Referential strategy training for second language reading comprehension of Japanese texts

Coreferential ties play an important role in extended discourse by connecting different sentences in the text mediated by common referents. Yet monitoring referential ties is a problematic area, causing miscomprehension in L2 (second language) reading. One factor involved in this problem is the variation of cohesive devices of coreferentiality among different languages. This study examines whether or not strategy training that orients students' attention toward referential processes will help them comprehend a Japanese narrative. Two groups of students enrolled in a fourth-semester Japanese course participated in this study. The experimental group received in-class strategy training that focused on solving referential problems and using syntactic and discourse cues. For a posttest, the students were asked to read a Japanese narrative and to rewrite the contents in English. The results show that the experimental group of students comprehended the story at the macro level significantly better than the control group of students. These results suggest that strategy training that directs students to focus on monitoring referential ties is beneficial to L2 readers' reading comprehension.