33.909, FYI: Virtual Talk: Tracking Reading in a Second Language: Perspectives from a University Bridging Program

Wed Mar 9 08:24:33 UTC 2022

LINGUIST List: Vol-33-909. Wed Mar 09 2022. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 33.909, FYI: Virtual Talk: Tracking Reading in a Second Language: Perspectives from a University Bridging Program

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Date: Wed, 09 Mar 2022 03:24:10
From: Chia-Yu Lin [ariealrc at mcmaster.ca]
Subject: Virtual Talk: Tracking Reading in a Second Language: Perspectives from a University Bridging Program

The Centre for Advanced Research in Experimental and Applied Linguistics
(ARiEAL) is housed within the Faculty of Humanities at McMaster University,
Canada. The next ARiEAL Speaker Series (Monday, March 21, 2022, 1:30-3:00 ET)
will be delivered online by Drs. Anna Moro and Daniel Schmidtke. Dr. Anna Moro
is Associate Professor in the Department of Linguistics and Languages,
founding director of the MELD, MERGE and MODEL Programs, director of the
Bilingualism Lab in ARiEAL, and former Associate Dean, Academic, in the
Faculty of Humanities, McMaster University. In the past several years, she has
focused on the development of new programs across disciplines and faculties,
on the strengthening of the student experience, and on international student
education. Her current research program uses experimental methods to examine
and improve language development among university-level second language
learners. Dr. Daniel Schmidtke is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of
Linguistics and Languages, and is affiliated with the MELD Programs and
ARiEAL. He conducts research in experimental psycholinguistics and corpus
linguistics. His research has applied the eye-tracking technique to
investigate the influence of linguistic, cognitive, and experiential factors
on complex word identification, passage reading fluency and text
comprehension. His current research uses eye-tracking to examine the
development of English reading skill in ESL students enrolled in the MELD
programs.

Abstract:
Increasing numbers of EAL (English as an additional language) international
students enter university via institution-specific bridging programs, yet
there is extremely limited research on the effectiveness of such programs, and
on the language gains that are possible for participants. McMaster’s bridging
program, MELD, has benefited from a comprehensive quality assurance research
program that tracks the within-individual development of language skills
across successive cohorts of the program. Drs. Moro and Schmidtke will present
three longitudinal studies of reading development among EALs. In the first
study, an investigation of word reading behaviour using eye movement measures,
the MELD research team presents evidence of a shift from a sub-lexical to a
holistic word processing strategy, particularly for students with stronger
incoming phonological awareness skills. The second study, a multi-cohort study
of ~400 students, focuses on passage reading behaviour and comprehension, with
a view to tracking students’ developmental trajectories in relation to
incoming reading ability. The final study considers the role that reading
experience plays on reading speed across the program. Using weekly reading
habits data, the MELD research team examines how individual differences in the
number of English readings students complete during the program translate into
individual variability in reading speed gains. In the talk, Drs. Moro and
Schmidtke will highlight how each study contributes to what we know about
second language reading. They will also highlight the full circle relationship
that exists between the bridging program and the research program: insights
from the research program inform the bridging program and bridging program
effectiveness motivates the research program.

Registration is required for this FREE event. Please RSVP at the ARiEAL Zoom
page to receive your personalized confirmation email:
https://mcmaster.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAvceypqDkpG9UvOZzMFxWOJ0xlphddW3c-
e

Linguistic Field(s): Applied Linguistics
                     General Linguistics
                     Psycholinguistics

Subject Language(s): English (eng)

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