What’s Similar and What’s Different Between L1 and

What’s Similar and What’s Different
Between L1 and L2 Reading?
Neil J. Anderson
Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah
Introduction – Dr. Neil Anderson
 Experience
working with reading teachers
around the globe, addressing particular needs
of L2 readers to make sense of text
 Beliefs:
 Strong
readers emerge from teachers who
address issues faced by L2 readers
 Good users of language develop from curricula
centralized on reading. Reading leads to
improved listening, speaking, and writing skills.
 Educators can help the 89% of 8th grade L2
students who read below grade level with
comprehension
What’s Similar and What’s Different
Between L1 and L2 Reading?
1.
Defining reading
2.
Keeping key factors in mind
3.
Learning to read and reading to learn
4.
Considering ability (reading) and
proficiency (language) issues
5.
Identifying similarities between L1 and L2
reading
6.
Identifying differences between L1 and L2
reading
Defining reading
The Reader
The Text
Reading
Strategies
Fluency
Defining reading fluency
Rate
Reading
Fluency
Comprehension
Anderson, 2008, p.3
Defining reading
The Reader
The Text
Reading
Strategies
Fluency
Keeping key factors in mind
Who are the learners and what are
their previous literacy experiences?
1.
Literacy in L1
2.
Oral language proficiency in L2
3.
Age on arrival to the US
4.
Expectations of the school experience
5.
Types of L2 readers
6.
Parents’ educational levels
Learning to read and
reading to learn
Learning to Read
Beginning
Reading to Learn
Intermediate
Advanced
The Learning/Reading Continuum, Anderson, 2008, p. 58
Considering ability (reading) and
proficiency (language) issues
L2
Proficiency
L1 Reading
Ability
L2 Reading
Ability
Two additional factors:
text type
reading task
Keeping in mind- We
learn to read only once
 Learning
to read in L2 is aided by
transference of knowledge and skills
acquired in L1 reading
Considering ability (reading) and
proficiency (language) issues
L2
Proficiency
L1 Reading
Ability
L2 Reading
Ability
Two additional factors:
text type
reading task
Identifying similarities between
L1 and L2 reading
Reading in a L1 shares important basic elements
with reading in a L2. Both processes—
1.
Involve the reader, the text, and the
context in which the reading act takes
place.
2.
Involve the use of metacognitive
strategies (e.g., setting purpose for
reading, re-reading, adjusting rate, etc.)
when constructing meaning from text
read.
Identifying similarities between
L1 and L2 reading
Reading in a L1 shares important basic elements
with reading in a L2. Both processes—
3.
Involve the orchestration of bottom-up
(e.g., decoding) and top-down strategies
(e.g., making inferences).
4.
Involve the use of language systems with
systematic and rule-governed
phonological, morphological, syntactic,
semantic, and discourse structures.
Identifying differences between
L1 and L2 reading
Differences may be found in—
1.
Language systems (e.g., alphabet,
directionality, phonological,
morphological, syntactic, semantic, and
discourse structures—cf. Arabic, German,
Japanese).
2.
Size of vocabulary knowledge as well as
vocabulary learning among L1 and L2
readers.
Identifying differences between
L1 and L2 reading
Differences may be found in—
3.
Language awareness among L1 and L2
readers
4.
Time involved in learning to read
academic language
5.
Reading fluency — L2 readers read
slower than L1 readers
6.
Motivation
Identifying differences between
L1 and L2 reading
Differences may be found in—
7.
Oral English proficiency
8.
Background knowledge
9.
Context in which literacy is developed
10.
Learner’s position on the path to literacy
Summary
In this video lecture, we have talked about –
A
definition of reading
 Key
aspects to keep in mind when working with L2
readers
 The
learning to read / reading to learn continuum
4
similarities and 10 differences between L1 and
L2 reading
 The
interdependence among L2 reading ability, L2
proficiency, and L1 reading ability
Resources
Anderson, N.J. , & Nunan, D. (2008). Practical English language teaching:
Reading. New York: McGraw Hill.
Armbruster, B. B., & Osborn, J. (2003). Put reading first—The research building
blocks of reading instruction: Kindergarten through Grade 3 (2nd ed.). Jessup,
MD: National Institute for Literacy.
Biancarosa, C., & Snow, C. E. (2006). Reading next—A vision for action and
research in middle and high school literacy: A report to Carnegie Corporation
of New York (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: Alliance for Excellent Education.
Coombe, C., McCloskey, M.L., Stephenson, L., Anderson, N.J. (2008).
Leadership in English language teaching and learning. Ann Arbor, MI:
University of Michigan Press.
Short, D., & Fitzsimmons, S. (2007). Double the work: Challenges and solutions to
acquiring language and academic literacy for adolescent English language
learners—A report to Carnegie Corporation of New York. Washington, DC:
Alliance for Excellent Education.
Grabe, W., & Stoller, F. L. (2002). Teaching and researching reading. New
York: Longman.

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