What's so Simple about Simplified Texts? A Computational and Psycholinguistic Investigation of Text Comprehension and Text Processing

Autor/inn/en	Crossley, Scott A.; Yang, Hae Sung; McNamara, Danielle S.
Titel	What's so Simple about Simplified Texts? A Computational and Psycholinguistic Investigation of Text Comprehension and Text Processing
Quelle	In: Reading in a Foreign Language, 26 (2014) 1, S.92-113 (22 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1539-0578
Schlagwörter	Reading Comprehension; Reading Processes; Second Language Instruction; Difficulty Level; Statistical Analysis; Scores; Language Proficiency; English (Second Language); Reading Instruction; Computational Linguistics; Psycholinguistics; Foreign Countries; High School Students; College Students; Grade Point Average; Age Differences; Online Surveys; Questionnaires; Computer Assisted Testing; Correlation; Mexico; Gates MacGinitie Reading Tests + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Leseverstehen; Leseprozess; Fremdsprachenunterricht; Schwierigkeitsgrad; Statistische Analyse; Language skill; Language skills; Sprachkompetenz; English as second language; English; Second Language; Englisch als Zweitsprache; Leseunterricht; Linguistics; Computerlinguistik; Psycholinguistik; Ausland; High school; High schools; Student; Students; Oberschule; Schüler; Schülerin; Studentin; Collegestudent; Age; Difference; Age difference; Altersunterschied; Fragebogen; Korrelation; Mexiko
Abstract	This study uses a moving windows self-paced reading task to assess both text comprehension and processing time of authentic texts and these same texts simplified to beginning and intermediate levels. Forty-eight second language learners each read 9 texts (3 different authentic, beginning, and intermediate level texts). Repeated measures ANOVAs reported linear effects of text type on reading time (normalized for text length) and true/false comprehension scores indicating that beginning level texts were processed faster and were more comprehensible than intermediate level and authentic texts. The linear effect of text type on comprehension remained significant within an ANCOVA controlling for language proficiency (i.e., TOEFL scores), reading proficiency (i.e., Gates-MacGinitie scores), and background knowledge, but not for reading time. Implications of these findings for materials design, reading pedagogy, and text processing and comprehension are discussed. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Reading in a Foreign Language. National Foreign Language Resource Center, 1859 East-West Road #106, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822. e-mail: readfl@hawaii.edu; Web site: http://nflrc.hawaii.edu/rfl/
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10