Multi-disciplinary perspectives in teaching FL reading skills

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to discuss theoretical perspectives which have exerted most impact on empirical research and education concerning foreign language literacy. Two theoretical orientations are the foci of the article: a psycholinguistic perspective, which views reading as a mental process during which the reader constructs his own representation of the text and a socio-cultural orientation, which emphasises the importance of varied social and historical contexts in text production and text reception. In relation to each theoretical perspective, the role of the text, the reader and the writer in the reading situation is discussed. The presentation of the two theoretical positions leads to a discussion of teaching implications suggested by each theoretical perspective. Examples of didactic materials and teaching activities applied in contemporary educational contexts are discussed. The paper argues for viewing literacy as a complex concept and suggests an extended conceptualisation of reading as an interaction of cognitive and social factors.