The short circuit hypothesis of ESL reading – or when language competence interferes with reading performance

Abstract

Reading is perhaps the most thoroughly studied and least understood process in education today. In spite of a multitude of books and journals devoted to the study and the teaching of reading, no theory of reading has won general acceptance. The quantity and variety of theoretical models of reading in the first language (L1) has resulted in a great amount of theoretical and pedagogical diversity among second language (L2) researchers and teachers (see, for example, Singer and Ruddell 1970). Recently a number of authors have cited the lack of a generally accepted theory of L2 reading as a major obstacle to teaching and testing ESL reading skills (see Eskey 1973; Harris 1976; Hatch 1973; Norris 1970; Robinett 1976). The following summary of ESL reading instruction is intended as a sampling of current practices rather than as an exhaustive account of the “state of the art.” In low-level ESL classes, students are presented with reading tasks only after they have oral/aural familiarity with the structures and vocabulary contained in the passages. Grammar and vocabulary work consumes most of the time and effort of teachers at this level. As students' command of English improves, they are usually eased into a familiar pattern of reading instruction characterized by: 1) an introduction to concepts, vocabulary, and structure contained in a reading, followed by 2) time (in or out of class) to read the assignment and answer comprehension questions, capped off by 3) class discussion/teacher explanation of the passage and comprehension exercises (see the following texts for typical recommendations: Finocchiaro 1974; Lado 1964; Mellgren and Walker 1973a, b; Slager 1966).

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