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Abstract
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Reading proficiency constitutes a fundamental academic skill in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts, particularly at the secondary school level where students are required to comprehend complex disciplinary texts and engage with academic discourse in English. Second-language (L2) reading is widely recognized as a multifaceted process involving linguistic knowledge, cognitive processing, strategic regulation, and contextual influences (Grabe & Jiang, 2018). Contemporary research increasingly emphasizes that successful reading in a second language depends not only on learners’ language competence but also on their ability to regulate comprehension strategically and to utilize available learning resources effectively (Woore et al., 2020). Among contextual determinants of learning, perceived social support has emerged as a significant predictor of academic engagement and achievement. Social support refers to learners’ perceptions of emotional, informational, and instrumental assistance provided by significant others such as teachers, peers, and family members (Affuso et al., 2023). Educational psychology research demonstrates that supportive interpersonal environments enhance learners’ self-efficacy, motivation, and academic performance (Mercer et al., 2011). Within language learning contexts, perceived teacher and peer support has been shown to foster engagement, persistence, and self-regulation in EFL and ESL learners (Bai et al., 2025; Gao et al., 2024). Recent empirical studies further indicate that social support contributes to English academic achievement and reading behavior indirectly through mediating variables such as foreign language emotions, academic self-concept, and reading confidence (Chen et al., 2025; Xu & Huang, 2021).
Despite this growing evidence, the mechanisms through which social support translates into L2 reading proficiency remain insufficiently specified. Theoretical perspectives grounded in social-cognitive theory suggest that enviro
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