2012 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
The Process of Constructing Mental Representations: Investigating the Units of Inferences Activated in Japanese EFL Reading
| Project/Area Number |
21520632
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Foreign language education
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| Research Institution | University of Tsukuba |
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Principal Investigator |
USHIRO Yuji 筑波大学, 人文社会系, 教授 (60271722)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2009 – 2012
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| Keywords | リーディング / 読解プロセス / 心的表象 / 推論 |
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| Research Abstract |
The present study aimed to identify the units of inferences activated by Japanese learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) in reading, and to examine the process by which they constructed coherent situation models through integrating inferences into their mental representations. The results of three experiments showed that Japanese EFL learners made bridging and predictive inferences and associated them with textbase understandings. Moreover, the process of constructing mental representations involved revising prior situation models into new ones by using these inferences. Evidence also demonstrated the effects of learner factors (e.g., proficiency, and higher-level and lower-level reading skills) and text factors (e.g., flashback and causal relatedness) on the course of reading processes. These findings suggest that teachers should carefully take into account EFL learners’ reading processes whenconstructing coherent understandings of texts in a classroom instruction.
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Research Products
(18 results)
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[Journal Article] Activation and encoding of bridging and predictive inferences in EFL reading comprehension.2012
Author(s)
Ushiro, Y., Nahatame, S., Hasegawa, Y., Shimizu, H., Kimura, Y., Tanaka, Y., & Nakagawa, C.
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Journal Title
The Japan Association of College English Teachers Journal
Volume: 54
Pages: 33-52
Peer Reviewed
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[Journal Article] How Japanese EFL readers revise their situation models: Focusing on reading skills and the causal structure of texts.2012
Author(s)
Ushiro, Y., Hasegawa, Y., Nahatame, S., Shimizu, H., Takaki, S., Hamada, A., &Nakagawa, C.
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Journal Title
Annual Review of English Language Education in Japan
Volume: 23
Pages: 105-120
Peer Reviewed
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[Journal Article] Effects of flashback on Japanese EFL readers' narrative comprehension.2011
Author(s)
Ushiro, Y., Kai, A., Shimizu, H., Hoshino, Y., Nahatame, S., Hasegawa, Y., Yano, K., & Nakagawa, C.
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Journal Title
Annual Review of English Language Education in Japan
Volume: 22
Pages: 111-126
Peer Reviewed
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[Journal Article] Disambiguation of homonyms by EFL readers: The effects of primary meaning and context interpretation.2010
Author(s)
Ushiro, Y., Hoshino, Y., Shimizu, H., Kai, A., Nakagawa, C., Watanabe, F., & Takaki, S.
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Journal Title
Annual Review of English Language Education in Japan
Volume: 21
Pages: 161-170
Peer Reviewed
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[Journal Article] Effects of causal networks on on-line and off-line narrative comprehension among Japanese EFL readers.2010
Author(s)
Ushiro, Y., Shimizu, H., Kai, A., Nakagawa, C., Takaki, S., Kobayashi, M., Satake, N., & Takano, D.
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Journal Title
The Japan Association of College English Teachers Journal
Volume: 51
Pages: 39-53
Peer Reviewed
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[Journal Article] Effects of reading perspective on EFL learners' summary writing and importance rating.2009
Author(s)
Ushiro, Y., Kai, A., Nakagawa, C., Watanabe, F., Hoshino, Y., & Shimizu, H.
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Journal Title
Annual Review of English Language Education in Japan
Volume: 20
Pages: 11-20
Peer Reviewed
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[Journal Article] Comparing effects of two types of vocabulary knowledge on six question types in reading tests among Japanese EFL learners.2009
Author(s)
Ushiro, Y., Hirai, N., Hoshino, Y., Nakagawa, C., Kai, A., Ide, M., Oki, T., Suzuki, S., Terada, Y., Takaki, S., & Shimizu, H.
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Journal Title
The Japan Language Testing Association Journal
Volume: 12
Pages: 104-115
Peer Reviewed
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