READING IN A SECOND LANGUAGE: PROCESS, PRODUCT AND PRACTICE. Sandy Urquhart and Cyril Weir. New York: Longman, 1998. Pp. xvi + 346. £15.99 paper.

2000 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 590-592
Author(s):  
Yoshiko Mori

This book addresses issues of major concern among researchers and practitioners of second language (L2) reading, including theory of reading, testing of reading comprehension, L2 reading instruction, and methodological issues in L2 reading research. The book not only critically examines reading theories, previous studies, and conventional practice in teaching and testing, but also provides valuable insights into new forms of testing and teaching materials for L2 readers.

1969 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carrie Hill

This paper looks at English-as-an-additional-language (EAL) reading research and the implications it has for teachers. In particular, research focusing on second language (L2) reading comprehension is reviewed, deficiencies noted, and teaching methods reviewed.


2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Madoda Cekiso

The aim of this study was to examine the reading strategies used by Grade 11 English Second Language (ESL) learners and the possible effects of reading instruction on their reading comprehension and strategy awareness. A quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test control group design was used. The participants included a total of 60 Grade 11 learners from a high school. The results of this study indicate that (1) learners who received reading strategy instruction scored both statistically and practically significantly higher marks on the reading comprehension test than those in the control group and (2) explicit instruction in the use of reading strategies was essential to bring about the increased use of reading strategies of learners in the experimental group. The study has implications for learners, teachers, university students and lecturers.


2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 88
Author(s):  
Khalid Al-Seghayer

This study examines the effects of an electronic reading environment’s structure on second language (L2) reading comprehension. In particular, this study explores whether clarifying the underlying structure of an electronic text, along with the ways in which its units or nodes are organized and interrelated results in better comprehension as well as whether L2 reading proficiency affects the comprehension of electronic text. In this study, 40 English as a second language (ESL) learners, grouped into proficient and less-proficient groups based on their scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language’s (TOEFL’s) Reading section, were asked to read two electronic texts using computerized programs classified as either “well structured” or “less structured.” To assess the efficacy of each type of reading environment, two tests—a multiple-choice test and a mapping of main ideas and details (MOMID) test—were developed and administered to the participants after they read each text. The results of these tests were analyzed using a paired-samples t-test and a two-way (proficiency level by computerized reading program) mixed-model analysis of variance (ANOVA). The findings revealed that well-structured electronic texts can aid ESL readers in developing a more coherent mental representation of the electronic texts’ content, thereby increasing their reading comprehension. Furthermore, well-structured electronic texts are more helpful for less-proficient readers than for more-proficient readers. These findings have significant pedagogical and technological implications for L2 reading instructors and instructional designers.


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 873-900
Author(s):  
Jihye Shin

AbstractDespite the increasing attention paid to the role of working memory in reading, findings and measurement of working memory have been inconsistent. The current meta-analysis aims to provide a quantitative description of the overall relationship between second language (L2) reading comprehension and working memory measured through reading span task and identify methodological features that moderate this relationship. Following a comprehensive search, 25 primary studies (23 peer-reviewed studies and 2 dissertations) were included comprising 37 unique samples (N = 2,682), all of which were coded for substantive and methodological features. The results showed that (a) there is a moderate relationship between L2 reading comprehension and working memory (r = .30), (b) reading span task features such as the scoring procedure, task language, and final word recall order moderate this relationship, and (c) the degree to which working memory’s involvement in L2 reading comprehension may vary depending on the type of reading tasks at hand. Implications are discussed in terms of conceptualization and measurement of working memory. Future directions are also offered in relation to measurement practices to encourage consistency and to improve our understanding of the link between working memory and L2 reading comprehension.


2005 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emine Erktin ◽  
Ayse Akyel

Abstract Mathematics educators are concerned about students’ lack of ability to translate mathematical word problems into computable forms. Researchers argue that linguistic problems lie at the root of students’ difficulties with mathematical word problems. The issue becomes more complicated for bilingual students. It is argued that if students study mathematics in a second language they cannot be as successful as when they study in their first language. This study investigates the relationship between reading comprehension and performance on mathematics word problems in L1 and L2 for students learning English as a second language in a delayed partial immersion program. Data were collected from 250 Turkish students from Grade 8 of a private school in Istanbul through reading comprehension tests in L1 and L2 and an algebra word problems test prepared in L1 and L2. The results indicate a positive relationship between reading comprehension and mathematics performance. They also show that the students who participated in this study were not disadvantaged when they studied mathematics in English.


Author(s):  
Lance R. Askildson

This paper provides a comprehensive review of the present state of second language reading research and computer-assisted glossing for reading comprehension and vocabulary acquisition. Although computer-assisted language learning, in general, and computer-assisted glossing, in particular, are often cited as facilitative pedagogical and self-study tools for second language reading development (Chun, 2001; Al-Seghayer, 2003; Ko, 2005; Blake, 2007; Stockwell, 2011), the state of computer-assisted glossing research presents a much less compelling and far more nuanced picture of efficacy and facilitation (Ariew & Ercetin, 2004; Bowles, 2004; Taylor, 2006, 2009; AbuSeileek, 2008; Sato & Sazuki, 2010). Research on glossing for reading comprehension presents a mixed collection of findings suggesting facilitation (Leffa, 1992; Lomicka, 1998; Ko, 2005) and inhibition (Hegelheimer, 1997; Plass et al., 2003; Akbulut, 2005; Sakar & Ercetin, 2005), although affective and attentional benefits of glossing for reading comprehension are widely acknowledged. On the other hand, research on incidental vocabulary acquisition as a result of glossing – and particularly multimedia glossing – suggests significant effect and a compelling rationale for ulitization of glossing tools in classroom and self-study contexts (Ariew & Ercetin, 2004; AbuSeileek, 2008; Taylor, 2009; Stockwell, 2011; Aljabri, 2011).


Author(s):  
Robert Ariew ◽  
Gulcan Erçetin ◽  
Susan Cooledge

This chapter introduces second language reading in hypertext/hypermedia environments. It discusses the development of a template to annotate reading texts with multiple types of media such as text, sound, graphics, and video so as to aid reading comprehension for L2 readers. The chapter also reports on a series of studies conducted using the template in a variety of L2 learning environments in order to explore L2 learners’ reading behavior and the effects of multimedia annotations on L2 reading and vocabulary learning. The chapter synthesizes the results according to multimedia learning theories and discusses the role of proficiency level and prior knowledge in relation to L2 learners’ reading comprehension in hypertext environments.


2005 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-38 ◽  

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