Comprehending Comprehension: the key role of Expectancy Grammar in Second Language Education

Abstract

The present study investigates the main processes involved in second language comprehension and the crucial contribution of Expectancy Grammar. Comprehension results from the interaction between the text and the understander who actively constructs the meaning of the text by sampling minimal language cues based on her/his expectations, predicting what will come next and confirming or adjusting the hypotheses as the sampling proceeds. This hypothesis formulating ability is governed by the three main components of the Expectancy Grammar: a. knowledge of the language, includes basic processes such as word recognition and parsing as well as higher level processes such as textual coherence and cohesion; b. knowledge of the world, defines how previous knowledge is stored in our minds and can facilitate comprehension and assimilation of new information; c. communicative competence, enables readers/listeners to strategically use their knowledge to reach comprehension. The bulk of the study is devoted to analysing in depth each of the three components of the Expectancy Grammar and their role in second language comprehension. The final chapter of the study is intended to provide second language teachers with a list of activities to acquire comprehension strategies and master Expectancy Grammar, suggestions for awareness-raising reflection and three real worksheets specifically designed for second language beginners to stimulate their Expectancy Grammar.