Abstract
This chapter looks at expository text models and the way they are applied in foreign language (FL) research and teaching. First, a short history of how mental model perspectives developed is presented. The characteristics of the Kintsch (1974) model, an example of an earlier model, are discussed. It is emphasized that unlike earlier models, which examine the connection of text structure with text memory but fail to account for how readers comprehend expository texts, the more recent approaches focus on the construction of comprehension, i.e., they account for mental representations of text and describe and explain the processes that are involved in this construction. As an example of a more recent mental model of reading, Britton’s (1994) grammar of exposition is discussed. Its usefulness in reading comprehension studies is elucidated. As an example of such research, the study conducted by the author of the paper is presented. The paper ends with some suggestions concerning the use of the model in pedagogy, particularly in relation to developing FL learners’ awareness of text structure and enhancing the understanding of the writer’s strategies to express meaning.
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Kusiak-Pisowacka, M. (2016). Mental Model Theories in Reading Research and Instruction. In: Chodkiewicz, H., Steinbrich, P., Krzemińska-Adamek, M. (eds) Working with Text and Around Text in Foreign Language Environments. Second Language Learning and Teaching. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33272-7_2
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