Pre‐reading format and learner proficiency level in L2 reading comprehension

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe article describes two related experiments into the effect of pre‐reading on the text comprehension of a population of L2 learners at three proficiency levels. Four sets of pre‐reading materials were used, two in each experiment. All were geared to content‐schemata activation, but differed in terms of the type of stimulus provided. The materials used in experiment I (a text summary and a set of pre‐questions) involved the provision of a relatively elaborated set of interpretive cues; those used in experiment II (topic prediction and a vocabulary‐based task) were more open and allowed for a greater degree of learner‐based schemata activation. Two main lines of investigation were pursued: the first relates to the relative effectiveness of the different pre‐reading formats, and the second to the possibility of an interaction between pre‐reading format and L2 proficiency level. Results indicated the more constraining, schemata‐provision formats used in experiment I to be more effective as aids to text comprehension. No level‐treatment interaction was observed, though comprehension facilitation was observed only among the lower proficiency groups — the higher proficiency group deriving no benefit from any of the pre‐reading formats used.