Abstract
Although much research on English for specific purposes (ESP) has been conducted, little focus has been placed on investigating the mechanisms involved in ESP readers’ comprehension process. This case study explored the reading process that characterizes a competent ESP reader’s comprehension. A juris doctor student attending a major university in the United States was selected for the case study. Qualitative data were gathered through a semi-structured interview, recall protocol, and document analysis, and were thematically coded. The findings revealed the following: (a) The professional domain determines the major purposes of ESP reading. (b) Institutional demands and inadequate L2 proficiency within the target discourse prevent background knowledge in the first language (L1) from being transferred to L2 texts are the major sources of comprehension difficulty. (c) Three strategies can be used to overcome such difficulties. First, schemata (background knowledge) in L1 can facilitate comprehension and enhance the reading process. Second, genre knowledge learned in L1 can be used to dissect the information structure of L2 texts. Finally, the use of L1-based materials can help to overcome the comprehension difficulties arising from the L2 material. The implications for L2 reading instruction and future ESP reading research are discussed.
Highlights
Research on English for specific purposes (ESP) has attracted scholars in applied linguistics and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) for years
Literature has claimed that reading occupies a central role in English for general purposes (EGP), and reading is often considered the skill with which students are the most familiar (Jordan, 1997)
In order to explore competent ESP readers’ reading behaviors and comprehension process, this study investigated the following research questions by qualitatively gathering the data regarding a bilingual ESP reader’s reading process: 1) What are the reading purposes generally perceived by ESP readers when they read the highly specialized materials?
Summary
Research on English for specific purposes (ESP) has attracted scholars in applied linguistics and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) for years. The research shifted to the study of the discoursal elements within a specialized text, which could lead the way ESP readers process and understand the target texts (Trimble, 1985; Widdowson, 1979) This changing tide of research, according to Hirvela (2013), had the major pedagogical implication that the primary goal of ESP reading instruction is to equip students with the ability to identify and make use of the discoursal devices within the texts and extract relevant information with the needs to read in varying contexts. Current ESP reading research centers on investigating whether ESP reading instruction can link the learning of reading skills to the rhetorical and communicative situations in which the target texts are embedded (Belcher, 2006; Paltridge, 2012) Based on this conceptual framework, ESP reading literature has seen increasing numbers of scholars exploring the effects of genre-based approach and discourse analysis on ESP readers’ acquisition of professional reading competence (Hirvela, 2013; Northcott, 2013; Sadeghi et al, 2013)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
