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L1 Thinking in Reading Process of Chinese College Students at Different Levels of English Proficiency

Received: 20 November 2020     Accepted: 8 December 2020     Published: 22 December 2020
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Abstract

The paper adopts think-aloud method to record the thinking process of Chinese college students of different levels when they are reading English materials. The think-aloud protocols are transcribed, and the L1 thinking in their reading process is analyzed. The results are as follows: Readers at different levels apply L1 thinking in their L2 reading process to deal with vocabulary and sentence in different ways. Readers in low-level and intermediate-level group rely heavily on L1 to deal with word meaning because of the limitation of their vocabulary yet readers in advanced-level group tend to use more L1 to associate semantic meaning in the process of L2 reading. Participants in advanced-level group usually read several of sentences and skim or scan information which is regard as not useful and import while participants in low-level and intermediate-level group usually read almost all the sentences and try to comprehend all of them regardless of their importance. In light of the findings generated by the study, teachers may have different perspectives while dealing with students’ reading activities. Since L1 thinking generally exists in the process of L2 reading, we should pay more attention to how to guide students to utilize L1 facilitating reading according to different students.

Published in English Language, Literature & Culture (Volume 5, Issue 4)
DOI 10.11648/j.ellc.20200504.15
Page(s) 154-158
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

L1 Thinking, L2 Reading, Think-aloud Protocols, Different Levels of English Proficiency

References
[1] Cohen, A. D. (1995). In which language do/should multilinguals think? Language, Culture and Curriculum 8; 99-133J. Clerk Maxwell, A Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism, 3rd ed., vol. 2. Oxford: Clarendon, 1892, pp. 68–73.
[2] Cook, V. J. (1992). Evidence for multicompetence. Language Learning 42: 557-91.
[3] Ellis, R. (1994). Understanding Second Language Acquisition. Oxford: Oxford University K. Elissa, “Title of paper if known,” unpublished.
[4] Dole, J. A., Duffy, G. G., Roehler, L. R., & Pearson, P D. (1991). from the Old to the New: Research on Reading Comprehension Instruction. Review of Educational Research, 61, 239-264.
[5] Stern, H. (1992). Issues and Options in Language Teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
[6] Kern, R. G. (1994). The role of mental translation insecond language reading. Studies in Second Language Acquisition 16: 441-61.
[7] Cohen, A. D. (1998). Strategies in Leaning and Using a Second Language.
[8] Gass, S. M. & Selinker, L. (1983). Language Transfer in Language Learning. Issues in Second Language Research. Newbury House Publishers, Inc.
[9] Faerch, C. & G. Kasper. (1987). Introspection in Second Language Research. Clevendon, Philadelphia: Multilingual Matters Ltd.
[10] Auerbach, E. R. (1993). Reexaming English only in the ESL Classroom. TESOL Quarterly, 27 (1).
[11] Polio, C. (1994). Comments on Elsa Roberts Auerbach’s “Reexaming English only in the ESL Class Reacts”. TESOL Quarterly, 28 (1), 153-161.
[12] Matsumoto, K. (1993). Verbal-report data and introspective methods in second language research: State of the art. RELC Journal, 24, 32-59.
[13] Vygotsky, L. S. (1978) Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. (Original work published in 1934).
[14] Cummins, J. (1980). Psychological Assessment of Immigrant Children: Logic or Intuition? Journal of multilingual and multicultural development, 1, 97-111.
[15] Cummins, A. (1986). Intentional learing as a principle for ESL writing instruction: A case study. TESL Canadian Journal. Speciss.
[16] Guo Chunjie & Liu Fang. (1997). A Dynamic Research into L1 Influence on L2. Modern Foreign Languages, (2): 30- 38.
[17] Horiba, Y. (1996). Comprehension processes in L2 reading. Studies of Second Language Acquisition, 18, 433-475.
[18] Upton, T. A. (1997). First and second language use in reading comprehension strategies of Japanese ESL students. TESL-EJ 3: 7-17.
[19] Upton, T. A. (1998). “Yuk, the skin of insects!” Tracing sources of errors in L2 reading comprehension. Journal of College Reading and Learning 29: 5-20.
[20] Seng, G., & Hashim, F. (2006). Use of L1 in L2 reading comprehension among tertiary ESL learners. Reading in a Foreign Language, 18 (1), 29-54.
[21] Wang Wenyu & Wen Qiufang. (2002). L1 use in the L2 composing process: An exploratory study of 16 Chinese EFL writers. Journal of PLA University of Foreign Languages, (4): 64-67.
[22] Wang, Yenhui. (2016). Reading Strategy Use and Comprehension Performance of More Successful and Less Successful Readers: A Think-Aloud Study. Educational Sciences: Theory and Practice, 16 (5), 1789-1813.
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  • APA Style

    Tian Tian. (2020). L1 Thinking in Reading Process of Chinese College Students at Different Levels of English Proficiency. English Language, Literature & Culture, 5(4), 154-158. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ellc.20200504.15

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    Tian Tian. L1 Thinking in Reading Process of Chinese College Students at Different Levels of English Proficiency. Engl. Lang. Lit. Cult. 2020, 5(4), 154-158. doi: 10.11648/j.ellc.20200504.15

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    AMA Style

    Tian Tian. L1 Thinking in Reading Process of Chinese College Students at Different Levels of English Proficiency. Engl Lang Lit Cult. 2020;5(4):154-158. doi: 10.11648/j.ellc.20200504.15

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ellc.20200504.15,
      author = {Tian Tian},
      title = {L1 Thinking in Reading Process of Chinese College Students at Different Levels of English Proficiency},
      journal = {English Language, Literature & Culture},
      volume = {5},
      number = {4},
      pages = {154-158},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ellc.20200504.15},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ellc.20200504.15},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ellc.20200504.15},
      abstract = {The paper adopts think-aloud method to record the thinking process of Chinese college students of different levels when they are reading English materials. The think-aloud protocols are transcribed, and the L1 thinking in their reading process is analyzed. The results are as follows: Readers at different levels apply L1 thinking in their L2 reading process to deal with vocabulary and sentence in different ways. Readers in low-level and intermediate-level group rely heavily on L1 to deal with word meaning because of the limitation of their vocabulary yet readers in advanced-level group tend to use more L1 to associate semantic meaning in the process of L2 reading. Participants in advanced-level group usually read several of sentences and skim or scan information which is regard as not useful and import while participants in low-level and intermediate-level group usually read almost all the sentences and try to comprehend all of them regardless of their importance. In light of the findings generated by the study, teachers may have different perspectives while dealing with students’ reading activities. Since L1 thinking generally exists in the process of L2 reading, we should pay more attention to how to guide students to utilize L1 facilitating reading according to different students.},
     year = {2020}
    }
    

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    AU  - Tian Tian
    Y1  - 2020/12/22
    PY  - 2020
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ellc.20200504.15
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    JF  - English Language, Literature & Culture
    JO  - English Language, Literature & Culture
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    EP  - 158
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2575-2413
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ellc.20200504.15
    AB  - The paper adopts think-aloud method to record the thinking process of Chinese college students of different levels when they are reading English materials. The think-aloud protocols are transcribed, and the L1 thinking in their reading process is analyzed. The results are as follows: Readers at different levels apply L1 thinking in their L2 reading process to deal with vocabulary and sentence in different ways. Readers in low-level and intermediate-level group rely heavily on L1 to deal with word meaning because of the limitation of their vocabulary yet readers in advanced-level group tend to use more L1 to associate semantic meaning in the process of L2 reading. Participants in advanced-level group usually read several of sentences and skim or scan information which is regard as not useful and import while participants in low-level and intermediate-level group usually read almost all the sentences and try to comprehend all of them regardless of their importance. In light of the findings generated by the study, teachers may have different perspectives while dealing with students’ reading activities. Since L1 thinking generally exists in the process of L2 reading, we should pay more attention to how to guide students to utilize L1 facilitating reading according to different students.
    VL  - 5
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    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • School of Foreign Languages and Cultures, Beijing Wuzi University, Beijing, China

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