[en] Reading fluency is the benchmark of reading proficiency in monolingual educational settings, however when we explore what happens to adult students learning a second language, this relationship between reading fluency and reading comprehension seems to be not so strong. Readers who decode well but are weak in reading comprehension are often referred to as word callers. Weak comprehension skills has been attributed to several factors: poor working memory, lack of background knowledge, weak L2 linguistic competence. In any case, when we carry out an analysis of adult reader's reading competence we usually find a similar result, as if it were a kind of a reading disability called hyperlexia. This is the most prevalent L2 reader's profile, which consists of fluent decoding without construction of meaning, or weak listening comprehension skills. As the most of the reading life passes in silence and, in this vein, silent reading fluency is considered the primary reading mode of proficient readers, this doctoral dissertation is aimed to increase knowledge about the acoustic dimension of silent reading fluency, from the analysis of some linguistic and extralinguistic variables in order to detect university students' profiles with reading difficulties in Spanish language learning. Fluent reading in a foreign language is a complex cognitive process which involves the automatic coordination of naturally visual and auditory skills, where a great number of variables are interacting. In spite of the fact that silent reading fluency is the adulthood competent reading way, many previous studies have been conducted on the oral reading fluency of adults who learn a second language while the research on silent reading fluency and its underlying components remains to be scarce or inconclusive. This doctoral dissertation presents the conclusions of previous literature review and the results of three experimental studies published in different scientific journals. A total of 164 participants participated in these studies: 47 were Spanish students learning English and 117 were Italian students learning Spanish as a foreign language. In addition to reading skills as phonological awareness and the ability of recognizing words in context during silent reading, in theses studies cognitive and musical skills were included in order to explore if certain auditory abilities of adult readers, as their musical aptitude and their auditory working memory, could be specially relevant to understand the L2 silent reading fluency development. The results of the experimental studies show strong correlations between reading skills and cognitive and musical variables. This fact helps to understand that individual differences in silent reading fluency development in adult students of Spanish language could be explained for differences in auditory skills , and therefore the acoustic profile of L2 readers, regarding musical aptitude that they obtain from their previous auditory experience.

[es] La fluidez lectora en una lengua extranjera es un proceso cognitivo complejo que implica la coordinación automática de mecanismos de naturaleza visual y auditiva, en los que intervienen multitud de variables. Muchos estudios han abordado la relación entre fluidez lectora oral y comprensión lectora en lengua materna (L1) y en segundas lenguas (L2). Sin embargo, siendo la lectura fluida silenciosa el modo de lectura competente en edad adulta, la investigación sobre su naturaleza y la identificación de los problemas lectores relacionados con la fluidez en estudiantes universitarios, que aprenden español como L2, continúa siendo escasa. Esta disertación doctoral tiene por objetivo expandir el conocimiento sobre la dimensión acústica de la fluidez lectora silenciosa en L2, para identificar los problemas de los lectores a partir del análisis de factores como la aptitud musical, la conciencia fonológica y la memoria de trabajo auditiva. En los estudios científicos que comprenden esta tesis por compendio participaron 164 estudiantes universitarios, de los cuales 47 eran estudiantes españoles aprendiendo inglés y 117 eran estudiantes italianos aprendiendo español como lengua extranjera. Las habilidades lectoras, cognitivas y musicales de los aprendientes fueron evaluadas para averiguar si la aptitud musical del lector adulto puede ser especialmente relevante, a la hora de comprender el desarrollo de la fluidez lectora silenciosa en una L2. Los resultados de los estudios experimentales muestran la existencia de fuertes correlaciones entre las destrezas lectoras, las variables cognitivas y las musicales. Estos hallazgos implican que las diferencias en fluidez lectora silenciosa y la detección de los perfiles de estudiantes de español como L2 con problemas en la lectura pueden considerarse desde la relación que mantiene la fluidez lectora silenciosa con la dimensión acústica de la vi lectura, la memoria de trabajo y otras experiencias auditivas como la aptitud musical.