Reading expository prose at the post-secondary level: The influence of textual variables on L2 reading comprehension (a genre-based approach)

Abstract

Text familiarity exerted a strong influence on the reading outcomes of 2 test groups (18 advanced and 18 high-intermediate learners) of Spanish-speaking medical students learning English as a Second Language. However, reading scores for the medical English abstracts, tested in three formats (familiar, moderately familiar, unfamiliar) showed that the effect of structural variables outweighs familiarity in conceptually difficult materials. (CNP)