Research into second language (L2) reading is an exponentially growing field. Yet, it still has a relatively short supply of comparable, ecologically valid data from readers representing a variety of first languages (L1). This article addresses this need by presenting a new data resource called MECO L2 (Multilingual Eye Movements Corpus), a rich behavioral eye-tracking record of text reading in English as an L2 among 543 university student speakers of 12 different L1s. MECO L2 includes a test battery of component skills of reading and allows for a comparison of the participants’ reading performance in their L1 and L2. This data resource enables innovative large-scale cross-sample analyses of predictors of L2 reading fluency and comprehension. We first introduce the design and structure of the MECO L2 resource, along with reliability estimates and basic descriptive analyses. Then, we illustrate the utility of MECO L2 by quantifying contributions of four sources to variability in L2 reading proficiency proposed in prior literature: reading fluency and comprehension in L1, proficiency in L2 component skills of reading, extralinguistic factors, and the L1 of the readers. Major findings included (a) a fundamental contrast between the determinants of L2 reading fluency versus comprehension accuracy, and (b) high within-participant consistency in the real-time strategy of reading in L1 and L2. We conclude by reviewing the implications of these findings to theories of L2 acquisition and outline further directions in which the new data resource may support L2 reading research.

对第二语言 (L2) 阅读的研究是一个呈指数增长的领域。然而，它仍然缺乏来自代表各种第一语言 (L1) 的读者的可比较的、生态上有效的数据。本文通过介绍一种名为MECO L2的新数据资源来满足这一需求（多语言眼动语料库），一个丰富的行为眼动追踪记录，在 543 名大学学生的 12 个不同的 L1 中，以英语作为 L2 阅读文本。MECO L2 包括一组阅读组件技能测试，并允许比较参与者在 L1 和 L2 中的阅读表现。该数据资源支持对二语阅读流畅度和理解力的预测因子进行创新的大规模交叉样本分析。我们首先介绍 MECO L2 资源的设计和结构，以及可靠性估计和基本描述性分析。然后，我们通过量化先前文献中提出的 L2 阅读能力的四个来源对可变性的贡献来说明 MECO L2 的效用：L1 的阅读流畅性和理解力、L2 组件阅读技能的熟练程度、语言外因素、和读者的L1。主要发现包括 (a) L2 阅读流利度的决定因素与理解准确性之间的基本对比，以及 (b) L1 和 L2 实时阅读策略中参与者内部的高度一致性。最后，我们回顾了这些发现对二语习得理论的影响，并概述了新数据资源可能支持二语阅读研究的进一步方向。