Comprehension and Processing of Paired Sentences in Second Language Reading: A Comparison of Causal and Semantic Relatedness

Abstract

This study aimed to examine how second language (L2) readers process and comprehend paired sentences based on the causal and semantic relatedness of the sentences. Causal relatedness refers to the cause‐and‐effect relations between the events described, whereas semantic relatedness refers to the similarity of meaning conveyed by the sentences. In a pair of experiments, Japanese learners of English read 2‐sentence stories with varying causal and semantic relatedness, after which they were asked to recall the second sentence of each story using the first sentence as a cue. Mixed‐effects models with crossed random effects for participants and items revealed that the second sentence was read faster and recalled better when it was more causally related to the first sentence. Semantic relatedness also facilitated the processing times and recall of the second sentence, although the effect was limited by the effects of causal relatedness or participants’ reading skills. Theoretical and educational implications of these findings for L2 text comprehension and processing are discussed.