READING STRATEGIES USED BY ADVANCED KOREAN AND CHINESE ESL GRADUATE STUDENTS: A CASE STUDY

Abstract

Research in second language acquisition and reading in particular indicate that certain literacy skills transfer across languages. This study examines the reading strategies used by advanced Korean and Chinese ESL learners. Particular attention is devoted to how word recognition and processing skills developed in learners ’ native languages (L1) may influence the type of strategies used in determining meanings of unfamiliar words when reading in English (L2). Given that Korean is an alphabetic language and Chinese is an ideographic language, we hypothesize that Korean ESL learners would generally use phonological processing strategies, while Chinese ESL learners would generally use visual-orthographic processing strategies. Six graduate-level students, three from each language background, were asked to read two different texts. Through oral recall, structured interviews, and questionnaire of reading strategies, we examine the kinds of strategies used and the level of comprehension achieved by the participants. Findings confirm the hypothesis that Korean ESL learners tend to rely on phonological, while Chinese ESL learners tend to rely on visual-orthographic strategies when reading English texts. The learners ’ English language proficiency, however, may be a more important factor contributing to the level of L2 reading comprehension achieved rather than the strategies used.