Word processing difficulty and executive control interactively shape comprehension monitoring in a second language: an eye-tracking study

AbstractSuccessful reading comprehension —especially in a second language (L2)—relies on the ability to monitor one’s comprehension, that is, to notice comprehension breaks and make repairs. Comprehension monitoring may be limited given effortful word processing but may also be supported through active reading. The current study addr esses to what extent word processing difficulty reduces adolescents’ ability to monitor their comprehension in their L2, and whether readers can compensate limitations given sufficient executive control. We conducted an eye-tracking experiment in which 34 adolescent L2 learners (aged 13–17 year s) read short expository texts containing two within-subject manipulations. First, comprehension monitoring was tested through inconsistencies, for example, when the topic changed fromSpanish toRussian vis- à-vis consistent controls. Second, word processing difficulty was altered by inserting either shorter and higher-frequency words such aswant, or longer and lower-frequency words such asprefer. We additionally measured participants ’ executive control. Outcome variables were reading times on the whole texts and the words manipulated for inconsistency and word processing difficulty. We found evidence of successful moment-to-moment monitoring, as visible in adolescents’ increased rereading of inconsistent compared to consist ent information. We also found that adolescents adapted their monitoring differently to word processing difficulty, d...
Source: Reading and Writing - Category: Child Development Source Type: research