The results of a behavioral anchoring analysis of student performance on three English as a second language reading comprehension tests indicated that, for each of three proficiency levels, the higher ability students could comprehend questions with implicit information sources. All students showed competence with linguistic structures that…

Discusses the important role of background knowledge in a psycholinguistic model of EFL/ESL reading and demonstrates the relevance of schema-theoretic views of reading to the teaching of reading to EFL/ESL students. Also discusses classroom implications of the schema-theoretic view and suggests techniques for bringing about reader-centered EFL/ESL…

Reports results of a study of the effects of rhetorical organization of different types of expository prose on intermediate English as a second language readers of different native languages. Certain English rhetorical patterns were easier to recall for nonnative readers in general but there were differences among the various native language…

It was found that those who read English as a second language (ESL), like L1 individuals, use their knowledge of the world and contribute to information found in the text. However, ESL readers' contributions to the text may be marred by language interference, lack of background knowledge, faulty inferencing, and certain data- and…

Think Aloud Porotocols were used to examine the reading comprehension strategies used by English as a Second Language (ESL) and native English-speaking college students with poor reading proficiency. Results involving students' time-on-task, mode of response, strategy use, and memory and comprehension are discussed. (CB)

Describes difficulties with nominalization and with the rhetoric of scientific papers experienced by English of Science and Technology (EST) students, relating nominalization occurrence to scientific rhetorical divisions. Finding significant differences in that-nominal construction frequency between rhetorical sections, suggests coordinating…

Discusses aspects of reading research besides schemata theory and applies them to second language (L2) reading research. A technique is presented to introduce comprehension monitoring to students, and studies use reciprocal teaching and think-aloud procedures and appropriate L2 applications for each. (LMO)

Research on second language reading and writing development in children suggests (1) children who speak little English are reading some of the print in their environment, (2) they can read English before they have complete oral control of it, (3) their comprehension is influenced by their knowledge and culture, and (4) their second language…

Explores differences in the prose recall of native English speakers and English as a second language learners reading in English. Meyer's content structure analysis was used to analyze the experimental reading passage and the recall paraphrases written about it. Suggests recommendations for future research and implications for reading instruction.…

Reviews current developments in second-language reading research and its implications for the classroom, particularly the English-as-a-Second-Language classroom. It is argued that the last 10 years have yielded insights that challenge previous views of first- and second-language reading and imply future avenues of research. (67 references) (VWL)

Observation and comparison of native speaking and English-as-a-Second-Language students' reading patterns, overall reading comprehension, and comprehension of coreferential pronouns revealed that misunderstanding of coreferential ties reflected a misunderstanding of the descriptive phrases to which the pronouns referred. (22 references) (Author/CB)

Discusses the active contribution a learner/user must make in using a dictionary and breaks the look-up process into seven main steps. (EKN)

Explores whether culture-specific rhetorical conventions affect the reading recall of Chinese English-as-a-Foreign-Language college students at two grade levels. Four English passages verified as using Chinese rhetorical conventions were modified into four counterpart versions reflecting English rhetorical conventions. Taiwanese freshman and…

Investigates the relative effects of two types of input modification--simplification and elaboration--on Korean high school students' English-as-a-foreign-language reading comprehension. Six English passages in one of three forms were presented to 180 students, who were divided into two proficiency levels. Comprehension was assessed using a…

Investigation of the simultaneous effects of and interaction between both culture-specific content schemata and formal schemata on English as a second language reading comprehension revealed that familiar content and rhetorical form yielded good reading comprehension. Results for "mixed" conditions indicated that content schemata affected reading…