Includes bibliographical notes.

Introduction

1. Issues in reading -- Introduction -- Second language reading -- Examining some of the processes -- Synthesis of reading requirements -- Some concerns about reading that motivate this text -- Summary and conclusions -- Discussion and study questions

2. Theories and models of first language reading processes — Introduction — A Brief overview of research on reading processes — Bottom-up approaches — Top-down approaches Interactive approaches — New literacy approaches — Summary and conclusions — Discussion and study questions

3. Second and foreign language reading issues — Introduction — Views of second language reading — Research into first language and second language relationships — Summary and conclusions — Discussion and study questions

4. Reading skills — Introduction — Reading skills in the first language — Separability skills — Hierarchy of skills — On skills and their hierarchical nature in the second language literature — Lower-level processing in second language — Summary and conclusions — Discussion and study questions

5. Strategies and metacognitive skills — Introduction — Strategies and metacognition in first language research — Basic reading comprehension strategies — Metacognition and automaticity in applications of reading strategies — Metacognition and reading — Strategies and metacognition in second language reading — Second language strategy and metacognitive training — Implications for instruction — Summary and conclusions — Discussion and study questions

6. Content schema and background knowledge — Introduction — Introduction to content and cultural schema — Prior knowledge and first language reading — Content schema across cultures and languages — Cultural background — Cultural background and text complexity — Cultural background and text genre characteristics — Summary and conclusions — Discussion and study questions

7. Formal schema and second language reading — Introduction — Orthographic and phonemic knowledge — Syntax and language structure — Cohesion — Text structure — Narrative — Expository text structure — Instruction in text structure — Summary and conclusions — Discussion and study questions

8. Genre and contrastive rhetoric — Introduction — Genre — Contrastive rhetoric — Instructional approaches in genre and contrastive rhetoric — Summary and conclusions — Discussion and study questions

9. Vocabulary in second language reading — Introduction — What does it mean to know a word? — Breadth of word knowledge — Relationships of breadth and depth — Reading and first language vocabulary learning — Reading and second language vocabulary learning — Second language vocabulary and pedagogy — Dictionary use — Marginal use — Meaning-in-context vocabulary learning strategies — Summary and conclusions — Discussion and study questions

10. Reading and writing relationships — Introduction — Views of reading and writing relationships — The first language literacy skills of reading and writing — Read-to-write — Write-to-read — Reading and writing and knowing — Second language reading and writing connections — Instructional bases of reading and writing — Summary and conclusions — Discussion and study questions

11. Wrap-up of second language reading: teaching issues — Issues covered — Complexity of the issues — First and second language theories of reading — Reading skills — Strategies and metacognitive skills — Content schema and background knowledge in second language comprehension — Formal schemata in second language reading — Genre and contrastive rhetoric — Vocabulary in second language reading — Reading and writing relationships — Summary

"This handbook will be useful for both beginning and experienced teachers who want to improve their practical strategies in teaching second language reading and their understanding of the reading process. The book examines a variety of approaches from classrooms and research that are used in teaching reading, and explores teaching methods focused on strategies. Teachers are encouraged to think about their own beliefs and opinions on the nature of reading and to examine their own personal reading activities. Each chapter includes discussion and study questions designed to promote further discussion about issues raised. There are four central themes: The reading context and its familiarity will affect how the reader reads and interacts with the text; The extent to which language is a problem varies with how familiar and easy the reading task is; Learners' knowledge of the world can assist in the reading process, and is reflected in the depth and breadth of their vocabulary; The extent to which a learner's reading experience is meaningful will affect their motivation, interest, and engagement. Includes discussion questions and exercises." (Publisher's Website)