Timed Reading (TR) in an L2 context has been researched since the 1960s, although the name given ... more Timed Reading (TR) in an L2 context has been researched since the 1960s, although the name given to it has often been different. Yet conclusive empirical research into the effectiveness of TR is still unavailable, and this chapter is an effort to move closer to understanding TR and whether as teachers we should allot time to the practice.
This research utilised eye tracking to examine the vocabulary coping strategies and dictionary sk... more This research utilised eye tracking to examine the vocabulary coping strategies and dictionary skills of Japanese English learners in task-based reading. Participants had access to an online dictionary with four definitions per word, including three inapplicable definitions. The interplay and outcomes of reading strategies and dictionary skills were investigated. The research found that performance was not statistically different compared to previous research where participants had access to a dictionary with only the applicable definition. Given the more difficult dictionary, participants more often made regressions to investigate the context in the text, but they did not reduce their dictionary use. Most participants lacked strategic competence while reading, but they demonstrated competence in dictionary skills. In rare instances of failed dictionary use, readers usually had not inspected the context cues in the text. For task-relevant words, participants who re-read context cues...
This study was an attempt ,to investigate ,the distribution of power ,within the genre of a telev... more This study was an attempt ,to investigate ,the distribution of power ,within the genre of a television interview, looking at the effects of context on register, especially tenor, when an ordinary man was interviewed on television. The analysis was performed using a framework outlined in Eggins and Slade (1997), which is derived from the work of Halliday (1961, 1985,
Selective attention to task-relevant content is an essential strategy for readers. There is evide... more Selective attention to task-relevant content is an essential strategy for readers. There is evidence that proficient readers more often consider their purpose and focus attention selectively. However, eye tracking research has revealed several limitations with survey data on reading strategies, and few second language (L2) reading studies have explicitly examined selective attention. This study includes two experiments utilizing eye tracking to determine how Japanese university-aged learners read an online text to research specific information. The first experiment evaluates the reading strategies of the participants and examines the effect on task performance. The second experiment investigates the effect of strategy training. The eye tracking results in experiment one suggested that many participants did not display strategic competence. Selective attention and the number of reading strategies identified in the data correlated with taskperformance. The second experiment revealed t...
Previewing a text is a key global reading strategy. Previewing may increase comprehension as it c... more Previewing a text is a key global reading strategy. Previewing may increase comprehension as it can activate schema, increase global awareness of the text, and enhance the use of other reading strategies. Despite its importance, an explicit focus on previewing skills has been lacking and previous research on the reading strategies of second language (L2) learners’ has largely relied on surveys. This study utilizes eye tracking technology, in addition to surveys, to evaluate the previewing strategies of Japanese L2 readers of English. The eye movement data revealed that most learners did very little previewing of the text. One measure of previewing significantly correlated with learners’ summary protocol scores, which were poor overall. Finally, the eye movement data did not correlate strongly with participants’ survey results. Implications for both reading education and research are discussed.
Timed Reading (TR) in an L2 context has been researched since the 1960s, although the name given ... more Timed Reading (TR) in an L2 context has been researched since the 1960s, although the name given to it has often been different. Yet conclusive empirical research into the effectiveness of TR is still unavailable, and this chapter is an effort to move closer to understanding TR and whether as teachers we should allot time to the practice.
This research utilised eye tracking to examine the vocabulary coping strategies and dictionary sk... more This research utilised eye tracking to examine the vocabulary coping strategies and dictionary skills of Japanese English learners in task-based reading. Participants had access to an online dictionary with four definitions per word, including three inapplicable definitions. The interplay and outcomes of reading strategies and dictionary skills were investigated. The research found that performance was not statistically different compared to previous research where participants had access to a dictionary with only the applicable definition. Given the more difficult dictionary, participants more often made regressions to investigate the context in the text, but they did not reduce their dictionary use. Most participants lacked strategic competence while reading, but they demonstrated competence in dictionary skills. In rare instances of failed dictionary use, readers usually had not inspected the context cues in the text. For task-relevant words, participants who re-read context cues...
This study was an attempt ,to investigate ,the distribution of power ,within the genre of a telev... more This study was an attempt ,to investigate ,the distribution of power ,within the genre of a television interview, looking at the effects of context on register, especially tenor, when an ordinary man was interviewed on television. The analysis was performed using a framework outlined in Eggins and Slade (1997), which is derived from the work of Halliday (1961, 1985,
Selective attention to task-relevant content is an essential strategy for readers. There is evide... more Selective attention to task-relevant content is an essential strategy for readers. There is evidence that proficient readers more often consider their purpose and focus attention selectively. However, eye tracking research has revealed several limitations with survey data on reading strategies, and few second language (L2) reading studies have explicitly examined selective attention. This study includes two experiments utilizing eye tracking to determine how Japanese university-aged learners read an online text to research specific information. The first experiment evaluates the reading strategies of the participants and examines the effect on task performance. The second experiment investigates the effect of strategy training. The eye tracking results in experiment one suggested that many participants did not display strategic competence. Selective attention and the number of reading strategies identified in the data correlated with taskperformance. The second experiment revealed t...
Previewing a text is a key global reading strategy. Previewing may increase comprehension as it c... more Previewing a text is a key global reading strategy. Previewing may increase comprehension as it can activate schema, increase global awareness of the text, and enhance the use of other reading strategies. Despite its importance, an explicit focus on previewing skills has been lacking and previous research on the reading strategies of second language (L2) learners’ has largely relied on surveys. This study utilizes eye tracking technology, in addition to surveys, to evaluate the previewing strategies of Japanese L2 readers of English. The eye movement data revealed that most learners did very little previewing of the text. One measure of previewing significantly correlated with learners’ summary protocol scores, which were poor overall. Finally, the eye movement data did not correlate strongly with participants’ survey results. Implications for both reading education and research are discussed.
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