Reviews | 293

Reading in a Second Language: Moving from Theory to

Practice (Second Edition)

By William Grabe and Junko Yamashita. Cambridge, U. K.:

Cambridge University Press, 2022. 582 pp. $39.99.

Reviewed by
Sachiko Matsunaga
This book, Reading in a Second Language: Moving from Theory to
Practice (hereafter RSL), is like a small encyclopedia on reading
comprehension, covering a wide range of relevant topics—from the
definition and theories of reading comprehension, neurocognitive
processes of reading, and cognitive, educational, sociocultural, and
institutional factors influencing reading development in L1 and L2, to
research implications on teaching and assessment in support of reading
development in L1 and L2. This is a second edition of the same title that
has twenty chapters in five parts, and each chapter has numerous sections
and subsections. At the beginning of each part and chapter, its content
coverage is pre-announced in the order of appearance, and each chapter
(except Chapter 5) concludes with relevant pedagogical implications
based on research findings. Each section or subsection is relatively short
but dense with detailed information on the given topic, which is highly
specialized when discussing theories and research, or more practical when
presenting pedagogical implications. The 486-page content is preceded by
the table of contents, lists of tables and figures, and preface, and is
followed by references, and author and subject indexes.
In the preface, the authors state two goals of the book: (1) “using
research findings to describe reading comprehension skills and inform
reading instruction” (xv); (2) providing “explanations for how fluent
reading works and how research on reading can be used to promote reading
development in both L1 and L2 reading contexts” (xvi). They then
describe the content organization in five parts: Part I (Chapters 1 to 6)
outlines “the cognitive foundations for understanding how reading
works”; Part II (Chapters 7 to 10) examines “variations in reading
abilities”; Part III (Chapters 11 to 14) highlights “the development of
reading comprehension abilities” while “addressing the major
requirements for becoming a fluent reader”; Part IV (Chapters 15 to 18)
focuses on “skills and instructions…in reading contexts”; and Part V
(Chapters 19 and 20) brings together “the research from the first four parts

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in addressing curricular and instructional contexts, and reading assessment

practices” (xvii-xviii).
The authors have at least two types of audience in writing this book:
(1) “researchers, teacher trainers, curriculum developers, and anyone
interested in L2 reading” and (2) “intrepid teachers and graduate students.”
For the latter audience, they recommend three groups of chapters for ease
of getting relevant information: Chapters 1 to 3 for building a theoretical
foundation, Chapters 10 to 14 for developing reading comprehension
abilities, and Chapters 15 to 19 for developing L2 readers’ fluency (xviii).
The authors also highlight three new chapters added to the first edition:
Chapter 5 (the neurocognition of reading), Chapter 15 (reading-writing
relationships), and Chapter 16 (digital reading), before concluding the
preface with a core message saying: “We learn to read by reading, and by
reading a lot” (xix).
Part 1, “Foundation of Reading,” identifies cognitive factors in reading,
starting with Chapter 1, “The Nature of Reading: Defining Reading.” It
first describes the nature of reading in terms of different purposes (e.g., to
learn, and search for, synthesize, evaluate, and use information) and a
definition of reading. According to the authors, reading is “a complex
combination of processes” (16) that are “rapid,” “efficient,”
“comprehending,” “interactive,” “strategic,” “flexible,” “purposeful,”
“evaluating,” “learning,” and “linguistic” (17). The chapter then offers
general implications for teaching and learning to read (e.g., “identifying
key purposes for reading and needed reading instruction to support skills
development practices” [22]) with “reading to learn” (ibid.) as a long-term
goal of curricular design, while cautioning that “there is no ‘one size fits
all’ set of recommendations for [L2] reading instruction or curriculum
development” (21). Chapter 2, “How Reading Works: The Building
Blocks of Fluency and Comprehension,” presents different types of
processing involved in word recognition—orthographic, phonological,
semantic, and morphological, as well as lexical access, syntactic parsing,
and word-to-text integration processing. The chapter offers pedagogical
recommendations focusing on developing these lower-level processes that
need to become automatic. Chapter 3, “How Reading Works:
Comprehension Processes,” addresses higher-level processing by
describing four main components: (1) “[a] ‘text representation’…[which
is] the outcome of word-to-text integration process”; (2) “a mental
representation of what the reader constructs as his/her coherent
interpretation of the text”; (3) “[a] set of processing skills and resources

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 Reviews | 295

that is often associated with WM [working memory]”; (4) “[e]xecutive

function resources beyond WM” such as “attention, inferencing, [and]
metacognitive awareness” (56-57). It then draws relevant pedagogical
implications, stressing the necessity for learners to “become strategic
readers” (83) who can monitor comprehension and repair it if needed.
In Chapter 4, “Cognitive Issues in Reading,” the authors first discuss
implicit learning (e.g., skilled readers’ automatic word recognition skills)
and explicit learning (e.g., learning word meanings by using flashcards);
the former involves repeated and extensive exposure to print, while the
latter involves direct attention to specific information to be learned and
practiced. Both are needed to develop reading skills. The authors then
touch upon: (1) the frequency of exposure and statistical learning (e.g.,
implicitly learning that ‘h’ is likely to follow ‘t’ in print); (2) associative
learning (e.g., forming semantic network relationships); (3) “Chunk-and-
Pass” processing, in which “[t]he input is chunked into larger units that
can be retained in WM for a longer period of time” (97); (4)
Connectionism, “a neural representation of what the brain might actually
do while learning a language” (98); (5) speed of processing as a reading
research measure; (6) long-term memory and background knowledge. This
is followed by pedagogical recommendations to use or provide
“appropriate background knowledge” and explore “possible inferences to
understand challenging texts better” via “a number of prereading and
during-reading activities” (109).
Chapter 5, “Neurocognitive Processing and Reading Ability,” reviews
neurolinguistic research on reading and its research methods, while
illustrating major brain structures and language-associated brain areas as
well as networks and pathways for language processing. This is followed
by an appendix, which summarizes timelines for “[f]luent, automatic word
processing and word-to-text integration (ventral) pathway” and
“[a]ttentional phonological-orthographic-semantic process route (dorsal
pathway)” (128). In Chapter 6, “Explaining Reading Comprehension:
Models of Reading,” the authors first introduce five empirically driven
models of reading: “Simple View of Reading,” “Construction-Integration
Model,” “Landscape Model of Reading,” “Verbal Efficiency Model,” and
“Reading System Framework Approach” (131). The last approach is
described as “the best overall way to translate new research on reading
comprehension and development” (140). The authors then point out the
challenges of creating frameworks specific to L2 reading comprehension,
for which greater variants such as L2 proficiency need to be considered,

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though component skills and developmental paths are very similar to L1.
This is followed by pedagogical recommendations focusing on the
development of L2 component skills, such as automatic word-recognition
skills via fluency practice, and efforts to increase learners’ exposure to
reading texts and their reading rates.
Part II, “Patterns of Variation in Reading,” examines variations in the
reading abilities of learners in different L1s and in more than one language
and explores social factors and motivation that affect reading development.
Chapter 7, “Reading in Different Languages,” identifies a number of
linguistic differences that influence reading in different languages and
describes how different orthographies represent phonological and
morphological information. Japanese, for example, “combines three script
systems to reflect syllables (Hiragana, Katakana) and morphemes in Kanji”
(153). The chapter presents “The Orthographic Depth Hypothesis” (ibid.),
which captures the impact of the depth of a script on word recognition and
its consequences on reading processes in L1, as well as other factors such
as the roles of visual processing skills, morphological awareness, and
syllable reading effects. The authors underscore the influences of L1
orthography in L2 reading development (e.g., L1-L2 transfer effects)
while also acknowledging “universal aspects of reading abilities” (162).
They conclude the chapter by advocating the “consistent inclusion of
extensive reading in the curriculum” (166) to develop automatic lower-
level processing and enhance vocabulary learning.
Chapter 8, “L1 and L2 Reading Relationship,” first describes three
major sets of differences between L1 and L2 reading: (1) linguistic and
processing differences (e.g., L2 readers having to work with resources of
two languages while developing L2 reading comprehension skills), (2)
cognitive and educational differences (e.g., L2 academic readers' highly
developed cognitive skills in L1 while lacking the amount of exposure to
L2 print in their early schooling), and (3) sociocultural and institutional
differences (e.g., different text organizations in different cultures). The
chapter then outlines similarities between L1 and L2 reading (e.g.,
language resources needed for reading comprehension and variables that
predict it) and evaluates L1 transfer theories, such as “the Independence
Hypothesis” and “the Linguistic Threshold Hypothesis” (181). After
evaluating these theories with research evidence, the authors argue that
“L2 development is a dual-language process” (191) and that “facilitation
transfer effect [of automated L1 process] supports L2 reading on an
ongoing basis” (193). This is followed by pedagogical recommendations

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 Reviews | 297

for “explicit L2 reading instruction” (ibid.) to “explore ways that L1

reading skills can support L2 reading development” (194) with consistent
implementation of “some form of extensive reading” (ibid.).
Chapter 9, “Social Contexts of Reading,” provides commentaries on:
(1) U.S. demographic information on students and reading development;
(2) societal factors influencing L1 and L2 literacy, including
socioeconomic status, family beliefs and values, and language stimulation
in the home; (3) teacher professional training and teacher effectiveness;
(4) language-minority learners in language majority K-12 schools; and (5)
ESL students in academic settings and EFL students. By putting the
contextual research into context, it then pinpoints “the very powerful
influence of early word exposure and vocabulary learning on later reading
comprehension development” (221). The authors call for more research to
be done on social factors and reading development before drawing
pedagogical implications on the needs of teachers to recognize
“sociocultural influences from both L1 and L2 social and educational
experiences” (222) of learners.
In Chapter 10, “Motivation for Reading,” the authors first define
motivation, which “involves a set of beliefs, values, and expectations, and
is associated with a set of defining behaviors [such as] engagement” (225),
and provide explanations for motivation theories, namely: “expectancy-
value theory,” “attribution theory,” “social-cognitive theory,” “global
orientation theory,” and “self-determination theory” (ibid.). They then
outline major dimensions of motivation and review recent research on
reading motivation and its relationship to comprehension in L1 and L2.
This is followed by factors that support reading motivation (e.g., “Strategy
instruction” [248]), as well as recommended pedagogical practices to
promote motivation.
In Part III, “Developing Reading Comprehension Abilities,” Chapter
11, “Vocabulary and Reading Comprehension,” explores the role of
vocabulary in development of reading skills. It presents various types of
“corpora analyses” that “provide meaningful ways to consider what
vocabulary needs to be learned, and potentially at what level” (269) and
how many English word families are expected to be achieved by L2
learners. In addition, three ways to learn words from context are provided:
(1) via incidental extensive exposure to new words, (2) use of vocabulary
learning strategies, and (3) guessing of meanings from context. The
chapter then focuses on L2 word learning, addressing “the importance of
background knowledge, passive resonance, and implicit inferencing while

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reading” (277). The authors discuss direct vocabulary instruction (e.g.,

learning key words before reading), and offer “eight key implications for
planning vocabulary instruction” (e.g., use of “visual support and mapping
techniques”) (281) while emphasizing the necessity to “engage students in
a lot of extensive reading” (282).
In Chapter 12, “Building Main Idea Comprehension: Syntax and
Strategies,” the authors first focus on syntactic knowledge and processing
skills that support the development of main idea comprehension before
identifying nine types of reading strategies that impact reading abilities
such as predicting, inferencing, using graphic organizer, and mental
translation. The authors then stress the importance of using multiple
strategies to become strategic readers and offer implications for grammar
instruction as well as strategy instruction.
Chapter 13, “Becoming a Strategic Reader,” elaborates strategies
instruction. The chapter first describes the relationship between reading
skills and strategies, combined strategies that skilled readers use, and their
metacognitive and metalinguistic awareness of, and control over these
strategies. Next, it summarizes research findings on reading strategy use
(e.g., “Reading strategies can be taught effectively” [320]) as well as
strategies used by engaged readers (e.g., “Identify important information”
[321]). It then provides discussions on the eight empirically-supported
multiple-strategy approaches to strategy instruction (e.g., “Questioning the
Author” [323]), and mentions the challenge of disciplinary reading that
requires students to become strategic readers. The chapter concludes with
pedagogical implications with general teacher guidelines for strategic
reading instruction (e.g., “Work toward automatizing strategy use for
fluent reading through practice” [336]).
In Chapter 14, “Building Awareness of Discourse Structure,” the
authors first review two historical strands of discourse research and
investigate how texts signal discourse structure by examining cohesion,
coherence, information structure, and anaphora. They then pinpoint the
importance of genres for reading comprehension of narrative and
expository texts with various discourse structures (e.g., chronological
sequence in the former and cause and effect in the latter). The chapter
highlights research findings on discourse structure and reading
comprehension, which include that: (1) “greater knowledge of connective
forms predicted reading comprehension abilities” (351), (2) “students with
a better awareness of higher-level text structuring recall more information
from the texts and recall more top-level, main idea information” (ibid.),

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and (3) “graphic representations of discourse organization enhance

reading comprehension and the learning of new information from texts”
(355). This is followed by the authors’ discussions on “[w]ays in which
the metalinguistic awareness of discourse structure can improve
comprehension and learning” in terms of “refutations,” “simplification,”
and “revision” (356), and their review of research on teaching “discourse
structure awareness” (359), all of which reported increased comprehension
and learning. Accordingly, their pedagogical recommendations include
discourse awareness activities such as use of “Discourse Based Graphic
Organizers of texts” (361).
In Part IV, “Expanding Reading Comprehension Skills,” Chapter 15,
“Reading to Learn and Reading-Writing Relationships,” reviews recent
research on the relationship between reading and writing, and answers
affirmatively to the following questions: (1) whether “reading improve[s]
writing abilities” and vice versa, (2) whether “reading and writing together
develop both skills more effectively,” (3) whether “reading more” and
“writing more improve content learning,” and (4) whether “more content
knowledge improves reading and writing skills” (373). However, the
authors conclude that more research is called for to answer the question of
whether “reading and writing together lead to better content knowledge
learning” (ibid.). Next, the chapter examines two specific “reading-
responsible writing tasks” (380) that support the development of reading
comprehension: “Summarizing and synthesizing information” (379-380),
both of which are challenging particularly to L2 learners. It then explores
intervention studies that demonstrated improved summary and synthesis
writing from sources in L1 and L2 before summarizing the research on
reading and writing relations by mentioning five key themes (e.g.,
“Reading and writing have bidirectional developmental paths” [384]).
This is followed by pedagogical suggestions focusing on “explicit
attention on reading comprehension activities with the text” with “many
practice opportunities…on reading/writing tasks,” and raising awareness
of “the tasks and corresponding expectations [e.g., to avoid plagiarism]”
by guiding students in “being responsible for text source information” and
“developing effective paraphrasing skills” (385) particularly in L2 context.
The chapter provides “a set of reading-support activities, reading-writing
support activities, and awareness support activities” for teachers “[t]o help
L2EAP [English for Academic Purposes] students succeed in their
acquisition of academic literacy” (386).

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Chapter 16, “Reading in Digital Contexts,” tackles the topics of “The

Growth of Digital Literacy” and “Print and Digital Reading in Academic
Contexts” (389-390). The chapter also presents (1) “five major distinctions
between print and digital reading, and among types of digital reading”
(390), (2) categories and variables that “need to be considered” (391) for
digital reading research, (3) assessment of digital literacy and the limits
(e.g., Internet access) to reading online, and (4) “The Unique Challenges
of Advanced Online Digital Reading” (397). The authors then provide
strategies needed to perform advanced online reading tasks such as “Avoid
distractions from the Internet environment” (399). This is followed by
pedagogical implications that include, on one hand, challenges for students
who can “become easily distracted” (401) and for teachers who “may,
themselves, feel uncomfortable with technology” (ibid.), and, on the other
hand, opportunities to “build students’ capacities to self-regulate” on
“navigation, selection, and evaluation” (402) among others.
Chapter 17, “Reading Fluency, Reading Rate, and Comprehension,”
defines fluency as “the ability to read rapidly with ease and accuracy and
to read with appropriate prosodic word stress and phrasing while
understanding the text” (404). It then discusses: (1) four components of
reading fluency (i.e., “automaticity,” “accuracy,” “rate,” and “prosodic
expression” [405]); (2) multiple settings for fluency development (e.g., L1
vs. L2); (3) L1 fluency research. It then offers L2 perspectives and
instructional research on reading fluency (particularly with repeated
reading) and pedagogical recommendations of a variety of fluency
activities, including rereading for different purposes. The authors conclude
this chapter by stating that “fluency instruction needs to be incorporated
along with vocabulary and comprehension instruction” (417), and that “a
much greater effort needs to be made with respect to L2 [fluency
development]” (ibid.). A list of L1 reading rates by grade is provided in
the appendix as a reference.
Chapter 18, “Extensive Reading” (ER), first presents research
evidence for the importance of ER (i.e., “an extensive amount of reading,
exposure to print” [419]) for developing reading comprehension, reading
fluency, and vocabulary knowledge in L1 and L2, as well as conceptual
and cultural knowledge in L1, particularly “when guided by students’
intrinsic motivation” (424) and “when carried out consistently and
appropriately over an extended period of time” (426). The chapter then
provides pedagogical recommendations to engage students in ER,
emphasizing the importance of “having students read materials that they
want to engage with and continue reading on their own” (430), while
supporting “a balanced approach, including both intensive and extensive

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reading combined with other skill-based instruction” (ibid.). It restates

here “the simple fact that one learns to read by reading (and by reading a
lot)” (ibid.).
In Part V, “Applications of Reading Research: Instruction and
Assessment,” Chapter 19, “Reading Curriculum and Instruction,” offers
“guidelines to develop coherent approaches to reading instruction by
building on the many implications suggested in the first eighteen chapters”
(433). Specifically, the chapter introduces five “Core reading curriculum
principles,” five “Reading-skills development principles,” and six
“Instructional design principles” (435). It then focuses on four reading
curricula approaches such as integration of reading and content learning
goals, arguing that “reading instruction can and should be more than a
curriculum that is driven by a textbook” (449). This is followed by a
discussion specifically on “content and reading instruction” (CRI) (448).
One of the major points touched on in the discussion is that “CRI can easily
accommodate the explicit instruction for both content and reading
development” (451), which is accompanied by key activities.
Next, the authors propose “a Six Ts approach” to build a CRI
curriculum. The six Ts represent “Themes, Topics, Texts, and Tasks,
further supported by Threads and Transitions” (457) particularly in L2
settings. “Text materials…provide the core input for themes and topics”;
“[t]hreads represent additional concepts that can be used to link content
across the themes and topics”; “[t]ransitions represent explicit linkages
from one task [day-to-day lessons and learning activities] to the next, one
text to the next, and one topic to the next” (ibid.). However, they add that
it is not easy to implement CRI, which “requires a significant commitment
to reading resources, teacher training and development, instructional time,
time for instructional preparation, instructional willingness to innovate,
and skills in developing integrated curricula” (458). They recommend
needs analysis to “determine which reading skills and academic abilities
require the highest priority, the most attention, and the most consistent
practice,” and suggest not to “overfocus on the content information and
lose sight of the reading skills development goals” (ibid.). The authors
offer closing thoughts on innovation, saying: (1) “start small”; (2) “support
teachers” with compensation and professional development opportunities;
(3) “give teachers time” and “encouragement”; (4) “bring a consultant”;
and (5) “work with teachers to create detailed action plans [for
implementation, assessment, and revision of the piloted innovations]”
(459).

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Chapter 20, “Reading Assessment,” presents a framework in which

“reading assessment is organized and described in terms of five assessment
purposes”: “Reading proficiency assessment”, “Assessment of classroom
learning” (commonly referred to as achievement testing), “Assessment for
learning” (e.g., work in groups to find the best response to a
comprehension question), “Placement and diagnostic assessment,” and
“Assessment for research purposes” (461). The chapter also explores new
reading assessment methods such as “Content and Language Assessment
for Learning,” which focuses on “comprehending reading materials and
learning new information/knowledge by integrating text content with prior
knowledge/experience” (477). The authors then discuss “Future Issues for
Reading Assessment”: specifically the recognition of the “consequences
of assessment” and the importance of “teacher training for effective and
appropriate reading assessment” (481).
This is followed by pedagogical implications with a goal “to consider
how assessment in classroom contexts can make a difference in student
learning” (483), while arguing that “appropriate and effective assessment
practices [e.g., consistent and ongoing] should lead to better student
learning” (484). The final section of this chapter emphasizes that “teachers
need to develop ways to improve timely and useful feedback as well as
help students understand that they are expected to make improvements
based on teacher feedback” (485), adding that “[t]his process is much like
what a coach provides for musicians or athletes, who then expect to
improve their performance through self-assessment” (ibid.).
To summarize, this volume presents a wealth of information across a
broad spectrum of topics relevant to reading comprehension. It covers
extensive theories and research in both L1 and L2 contexts, along with
detailed pedagogical implications. Despite its initial appearance of being
overwhelming, the book's organization into twenty chapters across five
parts, each with well-numbered sections and subsections featuring clear
titles and headings, facilitates easy navigation. It functions effectively as a
compact encyclopedia, allowing readers to directly access specific topics
of interest (e.g., Chapter 10 for motivation) and detailed information
within (e.g., 10.12 for pedagogical strategies to enhance motivation).
Alternatively, readers can opt to review the introductory sections of
chapters for an overview before delving into specific sections of interest.
For educators focused primarily on practical applications, the concluding
section of each chapter (excluding Chapter 5) offers beneficial information.
However, for more concrete instructional activities and assessment

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techniques, particularly those presented in tables, the latter portions of the

book prove most useful.
In conclusion, RSL effectively achieves its stated goals and
appropriately targets its intended audience, providing valuable insights for
both researchers and practitioners across its chapters. However, three
points merit consideration. Firstly, regarding content, the guidance on
handling orthographical challenges in reading pedagogy (discussed in
Chapters 7 and 8) may be too general, particularly for teachers of Japanese
who are encouraged to promote extensive reading with these challenges.
Secondly, a practical issue arises when using the hard copy of the book:
the abundance of acronyms (e.g., PACT, CORI, CLIL, DET, and GISA)
throughout the text, not all of which are fully spelled out in the Subject
Index, can be challenging for readers. While the online version's search
function alleviates this issue, a separate list of acronyms would enhance
accessibility and convenience. Lastly, concerning timing, the publication
in 2022 unavoidably missed the opportunity to include the impact of
generative AI (artificial intelligence) publicly released in November 2022,
which significantly influences reading, writing, and their educational
practices. If this second edition were published now with such
developments incorporated, Chapter 16 on digital reading could have been
enriched significantly and thereby appreciated greatly.

Literature in Heisei Japan, 1989 – 2019 平成文学における様々な

声

Edited by Angela Yiu. Tokyo: Sophia University Press, 2024. 310 pp.
¥2400.

Reviewed by
Francesca Pizarro
Literature in Heisei Japan, 1989–2019 presents a rich collection of
scholarly essays that showcase the broad spectrum of artistic expression
produced during the Heisei era, illuminating “the literary landscape of this
thirty-year period” and offering “a glimpse into what is new and exciting
in contemporary literature in Japan” (12). The volume contributes to the

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