@inproceedings{6924432,
  abstract     = {{Worldwide, higher education is under pressure for adopting English as the teaching language (L2). These students process learning content in a language different from their mother tongue (L1). This challenges students and invokes cognitive costs. It is unclear how severe this cost is as compared to L1 processing and whether the cost can be countered by educational interventions. 
The present study centres on the differential impact of reading strategy instruction during studying an L1/L2 text (activate prior knowledge, define unknown concepts, graphical organizer). 
The research involves 200 first year university students and builds on a 2 x 2 quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design. Students participate in two iterations of the same research design. Students are - on each occasion - assigned randomly to four conditions, building on two research variables: L1 versus L2 and with or without reading strategy instruction. Students read study texts in view of taking a performance test at the end. Prior knowledge is determined one week before the intervention, to avoid priming. 
The actual study builds on a pretest, the intervention and a posttest. The pretest centres on gender and L2 motivational orientations, next to foreign language experiences, L1/L2 vocabulary proficiency and self-perceived proficiency level. The posttest centres on cognitive load, their actual use (if applicable) of the reading strategies and a performance posttest. Prior knowledge and posttest performance are measured with MC and open-ended questions, checking retention and application. 
Hypotheses build on cognitive load theory, theories about competition for working memory resources in L1 and L2 and reading strategy instruction. ANCOVA and regression analysis are being applied to test differences in learning performance, considering prior knowledge, time-on-task, cognitive load, and L1/L2 language proficiency. 
Theoretical and practical implications are presented to guide future research, theory development and practice.}},
  author       = {{De Bruyne, Ellen and Valcke, Martin}},
  booktitle    = {{Language in Focus, LIF, Abstracts}},
  keywords     = {{higher education,cognitive costs,working memory,content learning,reading strategy instruction,L1/L2}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  location     = {{Cappadocia, Turkey}},
  title        = {{When the teaching language is not your mother tongue in higher education: The potential of reading strategy instruction to cope with L2 challenges}},
  year         = {{2015}},
}