Post-reading activity as an aid to learning from text

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to compare the effects of two kinds of post-reading tasks on learning from expository texts in a second or a foreign language. Sixteen students from a class studying academic English at the tertiary level were randomly assigned to two groups. Each group was exposed to two post-reading conditions over a period of eight weeks. The two conditions were (a) interactive tasks that reviewed the content of a focus text and (b) additional reading where students read a second and a third text that complemented the focus text. Sixteen topics were alternated with the two approaches to post-reading work in order to control for effects of topic and text. Analysis of variance indicated that on some occasions interactive tasks were more effective than additional reading in helping students to learn from texts. However, on other occasions, the reverse was true. A follow-up analysis suggested that interactive tasks are likely to be effective when their design helps students to select, organize, and rehearse information. Additional reading can achieve similar effects if students employ study tactics that integrate information and if the texts overlap in content so as to provide repetition of information in paraphrased form. The study also demonstrated a procedure for enhancing a reading course by selecting one component and subjecting it to action research.