Decades of research have shed light on the nature of reading in our first language. There is substantial research about how we recognize words, the ways in which we process sentences, and the linguistic and non-linguistic factors which may affect those processes (e.g. Besner & Humphreys, 2009). This has led to more effective pedagogical techniques and methodologies in the teaching of L1 reading (Kamil et al., 2011). With the ever-increasing number of L2 English speakers in U.S. schools and universities, research in more recent has begun to investigate reading in L2. However, this field of inquiry is not nearly as robust as that of L1 reading. Much remains to be explored in terms of how L2 readers process words, sentences, and comprehend what they read (Grabe, 2012). The studies in this dissertation add to the growing body of literature detailing the processes of L2 reading and improvement in L2 reading skills. The first two studies will focus on a topic that has sparked lively discussion in the field over the last 10 years or so: the online processing of L2 morphologically complex words in visual word recognition. Article 3 discusses the effects of a pedagogical intervention and the ways in which it may influence the development of second language reading. Broadly, the studies in this dissertation will address the following research questions: (1) how do L2 readers process morphologically complex words? (2) Is there a connection between their knowledge of written morphology and their ability to use it during word recognition? (3) What is the role of L2 proficiency in these processes? (4) How does extensive reading influence the development of L2 reading skills? Many studies of L2 word processing have been conducted using offline methods. Accordingly, the studies in this dissertation seek to supplement what we know about L2 morphological processing and reading skills with the use of psycholinguistic tasks, namely, traditional masked priming, masked intervenor priming, and timed reading. Secondly, this collection of studies is among the few to explore the relationship between online processing and offline morphological awareness, thereby bridging the two fields of study. Thirdly, unlike most studies of online processing, the data from this dissertation will be discussed in terms of its implications for the teaching of L2 morphologically complex words and L2 reading skills. Thus, this dissertation may be of interest to those working in L2 psycholinguistics of word recognition and sentence processing as well as ESL practitioners.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:arizona.edu/oai:arizona.openrepository.com:10150/596121 |
| Date | January 2016 |
| Creators | Kraut, Rachel Elizabeth |
| Contributors | Forster, Kenneth, Nicol, Janet, Forster, Kenneth, Nicol, Janet, Bever, Thomas |
| Publisher | The University of Arizona. |
| Source Sets | University of Arizona |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text, Electronic Dissertation |
| Rights | Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. |
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