Lexical Inferencing in a First and Second Language

Lexical inferencing is a central process in both reading comprehension and word learning through reading. This volume presents a comprehensive review of second language lexical inferencing and a major new study of first and second language lexical inferencing by speakers of Persian, French and English, focusing on first language transfer effects.

Marjorie (Mari) Wesche is a former Professor and currently an Adjunct Professor at the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute of the University of Ottawa. Her teaching and research specialties are in second language acquisition including vocabulary acquisition; language aptitude and performance-based testing; and content-based instruction including immersion. Since the early 1990s she and her colleague, Sima Paribakht, have been involved in joint research on L2 vocabulary acquisition and reading, including several major research projects involving lexical inferencing. She has published widely in all these areas.Paribakht T. Sima :

T. Sima Paribakht is a Professor at the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute of the University of Ottawa. She is currently Director of the Institute’s Academic Programs. Her current research interests include second language vocabulary development through reading, the effect of the first language on second language lexical processing, testing vocabulary knowledge, and second language vocabulary teaching. She has authored and edited several books and has published a number of book chapters and articles in these and other areas.

Marjorie (Mari) Wesche is a former Professor and currently an Adjunct Professor at the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute of the University of Ottawa. Her teaching and research specialties are in second language acquisition including vocabulary acquisition; language aptitude and performance-based testing; and content-based instruction including immersion. Since the early 1990s she and her colleague, Sima Paribakht, have been involved in joint research on L2 vocabulary acquisition and reading, including several major research projects involving lexical inferencing. She has published widely in all these areas.

T. Sima Paribakht is a Professor at the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute of the University of Ottawa. She is currently Director of the Instituteâs Academic Programs. Her current research interests include second language vocabulary development through reading, the effect of the first language on second language lexical processing, testing vocabulary knowledge, and second language vocabulary teaching. She has authored and edited several books and has published a number of book chapters and articles in these and other areas.

One valuable suggestion made by the authors in the light of this study is that when large typological distances exist, reading and vocabulary instruction should include explicit work on morphology, and even special attention to the commonest words in the L2 that are not lexicalized in the L1. Although this already exists in many ELL programs, the new Wesche and Paribakht’s study helps provide confirmatory evidence of the value of such exercises, as well as for the inferencing training that also commonly occurs in instructed L2 contexts.

Håkan Ringbom, Emeritus Professor of English, Åbo Akademi University, Finland:

In this study of lexical inference several topical and important strands in SLA research are woven together to form an impressive whole: lexical knowledge, cross-linguistic influence, reading comprehension and the difference between L1-and L2-speakers. The tests are skilfully planned and executed and lead to a convincing discussion of the results. This will be a most useful book for anyone working in the field of SLA.