Reasoning and Comprehension Processes of Linguistic Minority Persons Learning from Text.

摘要

This 3-year project examined the processes and strategies of ESL and native English speaking students negotiating the demands of learning from academic texts. A conceptual model guided the analysis of talk-aloud protocols that were elicited from students as they answered questions drawn from text book materials they were using in an introductory oceanography class. Results indicated that students who had a relatively good knowledge base for science concepts used in oceanography performed better and used different strategies than students who had little relevant prior knowledge. This was the case for both native English and ESL students. Knowledge base differences were more important than language group differences. The most difficult questions were those that required application of textbook information to a new situation. The data suggested that ESL students with high levels of domain-specific knowledge may compensate for less than perfect proficiency in English by activating relevant conceptual knowledge and using that to aid text processing. Based on the protocol data, certain linguistic devices that signal the semantic organization of sentences in text were identified for further study (Years 2 & 3). Four types of connectors were examined: sequential, adversative, additives, and causal. The effects on recall of including explicit sequence connectors in text were similar for native English and ESL speaker: inclusion led to greater recall. The markers affected the reading behavior of the native English but not the ESL speakers. Analyses of the traces of the reading behavior revealed that most individuals used at least two or three global strategies for reading. (sdw)