On-Line and Off-Line Causal Explanation of the Expository Text in L2 Readers

Abstract

　　This study explored the relation between second-language (L2) readers' on-line (i.e., duringreading) processes and off-line (i.e., after-reading) comprehension in terms of causal explanation of expository text. Thirty-two Japanese undergraduates with high or low L2 reading proficiency participated in the experiment. To elicit on-line causal explanation，the think-aloud method was used，through which participants read the expository text and verbally reported their thoughtson pre-determined target statements. To elicit off-line causal explanation，a causal question pertaining to causal relations in the text was used; participants answered the causal question after reading the text. The results revealed that readers with high L2 reading proficiency implemented on-line causal explanation more frequently than readers with low L2 proficiency. On the other hand，lowproficiency readers presented quantitative and qualitative difficulties with the availability of cognitive resources and the accuracy of linking processes, respectively. Finally, on-line and off-line causal explanations were correlated only by means of the high-proficiency readers' explanation that covered distant parts of the text. The findings together indicate limited characteristics of causal explanation in L2 readers.