Reading in a Second Language ─ Cognitive and Psycholinguistic Issues

The book provides a comprehensive overview of the primary factors which shape the development of second language reading skills in children and adolescents. It describes the phenomenon and process of reading in a second language from linguistic, psycholinguistic and cognitive perspectives, while using research on first-language reading as a foundation. At the same time, the book acknowledges the importance of the social and educational contexts in which reading development takes place and keeps in mind the numerous exciting ways in which changes in modern society and technology are reshaping second-language reading. Important pedagogical and planning/policy implications of the surveyed research are highlighted. With its balance of theoretical, empirical, and practical/applied content, this is the ideal textbook for the graduate-level courses in reading found in second language acquisition, linguistics, educational and applied psychology, and teacher education programs.

Xi Chen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development at the University of Toronto. Her research specializes in the language and literacy development of bilingual and English Language Learners.

Vedran Dronjic is an A. W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Modern Languages at Carnegie Mellon University, where he teaches in the doctoral program in Second Language Acquisition. His research focuses on the cognitive underpinnings of language knowledge and performance, particularly morphology, the mental lexicon, and reading.

Rena Helms-Park is an Associate Professor of Linguistics at the University of Toronto Scarborough, where she teaches in the Psycholinguistics Specialist program. Her research interests lie in lexical acquisition and cross-linguistic influence.