L2 Reading Ability: Further Insight into the Short-Circuit Hypothesis

The notion of a language proficiency threshold that short circuits the transfer of reading ability from the native language (L1) to foreign or second language (L2) reading was first discussed by Clarke in 1979 and later by Laufer and Sim (1985), Carrell (1991), and Bossers (1992). Questions remain as to the precise interaction of L1 reading ability and L2 proficiency in L2 reading comprehension, notably in different kinds of reading tasks. These two factors functioned as independent variables in this study wherein 53 French university students read preprofessional English texts. Both cognitive complexity of tasks and students' L2 proficiency levels were allowed to vary, and although both predictor variables showed statistically significant relationships to the dependent variable, their relative importance appeared to depend on the reading task as well as on the readers' L2 proficiency. The more difficult the task, the more important L2 knowledge became, but it could not be affirmed that L1 reading ability gains importance as L2 language proficiency increases toward threshold level. Finally, French students were compared with a similar sample of 28 native speakers. Pedagogical implications revolve around adapting teaching to reading purposes and to strategy training.