among the subjects who scored within the elementary school range, this pattern was found in the HA group: South > Center > North; while a different pattern was observed in the HIA group: South > North > Center. The paper ends with explanations of the possible causative factors and concludes with some suggestions for further studies.