Concerns the relative effectiveness of computer-assisted production (output) practice and comprehension (input) practice in second-language acquisition. In particular, the study focuses on whether the advantage of production practice over comprehension practice still remains when the target structures are relatively simple. (Author/VWL)

Investigates the extent to which tasks involving processing differences in English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) reading result in differences in performance on comprehension. Processing differences were created by the assignment of two tasks--writing a text summary and listing the examples in the text. (Author/VWL)

Analyzes authentic documents in hypertext in light of reading research and proposes solutions to two potential areas of difficulty. The techniques discussed can help students overcome obstacles to reading comprehension. (Author/VWL)

Investigates attitudes and cultural background of Israeli Arab students learning Hebrew and Israeli Jewish students learning English to reading comprehension in familiar/unfamiliar cultural stories. Compares contexts: Arabs as minority group learning the majority language and Jews as majority group learning a minority language. Indicates that…

Explored the relationship between language anxiety and reading in Spanish. Issues addressed include the following: the effect of language anxiety on reading comprehension and recall of university-level students and the effect of language anxiety on the reading process itself. Two inventories assessed two different anxiety levels: the Reading…

Examines the influence of first-language reading-models on second-language reading-theory and research. Recommends a sharing and transfer of knowledge between related disciplines, such as first- and second-language reading, to increase understanding of the reading process, regardless of the target language. (PA)

Investigates textual coherence of popular psychology articles mediated through the theory of frames and identifies the linguistic evidence of factual frames. Inferencing is also discussed as a supplementary means to comprehension, with particular reference to the notion of bridging assumptions. Evidence for textual frames is discussed in relation…

Describes software created for improving higher order interpretation skills that focuses on anaphoric resolutions and backward inferences, skills particularly important for developing reading skills in Japanese because of the language's tendency to omit referents if they can be reconstructed from the text. (Author/VWL)

First-language (L1) reading research has had a major impact on second language (L2) reading research. There was a substantial lag, however, before these L1 theories were adapted and proposed for L2 reading. This article introduces the L2 researcher to the relevant and current L1 test comprehension issues and theories to help close this gap.…

Investigated how well nonnative speakers (NNSs) could modify their output toward comprehensibility when interacting with native speakers (NSs) and NNSs, noting how often modified comprehensible output (MCO) was other- or self-initiated. Picture-dictation and opinion-exchange task data indicated that most repairs were self-initiated. NNS-NNS…

Inconclusive evidence that second-language learners understand a foreign language better than they speak it led to a study of the comprehension of native and nonnative speakers. Results indicated that second-language learners speak better than they understand. The paper discusses three conditions for learning: overt activity, emotional…

Examined effects of using Spanish captions, English captions, or no captions with a Spanish-language soundtrack on intermediate university-level Spanish as a foreign language students' comprehension of DVD passage material. Results revealed that the English captions group performed at a substantially higher level than the Spanish captions group,…

The results of a within-subject cross-language study of text comprehension in adult second language (L2) learners are presented. Text comprehension and sentence reading time measures were obtained for matched narrative and procedural texts in English and French from adult learners of French as a second language (FSL) at two levels of French…

This article discusses how we incorporated an extensive reading (ER) program into a second semester Japanese course at the University of Hawai'i using Japanese children's literature. After summarizing the ten principles of ER, we describe how we addressed six critical issues faced while introducing ER into the course. We also discuss the outcomes…

To enhance reading comprehension, several strategies have been identified in previous research conducted (Naiman et al. 1978; O'Malley & Chamot 1990; O'Malley, Chamot, Manzanares, Russo and Kypper 1985; Politzer and McGroarty 1985; Prokop 1989; Oxford 1990; Salataci and Akyel 2002; Tercanlioglu 2004). However, using different types of Reading…