First and Second Language Use
in Reading Comprehension Strategies of Japanese ESL Students
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Thomas A. Upton
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire
<uptonta@uwec.edu>
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Abstract
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Reading in a second language (L2) is not a monolingual
event; L2 readers have access to their first language (L1)
as they read and many use it as a strategy to help
comprehend an L2 text. Due to difficulties in observing the
comprehension process, little research has been conducted to
try to determine what roles the L1 and L2 play in the
reading strategies of L2 readers or how these roles vary at
different proficiency levels. This study attempts to
address these two issues. Eleven native speakers of
Japanese, at two different proficiency levels, were asked to
think-aloud --in the language of their thoughts -- as they
were reading an English text. In retrospective interviews,
subjects then listened to their tape-recorded think-aloud
protocols and were asked to clarify and explain their
thoughts.
Three generalizations about L1 and L2 strategy use
emerged from the data and are discussed.
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Keywords: ESL, EFL, reading strategies, read-aloud protocals, Japanese
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