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Schema Theory and ESL Reading Pedagogy
Author(s) -
CARRELL PATRICIA L.,
EISTERHOLD JOAN C.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
tesol quarterly
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.737
H-Index - 91
eISSN - 1545-7249
pISSN - 0039-8322
DOI - 10.2307/3586613
Subject(s) - schema (genetic algorithms) , reading comprehension , reading (process) , psychology , linguistics , comprehension , computer science , philosophy , machine learning
This article discusses the important role of background knowledge in a psycholinguistic model of EFL/ESL reading and demonstrates the relevance of schema‐theoretic views of reading to the teaching of reading to EFL/ESL students. According to schema theory, reading comprehension is an interactive process between the text and the reader's prior background knowledge (Adams and Collins 1979, Rumelhart 1980). Reading comprehension involves one's knowledge of the world, which may be culturally based and culturally biased. Classroom implications of the schema‐theoretic view of reading for EFL/ESL reading pedagogy are discussed, with techniques suggested for bringing about reader‐centered EFL/ESL reading.