Exploring How Japanese Second Language English Readers Respond to Proper Names

Abstract

An assumption in second language (L2) vocabulary and reading research is that L2 readers can easily understand the proper names they encounter, though empirical support for this conjecture is lacking. The aim of this study is to explore how L2 English readers perceive and respond to proper names. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with Japanese low-intermediate L2 English readers (N = 4) to investigate: the affective factors involved when encountering unknown proper names in texts; what strategies they use when encountering new names; and any difficulties they experience in proper name processing. The participants were also asked to read aloud a short text and report the referents of several proper names, using modified think-aloud protocol. It was found that main source of confusion for the interviewees stemmed from their inexperience with proper names; that is, uncertainty about which proper names are family names and personal names; the gender of names; nicknames; and proper name phonology. Participants also reported on various strategies they use when encountering novel proper names, such as doing online searches, and using contextual and orthographic clues. The findings suggest that it may be incautious to assume unfamiliar proper names are a low burden to L2 readers of English.