The Relationship Between Validation and Comprehension in L2 Readers: A Perspective From Different Dimensions of Situation Models

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Comprehending text information and validating its consistency are two critical components of building a situation model of the text. Although first-language readers have been widely shown to simultaneously validate and comprehend texts, the relation between these two processes is unclear in second-language (L2) readers. We explored this relation in L2 readers, focusing on different situational dimensions (protagonist, temporality, and spatiality) of a story. Japanese university students read narratives containing a context sentence that was consistent or inconsistent with a later target sentence along one of the situational dimensions, while their eye movements were recorded. After reading, they completed a recall test assessing validation and comprehension. The participants were found to validate protagonist but not temporal and spatial consistency, as reflected in increased recall of inconsistencies in the protagonist texts. Conversely, their degree of comprehension was similar across dimensions, which did not show dimension (show dimension effects) effects on recall or eye-tracking measures in the consistent condition. Together, these results indicate the independence of validation from comprehension in L2 reading. The findings are discussed in terms of theoretical models of validation, and implications for researchers and educators are provided.

Journal

  • JACET Journal

    JACET Journal 65 (0), 125-142, 2021

    The Japan Association of College English Teachers

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