The relative contributions of phonological, morphological, and orthographic awareness to word decoding in Chinese as a second language

Decoding ability plays a fundamental role in reading acquisition and development. It is generally agreed in the literature that decoding is influenced by the ability to represent and manipulate linguistic components. Although extensive research has examined individual aspects of phonological, morphological, and orthographic awareness in Chinese acquisition, few empirical studies have simultaneously investigated the interrelationships among these three types of awareness and their combined contributions to decoding ability. The present study aimed to explore the differential effects of phonological, morphological, and orthographic awareness on decoding performance in Chinese as a second language. A total of 71 elementary-level (average vocabulary size of 1979 words) L2 Chinese learners completed four computer-based tests. Correlation and hierarchical regression analyses revealed two key findings: (1) Morphological awareness and orthographic awareness were significantly correlated with decoding ability, whereas phonological awareness did not exhibit a significant correlation with decoding ability. (2) After controlling for native language, morphological awareness, and orthographic awareness, decoding ability was independently influenced. Specifically, morphological awareness accounted for 7.3% of the variance in decoding, while orthographic awareness explained 7.7% of the variance in decoding. The findings suggest that Chinese language instruction should emphasize the development of morphological and orthographic awareness through structured activities, which can effectively enhance learners’ decoding abilities and overall literacy skills in Chinese.