An Introspective Study of Arabic and Mandarin-Speakers’ Reading Comprehension Strategies

Abstract

Little L2 reading strategy research has explored the effect of linguistic and cross-cultural differences on strategic reading habits. This study attempted to fill this void by examining the reading strategies that Arabic and Mandarin speaking immigrants employed when reading and answering Canadian Language Benchmarks Assessment reading comprehension items. A chi-square analysis of their bottom-up and top-down strategy use revealed that the Mandarin-speakers used bottom-up strategies significantly more than expected, whereas the Arabicspeakers used top-down strategies more than expected. The findings of the study are discussed in the light of earlier research, and some preliminary implications for reading strategy instruction, strategy training studies, and test development practices are suggested.