University of Macau / Faculty of Arts and Humanities / Department of Portuguese

Combining corpus contrastive interlanguage analysis and usage-based approaches to second language acquisition, the present study targeted the use of English alternating ditransitive constructions by Chinese EFL learners. English alternating ditransitive constructions refer to argument structures that can appear both in the double object construction (DOC) and the prepositional to-dative construction (DAT). / A contrastive analysis of the use of English ditransitive constructions was made between a native English corpus – The Louvain Corpus of Native English Essays (LOCNESS) and a learner corpus – The Chinese Learner English Corpus (CLEC). CLEC is further divided into two sub-corpora based on participants’ educational levels: ST2 (beginner corpus) and ST5&6 (advanced learner corpus). The corpus retrieval software WordSmith 5.0 was used for extracting ditransitive verbs. 16 target verbs were selected on the basis of strict criteria. Systematic analysis was then made in terms of three variables, i.e. pronominality, weight, and semantic classes. / The overall results showed no clear-cut differences in the proportions of DOC versus DAT between the native English corpus and the learner corpus, where DOC (69%) is used much more frequently than DAT (31%), in spite of between-verb variations. It was also found that although Chinese EFL learners have similar sensitivity to ditransitive verbs’ distinctiveness for DOC or DAT with native students, differences still exist regarding the performance of certain individual verbs. / With regard to the three variables under investigation, great differences were found between LOCNESS and CLEC, as well as within the two learner sub-corpora. In terms of pronominality, learners, beginning learners in particular, have a stronger tendency to use personal pronouns as indirect object in DOC, and also use pronouns as prepositional complement in DAT. With regard to weight, beginning learners use the shortest and least complex constituents in ditransitive constructions. In relation to semantic classes, Inherent Transfer is the most frequently used sense among all three groups, but learners are more likely to use the sense of Communication than native students. / A case study was conducted focusing on the prototypical ditransitive verb give. Regarding the variables of pronominality and weight, results were similar to those obtained from the 16 target verbs. As for semantic classes of give, generally speaking, Chinese learners prefer to use the senses of Transfer and Communication, while native students are particularly in favor of employing Enablement and Permission senses, which require the use of more abstract nouns. / In sum, beginning learners show an exemplar-based learning process, with frequent use of pronouns, short constituents, and less various semantic classes. An examination of English textbooks used by beginning learners provided much evidence for the priming effect of input in foreign language learning of ditransitive constructions. Non-target-like formulaic sequences were detected from both beginning and advanced learner corpora. Other impact factors like L1 influence and lack of genre awareness were also incorporated for discussion. / Based on findings from learner English, the study has contributed to usage-based approaches to second language learning, by showing an exemplar-based learning process of Chinese EFL learners, and proving the priming effect of input from English textbooks. It also has given specific pedagogical implications for compilation of teaching materials and classroom teaching practice. / 本研究結合了語料庫中介語對比分析和基於使用的二語習得研究方法，重點探討了中國英語學習者使用英語與格換位結構的情況。與格換位結構指的是能夠在雙賓結構（DOC）和介賓結構（DAT）之間轉換的論元結構。 / 研究選取了兩個語料庫進行與格換位結構的對比：LOCNESS（英語本族語者語料庫）和CLEC（中國英語學習者語料庫）。根據參與者的受教育水平，CLEC又分為兩個子語料庫——ST2（初級學習者）和ST5&6（高級學習者）。通過嚴格的挑選標準，研究確定了十六個目標動詞，分別從人稱代詞的使用、長度、以及語義分類三個變量方面進行全面系統的分析。 / 總的研究結果沒有顯示出本族語者語料庫和學習者語料庫在雙賓和介賓結構比例上的明顯差別，兩個語料庫都顯示，雖然存在動詞之間的差別，但總體來說雙賓比介賓使用的更加頻繁。研究還發現，中國學習者和本族語學生對動詞的結構偏好有相似的敏感度，但對個別動詞的處理方面仍然有差別。 / 對於研究的三個變量而言，LOCNESS和CLEC之間，以及CLEC兩個子語料庫之間都存在很大差異。學習者，尤其是初級學習者更加傾向於使用人稱代詞作為雙賓結構中的間接賓語，並且傾向於用代詞作介賓結構中的介詞補語。初級學習者使用的內部結構最短、最簡單。另外，就語義分類來講，“轉移”是三組語料庫用的最多的語義，但學習者比本族語者更多的使用“交流”這一語義。 / 作為最典型的與格換位動詞，give被挑選出做個案研究。結果表明，在人稱代詞使用和內部結構的長度方面，結果與十六個目標動詞的總結果相似。對於give的語義分類，總體來說，中國學習者更喜歡使用“轉移”和“交流”方面的語義，而本族語者尤其傾向使用“允許”、“許可”方面的語義。 / 總結來講，初級學習者的學習過程是基於範例一步一步的學習過程，體現在頻繁使用代詞，內部結構偏短，語義表達單一等。通過調查初級學習者使用的英語教材，研究發現了語言輸入對外語學習者學習與格換位結構的啟動效應。學習者語料庫中還出現了非目標語式的慣用表達。另外，討論中也涉及了其他的影響因素，例如母語影響、學習者缺乏寫作體裁意識等。 / 通過對學習者英語使用的研究，本研究發現了中國英語學習者基於範例的學習過程，以及英語教材在學習過程中的啟動效應，從而對基於使用的二語習得研究方法做出了一定的理論貢獻。研究還對教材和課堂教學實踐提出了具體可行的建議。 / Xu, Qi. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2014. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 194-207). / Abstracts also in Chinese. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on 05, October, 2016). / Xu, Qi. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only.

by Barbara Wei-hao Shen Costin. / Bibliography: leaves 169-174 / Thesis (M.Ph.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1986

by Siu Kwai-peng. / Includes bibliographical references / Thesis (M.Ph.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1986

by Hua Dongfan. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1991. / Includes bibliographical references. / Acknowledgments --- p.i / Abstract --- p.i i / Table of Contents --- p.iv / List of tables --- p.vii / Chapter Chapter 1. --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1. --- The English Dative --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2. --- The Learnability Problem --- p.3 / Chapter 1.3. --- Aims of the Present Study --- p.8 / Chapter Chapter 2. --- Approaches to the Acquisition of the English Dative --- p.13 / Chapter 2.1. --- Approaches to the Acquisition of the English Dative --- p.13 / Chapter 2.1.1. --- An Item-by-item Approach --- p.14 / Chapter 2.1.2. --- A Semantic and Morphophonological Approach --- p.15 / Chapter 2.1.3. --- A Formal Approach --- p.19 / Chapter 2.2. --- Empirical Studies on the Acquisition of the English Dative --- p.22 / Chapter 2.2.1. --- L1 Acquisition of the English Dative --- p.22 / Chapter (a) --- Mazurkewich and White (1984) --- p.22 / Chapter (b) --- White ( 1987 ) --- p.23 / Chapter (c) --- Gropen et al . (1989) --- p.25 / Chapter 2.2.2. --- L2 Acquisition of the English Dative --- p.27 / Chapter (a) --- Mazurkewich ( 1984 ) --- p.27 / Chapter (b) --- Le Compagnon (1984) --- p.28 / Chapter (c) --- Hawkins ( 1987 ) --- p.31 / Chapter Chapter 3. --- Research Design and Procedure --- p.36 / Chapter 3.1. --- Test Design --- p.37 / Chapter 3.1.1. --- Test 1 --- p.38 / Chapter 3.1.2. --- Hypotheses --- p.44 / Chapter 3.2. --- Test 2 --- p.46 / Chapter 3.3. --- Test 3 and Test 4 --- p.47 / Chapter 3.4. --- Cloze Test --- p.50 / Chapter 3.5. --- Subjects --- p.50 / Chapter 3.6. --- Test Procedure --- p.52 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- . Results --- p.54 / Chapter 4.1. --- Scoring Method --- p.54 / Chapter 4.2. --- Results of Test 1 --- p.55 / Chapter 4.2.1. --- Subjects' Judgments of Prepositional Datives --- p.55 / Chapter 4.2.2. --- Subjects' Judgments of Double-object Datives --- p.56 / Chapter 4.2.2.1. --- Performance of Native Speakers --- p.56 / Chapter 4.2.2.2. --- Performance of Secondary Students --- p.57 / Chapter 4.2.2.3. --- Performance of University Students --- p.59 / Chapter 4.2.2.4. --- The Effect of L1 --- p.62 / Chapter 4.3. --- Results of Test 2 --- p.63 / Chapter 4.4. --- Results of Test 3 and Test 4 --- p.64 / Chapter 4.5. --- Summary --- p.67 / Chapter Chapter 5. --- Discussion --- p.71 / Chapter 5.1. --- The Semantic Constraint on the English Dative --- p.71 / Chapter 5.2. --- Overgeneralization and the Learnability Problem --- p.76 / Chapter 5.3. --- L1 Influence on Dative Acquisition by Chinese ESL Learners --- p.81 / Chapter Chapter 6. --- Conclusions --- p.85 / References --- p.89 / Chapter Appendix I. --- Verb Check List --- p.93 / Chapter Appendix IIa. --- Instruction for Test 1 --- p.94 / Chapter Appendix IIb. --- Test Sentences for Test 1 --- p.96 / Chapter Appendix IIIa. --- Instruction for Test 2 --- p.103 / Chapter Appendix IIIb. --- Test Sentences for Test 2 --- p.104 / Chapter Appendix IVa. --- Instruction for Test 3 --- p.107 / Chapter Appendix IVb. --- Test Sentences for Test 3 --- p.108 / Chapter Appendix Va. --- Instruction for Test 4 --- p.110 / Chapter Appendix Vb. --- Test Sentences for Test 4 --- p.111 / Chapter Appendix VI. --- Cloze Test --- p.114

by Zhou Yanping. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1989. / Bibliography: leaves 151-156.

Thesis (M.A.Ed.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong. / Bibliography: leaves 53-57.

by Chan Mable. / Thesis submitted in 1997. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 120-124). / Abstract also in Chinese. / Chapter Chapter1 --- Second Language Acquisition Research: Background to the Present Study / Chapter 1.1 --- Introduction / Chapter 1.2 --- Rationale for the Present Study / Chapter 1.2.1 --- Structures and Properties of Middles and Unaccusative Verbs in English / Chapter 1.2.1.1 --- Derivation of Middles / Chapter 1.2.1.2 --- Derivation of Unaccusative Verb Structures / Chapter 1.2.2 --- Common Properties Shared by Middles and Unaccusative Verbs / Chapter 1.2.3 --- SLA Studies on L2 Acquisition of Middles and Unaccusative Verb Structures / Chapter 1.3 --- Research Issues / Chapter Chapter2 --- Theoretical Issues / Chapter 2.1 --- Introduction / Chapter 2.2 --- Why Is It Difficult to Acquire Middles and Unaccusative Verbs? / Chapter 2.2.1 --- "Common Properties shared by Passives, Middles and Unaccusatives" / Chapter 2.2.2 --- "The Differences between Passives, Middles and Unaccusatives" / Chapter 2.3 --- A Comparison of the Middles and Unaccusative Verbs in L1 and L2 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- The issue of L1 Transfer / Chapter 2.3.2 --- Middles in Cantonese / Chapter 2.3.3 --- Unaccusative Verbs in Cantonese / Chapter 2.4 --- Predictions of Difficulties posed by both structures / Chapter 2.4.1 --- Middles / Chapter 2.4.2 --- Unaccusative Verbs / Chapter Chapter3 --- Methodology and Results / Chapter 3.1 --- Experiment / Chapter 3.2 --- Subjects / Chapter 3.3 --- Procedures / Chapter 3.4 --- Rationale of the Tasks / Chapter 3.4.1 --- The Grammaticality Judgment Task / Chapter 3.4.2 --- Picture Description Task / Chapter 3.5 --- Scoring Method / Chapter 3.6 --- Results of the Picture Description Task / Chapter 3.7 --- Results of the Grammaticality Judgment Task / Chapter 3.8 --- Diagnostics of Middle Constructions and Unaccusative Verbs / Chapter 3.9 --- Prompting Effect / Chapter Chapter4 --- Discussion and Conclusion / Chapter 4.1 --- Research Issues Revisited / Chapter 4.2 --- Acquisition Problem with the Middle Construction / Chapter 4.3 --- Acquisition Problem with Unaccusative Verbs / Chapter 4.3.1 --- Paired Unaccusative Verbs / Chapter 4.3.2 --- Unpaired Unaccusative Verbs / Chapter 4.4 --- Do L2 Learners have Knowledge of Middle Constructions and Unaccusative Verbs? / Chapter 4.5 --- Developmental Patterns of L2 Learners in Acquiring English Middle Constructions and Unaccusative Verbs / Chapter 4.6 --- Is there L1 Transfer? / Chapter 4.7 --- How to Account for the Difficulties Posed by Middle Constructions and Unaccusative Verbs / Chapter 4.7.1 --- Acquisition of Unaccusative Verbs / Chapter 4.7.2 --- Acquisition of the Middle Constructions / Chapter 4.8 --- Incompleteness' and 'Divergence' in Second Language Acquisition / Chapter 4.9 --- Conclusion / References / Appendix I / Appendix II

Lin, Shuyang. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2011. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 161-174). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.ii / 論文摘要 --- p.iv / Acknowledgements --- p.vi / Table of Contents --- p.vii / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Aspect Hypothesis and related acquisition studies --- p.1 / Chapter 1.3 --- L2 learners of English whose native language is Chinese --- p.4 / Chapter 1.4 --- The issue of learning environment on acquisitional sequences --- p.6 / Chapter 1.5 --- Pedagogical issues --- p.7 / Chapter 1.6 --- Purposes of this study --- p.7 / Chapter 1.7 --- Organization of this thesis --- p.9 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Literature Review --- p.11 / Chapter 2.1 --- Introduction --- p.11 / Chapter 2.2 --- Introduction to the tense-aspect terminology --- p.11 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Tense --- p.11 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Aspect´ؤgrammatical aspect and lexical aspect --- p.12 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Vendler's four-way classification of verbs --- p.13 / Chapter 2.3 --- Aspect hypothesis and related acquisition studies --- p.15 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Aspect hypothesis --- p.15 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- LI acquisition studies --- p.17 / Chapter 2.3.3 --- L2 acquisition studies --- p.19 / Chapter 2.3.4 --- Acquisitional order --- p.25 / Chapter 2.3.5 --- Accounts for the Aspect Hypothesis --- p.27 / Chapter 2.3.5.1 --- Relevance Principle --- p.27 / Chapter 2.3.5.2 --- Congruence Principle --- p.28 / Chapter 2.3.5.3 --- Determinism --- p.29 / Chapter 2.3.5.4 --- One-to-One Principle --- p.29 / Chapter 2.3.5.5 --- Subset Principle --- p.29 / Chapter 2.3.5.6 --- Distributional biased hypothesis --- p.30 / Chapter 2.3.5.7 --- Discourse motivations --- p.30 / Chapter 2.3.5.8 --- Prototype theory --- p.32 / Chapter 2.4 --- The temporality systems in English and Chinese --- p.32 / Chapter 2.5 --- Acquisition studies on Chinese learners --- p.34 / Chapter 2.6 --- Instructed learners --- p.36 / Chapter 2.7 --- Input --- p.38 / Chapter 2.7.1 --- Impacts of input on the acquisition of tense-aspect morphology --- p.38 / Chapter 2.7.2 --- Input and second language acquisition --- p.40 / Chapter 2.7.3 --- Input enhancement and different ways of making input salient --- p.42 / Chapter 2.7.3.1 --- Positive evidence --- p.44 / Chapter 2.7.3.2 --- Consciousness-raising --- p.47 / Chapter 2.8 --- Summary --- p.47 / Chapter 2.9 --- Research questions --- p.48 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Methodology --- p.49 / Chapter 3.1 --- The pilot study and modification --- p.49 / Chapter 3.2 --- Participants --- p.50 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Participants' consent to attend data collection --- p.51 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Proficiency grouping --- p.51 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- Treatment conditions grouping --- p.53 / Chapter 3.3 --- Data elicitation task --- p.53 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Cloze task --- p.54 / Chapter 3.3.1.1 --- Why cloze task --- p.54 / Chapter 3.3.1.2 --- The design --- p.55 / Chapter 3.4 --- Pedagogical treatment --- p.56 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- Positive input --- p.57 / Chapter 3.4.2 --- Positive enhanced input --- p.58 / Chapter 3.4.3 --- The design --- p.61 / Chapter 3.5 --- Three conditions of treatment --- p.62 / Chapter 3.6 --- Coding --- p.69 / Chapter 3.7 --- Statistical analysis --- p.70 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Results and Discussions --- p.72 / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.72 / Chapter 4.2 --- Evaluation of the interlanguage aspect morphology of Chinese instructed learners with regards to the Aspect Hypothesis --- p.72 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Use of progressive aspect --- p.73 / Chapter 4.2.1.1 --- Statistics --- p.73 / Chapter 4.2.1.2 --- Developmental routes --- p.76 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Discussions of the findings about progressive marking --- p.78 / Chapter 4.2.2.1 --- Previous findings --- p.78 / Chapter 4.2.2.2 --- Current findings --- p.79 / Chapter 4.2.2.3 --- Comparison between previous and current findings --- p.79 / Chapter 4.2.2.4 --- Different developmental routes of accomplishments and achievements --- p.80 / Chapter 4.2.2.5 --- Use of progressive with states --- p.82 / Chapter 4.2.2.6 --- Possible reasons for the unexpected low appropriacy rate of progressive marking with states --- p.84 / Chapter 4.2.2.7 --- Summary on the use of progressive marking --- p.85 / Chapter 4.2.3 --- Use of perfect aspect --- p.86 / Chapter 4.2.3.1 --- Statistics --- p.86 / Chapter 4.2.4 --- Discussions of the findings about perfect marking --- p.89 / Chapter 4.2.4.1 --- Developmental routes --- p.89 / Chapter 4.2.4.2 --- """Perfect-better-than-progressive"" performance" --- p.90 / Chapter 4.2.4.3 --- "The temporal constituency of a situation the four aspects (perfective, imperfective, progressive, perfect) represent" --- p.90 / Chapter 4.2.4.4 --- Possible explanations for the developmental routes --- p.95 / Chapter 4.2.4.5 --- "Possible explanations for the ""perfect-better-than-progressive"" performance" --- p.97 / Chapter 4.2.4.6 --- Summary on the use of perfect marking --- p.98 / Chapter 4.3 --- Characteristics of the interlanguage aspect morphology of instructed Chinese learners --- p.101 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- Influence of LI Chinese on the use of progressive marking with stative verbs --- p.102 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- Role of instruction --- p.108 / Chapter 4.3.3 --- Interlanguage aspect morphology of intermediate learners --- p.108 / Chapter 4.4 --- Effects of enhanced positive input on remedying the biased distribution of aspect markings --- p.112 / Chapter 4.4.1 --- Effects of enhanced positive input on progressive marking --- p.115 / Chapter 4.4.2 --- Effects of enhanced positive input on perfect marking --- p.118 / Chapter 4.4.3 --- Summary on progressive and perfect markings --- p.119 / Chapter 4.4.4 --- Why positive input? --- p.120 / Chapter 4.4.5 --- Why enhance input? --- p.122 / Chapter 4.4.6 --- How to enhance input? --- p.124 / Chapter 4.5 --- Comparison of the effects of three treatment conditions --- p.126 / Chapter 4.5.1 --- Introduction --- p.126 / Chapter 4.5.2 --- Design of this study --- p.126 / Chapter 4.5.3 --- Results --- p.128 / Chapter 4.5.3.1 --- Statistics output from SPSS --- p.128 / Chapter 4.5.3.2 --- Effect size --- p.130 / Chapter 4.5.4 --- Interpretation and discussions --- p.136 / Chapter 4.5.4.1 --- "The ""input"" group~the group without explicit rule instruction" --- p.136 / Chapter 4.5.4.2 --- The groups with explicit rule instruction´ؤimmediate effects of deductive and inductive learning --- p.137 / Chapter 4.5.4.3 --- The groups with explicit rule instruction´ؤlong-term effects of deductive and inductive learning --- p.138 / Chapter 4.5.5 --- Summary --- p.140 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- Conclusions --- p.142 / Chapter 5.1 --- Answers to research question 1 --- p.142 / Chapter 5.1.1 --- The developmental routes for progressive marking --- p.142 / Chapter 5.1.2 --- The developmental routes for perfect marking --- p.145 / Chapter 5.1.3 --- Summary --- p.145 / Chapter 5.2 --- Answers to research question 2 --- p.146 / Chapter 5.3 --- Answers to research question 3´ؤpart 1 --- p.147 / Chapter 5.3.1 --- Effects of enhanced positive input on use of progressive marking --- p.147 / Chapter 5.3.2 --- Effects of enhanced positive input on use of perfect marking --- p.149 / Chapter 5.3.3 --- Summary --- p.149 / Chapter 5.4 --- Answers to research question 3´ؤpart 2 --- p.150 / Chapter 5.4.1 --- Explanations --- p.152 / Chapter 5.4.2 --- Summary --- p.152 / Chapter 5.5 --- Pedagogical suggestions --- p.153 / Chapter 5.6 --- Limitations --- p.155 / Chapter 5.6.1 --- Participants --- p.155 / Chapter 5.6.1.1 --- For the developmental routes of perfect marking --- p.155 / Chapter 5.6.1.2 --- For the perfect-better-than-progressive performance --- p.156 / Chapter 5.6.2 --- Sessions of treatment --- p.157 / Chapter 5.6.2.1 --- For durable effects of enhanced positive input --- p.157 / Chapter 5.6.2.2 --- For deciding the most facilitative treatment --- p.157 / Chapter 5.7 --- Suggestions for future research directions --- p.158 / Chapter 5.7.1 --- New variables --- p.158 / Chapter 5.7.2 --- Instruction order --- p.159 / Chapter 5.7.3 --- Interplay between LI and lexical aspect influences --- p.160 / References --- p.161 / Appendices --- p.175 / Chapter Appendix A- --- Pre-test --- p.175 / Chapter Appendix B- --- Immediate post-test --- p.178 / Chapter Appendix C- --- Delayed post-test --- p.181 / Chapter Appendix D- --- Input I --- p.185 / Chapter Appendix E- --- Input II --- p.188

This case study aims to investigate the relationship between the online reading group meetings (ORG) and reading difficulties among upper-level learners of Chinese as a foreign language (CFL learners). Based on Bernhardt’s constructivist model of L2 reading (1986, 1991) and sociocultural perspectives, this study attempts to answer two research questions: 1. What reading difficulties upper-level CFL learners encountered when they read in Chinese? 2. What components in the online reading group meetings helped upper-level CFL learners to cope with their reading difficulties? How did the components help? Seven Fourth-Year Chinese learners at a university in the United States participated in this study and attended the ORG meetings throughout a semester to discuss five assigned readings. Qualitative research methods were used to collect and analyze the data. The data sources of this study included pre- and post-ORG questionnaires, pre- and post-meeting comprehension checks, pre- and post-meeting self-reports, recordings of the online reading group meetings, and semi-structured interviews. The findings showed a complicated and interactive relationship of the six components in Bernhardt’s model when it came to reading difficulties among upper-level CFL learners. Even though the participants identified word recognition as one of their top reading difficulties when reading in Chinese, the findings showed that extra-text driven components, especially intratextual perceptions and prior knowledge, played an important role in determining the participants’ reading comprehension. Being able to constantly monitor what they learned from each paragraph and which prior knowledge they applied to the reading was found to be a key to improving their reading comprehension. The findings also found reflexivity in dialogic collaboration, especially when the ORG meetings created opportunities for the participants to improve their reading comprehension via peer-to-peer interaction. The patterns of peer-mediated learning included giving corrective feedback, negotiating meaning, learning from listening, strategy coaching, and using English strategically. Whereas the instructor as a facilitator was regarded important to provide timely feedback and facilitate the discussion, the findings suggested that a peer-led group discussion was possible for upper-level CFL learners once they built up their confidence in offering help to their peers. Even though the component of the role assignment seemed to be beneficial for the participants to cope with their reading difficulties in the ORG meetings, the participants did not perceive each role equally helpful nor easy due to various reasons. The study concluded with a discussion of the implications for CFL education, teacher education programs and future research.