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Interactive Approaches to Second Language Reading (Cambridge Applied

Linguistics Series)

Article  in  TESOL Quarterly · December 1988

DOI: 10.2307/3587265

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Joel Walters
Hadassah Academic College
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 Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc. (TESOL)

Review
Author(s): Joel Walters
Review by: Joel Walters
Source: TESOL Quarterly, Vol. 22, No. 4 (Dec., 1988), pp. 662-663
Published by: Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc. (TESOL)
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thereader'sattentionto theimplicationsthatresearchand theory have on
actualclassroompractice.Forexample,sheemphasizestheneedforevery
teacherto promotecognitivedevelopment as well as Englishproficiency
in theLEP studentby explaining theimportant distinction JimCummins
has madebetweenbasicinterpersonal communicative skillsand cognitive-
academiclanguageproficiency.
Cantoni-Harvey's basic premise,whichshestatescarefully inchapter1
and whichshe supportsthroughout, is that"EFL methodology, which
focuses predominantly on language, is less effectivethan an ESL
approach,whichcombineslanguagewithcontent"(p. 22). Aftermaking
her point, she provides an excellentoverview of the currentESL
methodologies thatstressthe"importance of meaningovergrammar and
thepragmaticand creativeuse of English"(p. 25), suchas TotalPhysical
Response,communicative approaches,the NaturalApproach,and the
WholeLanguageApproach.
Throughherverythorough approachto theproblemof teachingLEP
studentsin contentareas,Cantoni-Harvey givesteachersencouragement
inworking withminority a conviction
students, thatsuchstudents neednot
be ignored,andthekeytoorganizing andpresenting material ina waythat
makeslearning possible.

TERESA DALLE
StateUniversity
Memphis

InteractiveApproaches to Second Language Reading (Cambridge

AppliedLinguisticsSeries).PatriciaCarrell,JoanneDevine,and David
Eskey (Eds.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1988.
Pp. xiii+ 289.

Interactive Approachesto Second LanguageReadingis organizedin

fourmajorsections, eachwithan introduction thatprovidesa precisofthe
chaptersin itas wellas a setof questionsto guidetheuntutored readerin
thefield.Morethanhalfofthecontributions to thevolumeare new,with
the remaindercomingfroma varietyof sources,includingpublished
anthologies and journals.
Aftera comprehensive introductionto theentirebook by Carrell,the
firstsectionprovidesthetheoretical context in Li readingon whichmuch
of therestofthebookis based. ThisincludesGoodman'sviewofreading
as an interactiveprocessthatoperateson severallevels-theinteraction of
language and thought, the interaction of three sources of linguistic
information (orthographic/phonological, syntactic,semantic),and the
interaction of readingand social context.The followingtwo chapters
providea comprehensive overviewof variousinteractive modelsin L1
reading, and Grabe's analysisof thedifferent dimensions of interactivity,
in thecontextof bothL1 and L2 reading,providesa transition to theL2
aspectsofthebook.

662 TESOL QUARTERLY

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 Part II containsfourchaptersthataddresstheoreticalissues in L2
reading.The lead chapter(Carrelland Eisterhold)followsup Anderson
and Pearson'schapterfromtheprevioussection,lookingat theinteraction
of readerand textina schema-based viewof L2 reading.Eskey'schapter
keeps the volumeintellectually honest;he talksof the specialneed for
rapid and accuratedecodingof languagein L2 reading,providinga
balancetothemoretop-downorientation ofsomeoftheotherchapters. In
thenextchapter,Carrelldiscussesfiveareasthatshemaintains are causes
of failureto utilizetheinteractive aspectsinvolvedin reading.Finally,
Clarke'schapterlooks at proficiency in L2 readingand, like Eskey's,
emphasizestext-based aspectsofreadingina secondlanguage.
The empiricalresearchsectionof the book (Part III) is somewhat
disappointing, threeofthesixchapterscomingfromstudiesconducted10
yearsago. This,however,may be morea reflection of thestateof the
empiricalartthananything else.Moreover, thissectiondoes discussa wide
rangeof researchmethodsextantin L2 readingresearch(oral reading
analysis,recall,interview techniques, shortanswersto
cloze, gap filling,
questions,cued prediction).Issuesincludetherole of different typesof
texts;schemata,or knowledge,broughtfromvariousdisciplines(English
forspecificpurposes);and oralaspectsofreading.
The greatest strength ofthevolumeis thefourth and finalsection,which
treats the pedagogical implicationsand applicationsof interactive
approachesto L2 reading.Each oftheeditorshasa chapterinthissection,
and it is herethattheuniquelyL2 perspective on readingcomesthrough
the strongest, forexample,therole of thefirstlanguagein L2 reading,
proficiency and its influenceon text-basedaspectsof reading,and the
natureofschematainL2 reading.Although theseissuesarealso treatedin
therestof thevolume,thesechaptersreferring to therespectiveauthors'
own pedagogicalinsight makethestrongest presentation.
Parenthetically, it is interestingto note thattheoretical issuesin L1
readinghaveprovidedan impetusforthefieldofL2 readingas expressed
in this work. Unfortunately, thisrelegatesissues like the interaction
betweenLl and L2 information (bothtextbased as well as knowledge
based) to a relatively minorrole in theoverallschemeof thingsin L2
reading.

JOEL WALTERS
Bar-Ilan University

Developing Second-LanguageSkills: Theoryand Practice (3rd ed.).

Kenneth Chastain. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich,1987.
Pp. x + 438.

I reviewedthisbook withoutexaminingearliereditionsin orderto

determinewhetherthe thirdeditioncould standon its own meritas a

BOOK NOTICES 663

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