The Role Of Mother Tongue In English Reading

The present study investigates the reading processes of twenty-one English learners in China by a case-study approach.It aims to find out the distinct nature of second language reading and the role of MT(mother tongue,the same to L1,the first language in this study)in SLA(second language acquisition).The data of the two reading tasks is collected by think-aloud method,retrospective method,questionnaire and interview.Then the think-aloud protocols are analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively.And the impacts of reading task type and English proficiency on MT use are also discussed.Specifically,four questions are addressed in this study.1.How is MT used in the FL(foreign language,the same to L2,second language in this study)reading process of EFL(English as foreign language)learners in China?2.What specific roles does MT play in FL reading process?3.Does the bilingual nature of the FL reading process vary with such variables as the reader's FL development and the reading task type?4.What do FL learners think of their use of MT in FL learning?This thesis is composed of five chapters.Chapter One,Introduction,presents the questions that this study is exploring.The value of this study is presented in this part through the necessity of the Study.This study aims to explore the distinct nature of FL reading and understand the role of MT in FL learning.Chapter Two,Literature Review,presents the background against which the current study was developed.It first presents three important theories about reading,Which are the base of this study.In the second part,the studies about L1 influence on L2 reading are reviewed.From this overview of previous think-aloud researches,it can be seen that reading in an L2 is not a monolingual event.L2 readers have access to their L1 and use this resource as a strategy to help them comprehend an L2 text.Nevertheless,the overall role of L1 in the L2 reading process, other than for mental translation,has not been carefully studied and little is really known about the various ways that L1 is used by L2 readers.Consequently,the purpose and contribution of this study is to outline the ways in which L2 readers use their L1 in the L2 reading process beyond just mental translation,and how this use of L1 may benefit them.Chapter Three,Methodology,describes how this study was conducted and how the data was analyzed.This chapter presents in detail the research design of the study,by describing the research questions,subject selection,and procedures for collecting and analyzing data.The research questions center on how L2 readers use their L1 in the L2 reading process and what effect L1 use has on L2 reading process.The subjects involved in this study were 21 English learners at Qufu Normal University.They participated in two English reading tasks designed for this study.Data of their reading processes was collected through various research techniques such as the think-aloud method,observation and retrospective interview.The data analysis was based on the think-aloud protocols,student questionnaires and interview transcriptions.Both quantitative and qualitative methods were taken to analyze L1 use in the L2 reading process, measuring its quantity,predicting its occurrence,specifying its functions and effects on the reading process and determining the impact of such variables as L2 development and reading tasks on L1 use.Chapter Four,Results and Discussions,reports and discusses the results obtained from the study.This chapter addresses the four questions of this study.It reports on the results of MT use in FL reading process,the explicit role of MT in FL reading process,the effect of the reading task type and the reader's FL development on MT use,and the students' views on MT use.Results indicate that the FL reading process is a bilingual event and MT plays a very important part in the process.Findings of this study suggest a multifaceted role of MT in FL reading.There are six roles of MT in the study explained by the researcher.Different FL reading tasks have different demands.The more difficult the text is the more Chinese is used in the reading process.And students' FL adequacy has also effect on MT use.The most efficient students employ the least Chinese,while the low-level students use much more Chinese to help understanding.Though views on MT use may also be diversified,in this study,there was still a common idea that MT could help FL comprehension.Chapter Five,Conclusion,points about the theoretical and pedagogical implications and makes suggestions for future research.The current study has both theoretical and pedagogical values.Findings of this study enrich our knowledge of how L1 influences L2 reading and promote a better understanding of the distinct nature of L2 reading,and this in turn contributes to the development of L2 reading theories.This study also offers a new perspective to examine the role of L1 in L2 learning.Abandoning the traditional,static approach,the study adopts a dynamic,multidimensional perspective on L1 use,examining its influence at the process level. Moreover,the present study has some implications for future research.It provides detailed information about how to make best use of the think-aloud method and how to supplement it with other research techniques such as observation,retrospection and interviews.In addition,this study offers suggestions for L2 pedagogy.It shows to the teachers the bilingual feature of the FL reading and the importance of students' FL development and knowledge on reading.It is suggested that teachers should teach the students in accordance with their aptitude and help them with both linguistic and knowledge development.Another issue this study enlightens is the question of whether to use L1 in L2 learning and teaching.Modern learning and teaching methods prohibit the use of L1 in the L2 classroom.This study,however,argues for considerations about learners' L2 proficiency in making the decision on whether to use or forbid L1.Being exploratory in nature,this study has several limitations,such as the small sample size. So this study aims not to make generalizations but to generate hypotheses and stimulate research interest.Future research can be conducted,with a longitudinal design or a larger sample size,to investigate how L1 is used in L2 reading,how such use of L1 is affected by variables like reading tasks and L2 development,and how L1 use is related to L2 reading quality.Research along these lines will further promote the development of L2 reading theories and enhance our understanding of the role of L1 in SLA.