Cognitive organizers (COs) are text aids which represent objects, concepts, and their relations by the use of symbols and spatial arrangements without adding to semantic content. The present study examines language learners' text comprehension through outlines, a popular CO, compared with text-only condition, and further investigates the effect of…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between text structure and two levels of reading comprehension, namely literal and inferential, in Iranian EFL learners. Studies have generally found that learners perform differently after they have read different text structures (Amiri et al. in "Proc Soc Behav Sci"…

The purpose of this dissertation is to explore the potential of Systemic Functional Linguistic (SFL) pedagogy to support English language learners (ELLs) in enhancing their meaning making potential as they engage in persuasive writing practices within academic contexts. The dissertation results from a teacher action research project in which the…

As an instructional tool, graphic organizers (GOs) have been highly recommended and used in contemporary classrooms. Over the past decade, a number of concerns have been raised about claims for the effectiveness of GOs. These concerns involve the inconsistent research results on student improvements, the limitation in generalizability from…

The concept of authenticity in foreign language pedagogy is discussed with particular reference to the methodology of instructing through the medium of authentic texts. It is suggested that the use of authentic texts in a classroom setting actually deauthenticates those elements that made the texts originally authentic; i.e., placing them in a…

Describes a study that investigated the types of rhetorical structures that beginning-level Spanish students encounter in their textbook reading materials. The intent of the study was to determine whether there was a match between the types of structures that English-speaking students are most typically able to demonstrate awareness of and the…

Sample materials designed to enable advanced learners to read more effectively for academic purposes are presented that focus learners' attention on the role of various cohesive devices in relating parts of a text. Discovery exercises applied to an authentic text show learners ways the devices can help them understand the text. (13 references)…

This article discusses the system of reference as one of the linguistic systems operating in English texts. It introduces reference systems as systems that code cohesive dependency relationships between entities in texts. References in texts are treated as ways of introducing and keeping track of text participants. The cohesive operation of…