Discusses the schema theory which holds that any text does not carry meaning by itself; rather, a text only provides directions for readers as to how they should retrieve or construct meaning from their own previously acquired knowledge. Suggests applications of the theory to English as a second language reading pedagogy. (SED)

Reports results of a study of the effects of rhetorical organization of different types of expository prose on intermediate English as a second language readers of different native languages. Certain English rhetorical patterns were easier to recall for nonnative readers in general but there were differences among the various native language…

Investigation of second language readers' awareness and use of first and second language reading strategies indicated that in first language reading "local" reading strategies correlate negatively with reading performance. Local strategies were positively correlated for English first language readers of Spanish, while global strategies were…

Although successful reading comprehension is described as the interaction of text-based processes and processes related to the reader's existing background knowledge or schemata, under different conditions readers show different patterns of text-based versus knowledge-based processing. Recent research suggests that students of English as a second…