Chapter 5. Addressing text difficulty in novice L2 digital social reading
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Jim Law
Abstract
Data from L2 digital social reading (DSR) can reveal textual features that increase literary discussion, with text difficulty shown to be a key inhibiting factor. Using DSR, 200 beginning university French students annotated lyrics to six songs of varying difficulty, with words beyond students’ expected proficiency levels glossed in English. No inverse relationship was found between four measures of text difficulty and the use of literary affordances, suggesting that glossing effectively allows beginning French learners to engage in literary discussion of texts through DSR beyond their current proficiency level. Analysis of other textual features leads to recommendations that teachers of beginning L2 learners hoping to maximize literary discussion should prioritize multimedia texts with cultural specificity and should embrace texts of higher difficulty provided that glosses are added as needed.
Abstract
Data from L2 digital social reading (DSR) can reveal textual features that increase literary discussion, with text difficulty shown to be a key inhibiting factor. Using DSR, 200 beginning university French students annotated lyrics to six songs of varying difficulty, with words beyond students’ expected proficiency levels glossed in English. No inverse relationship was found between four measures of text difficulty and the use of literary affordances, suggesting that glossing effectively allows beginning French learners to engage in literary discussion of texts through DSR beyond their current proficiency level. Analysis of other textual features leads to recommendations that teachers of beginning L2 learners hoping to maximize literary discussion should prioritize multimedia texts with cultural specificity and should embrace texts of higher difficulty provided that glosses are added as needed.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- List of contributors vii
- Chapter 1. Introduction 1
-
Section I. Focusing on learners
- Chapter 2. Examining graduate students’ positioning identities in collaborative digital annotation tools 22
- Chapter 3. Critical historical literacy in world languages through digital social reading 48
- Chapter 4. Incorporating mindfulness into multiliteracies pedagogy 74
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Section II. Texts, tasks, and teachers
- Chapter 5. Addressing text difficulty in novice L2 digital social reading 104
- Chapter 6. Digital social reading annotations as evidence of L2 proficiency 128
- Chapter 7. Developing digital social reading in source‑based writing 153
- Chapter 8. Conclusion 179
- Index 193
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- List of contributors vii
- Chapter 1. Introduction 1
-
Section I. Focusing on learners
- Chapter 2. Examining graduate students’ positioning identities in collaborative digital annotation tools 22
- Chapter 3. Critical historical literacy in world languages through digital social reading 48
- Chapter 4. Incorporating mindfulness into multiliteracies pedagogy 74
-
Section II. Texts, tasks, and teachers
- Chapter 5. Addressing text difficulty in novice L2 digital social reading 104
- Chapter 6. Digital social reading annotations as evidence of L2 proficiency 128
- Chapter 7. Developing digital social reading in source‑based writing 153
- Chapter 8. Conclusion 179
- Index 193
