Text-based recall and extra-textual generations resulting from simplified and authentic texts

• Published in: Reading in a foreign language Vol. 28; no. 1; pp. 1 - 19
• Main Authors: Crossley, Scott A, McNamara, Danielle S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Honolulu University of Hawaii, National Foreign Language Resource Center 01.04.2016; Reading in a Foreign Language
• Subjects: Authentic texts; College Students; English (Second Language); Foreign Countries; High School Students; Language Proficiency; Language Tests; Pacing; Propositions; Readability; Readability Formulas; Reading Ability; Reading Comprehension; Reading Tests; Recall (Psychology); Second Language Learning; Self evaluation; United States > US; Arizona; Georgia; Mexico
• ISSN: 1539-0578; 1539-0578

This study uses a moving windows self-paced reading task to assess text comprehension of beginning and intermediate-level simplified texts and authentic texts by L2 learners engaged in a text-retelling task. Linear mixed effects (LME) models revealed statistically significant main effects for reading proficiency and text level on the number of text-based propositions recalled: More proficient readers recalled more propositions. However, text level was a stronger predictor of propositional recall than reading proficiency. LME models also revealed main effects for language proficiency and text level on the number of extra-textual propositions produced. Text level, however, emerged as a stronger predictor than language proficiency. Post-hoc analyses indicated that there were more irrelevant elaborations for authentic texts and intermediate and authentic texts led to a greater number of relevant elaborations compared to beginning texts.