Abstract
This study tested the hypothesis that while language comprehension processes such as structural analysis and initial semantic analysis are highly learned and automatic in first language (L1) while those processes are more controlled and therefore consume more cognitive resource in second language (L2). The reading time data showed that both L1 and L2 speakers took longer to read a more complex text than a simpler text. However, self-evaluation data suggest that the native speakers were not aware of the difference in text difficulty while the L2 learners clearly indicated that the more complex texts were harder to read. These results seem to suggest that whereas cognitive demand due to text difficulty leads to more controlled processing in L2 whereas in L1 the change of reading process due to text difficulty is subconscious rather than consciously controlled.
