Schema activation through pre-reading activities: teaching proverbs in L2

Abstract

Although educators are aware that the use of pre-reading activities can prompt schemata and therefore enhance the reading process in a foreign language (e.g., Aebersold; Field, 2007; Johnson, 1982; Langer, 1981), planning an effective pre-reading activity may pose a challenge. In this article, we discuss how students’ schemata on proverbs can be activated through pre-reading activities by promoting text structure awareness (e.g., Grabe; Stoller, 2011) and exploring cultural aspects embedded in proverbs in their first(s) language(s). This study proposes a pre-reading activity for the teaching of proverbs in a Portuguese as a foreign language class in a multilingual context, in which minimal interference from the teacher is required and dialogical interaction among students is promoted. The activity was applied in an intermediate class of Portuguese learners in an American university. The pre-reading activity was designed in order to help students establish a well-grounded basis before they encounter proverbs in Portuguese, from both formal and content perspectives. This study also analyzes the students’ feedback, collected in an online survey. The analysis shows an overwhelmingly positive response to the pre-reading activity.