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Twenty Years of Research on Second Language Reading Strategies in China: Retrospect and Prospect

Author(s)

Mengxin Zheng

Affiliation(s)

School of Foreign Languages, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, Shandong, China

Abstract

Research on second language reading strategies in China emerged in the late 1990s, with most studies conducted from the perspective of English reading learning. The main research areas cover the definition and classification of reading strategies, comparative research, impact research, research on influencing factors, applied research and theoretical foundation research. Comparative studies mainly focus on disparities in strategy application yet lack exploration into how different strategies affect learning outcomes. Impact studies indicate that certain strategies correlate with working memory capacity, while research on their influences on other learning domains remains insufficient. Studies on influencing factors have yielded limited findings and deserve more attention. Most applied studies are empirical, verifying the effectiveness of strategies in teaching practice. Theoretical research in this field is also inadequate. Future research should explore the effects of diverse strategies on learning performance, their impacts across various learning domains, the regulation and control of influencing factors, theoretical exploration for developing new strategies, as well as comprehensive interdisciplinary studies. These efforts will advance the field and improve second language learners' reading proficiency.

Keywords

Second Language Acquisition; Reading Strategies; Retrospect and Prospect

References

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