Mental imagery, motivation and reading in a foreign language

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17398/1988-8430.28.127

Keywords:

second language reading, mental imagery, motivation, interest.

Abstract

Neural research points to a new direction in the study of the human mind and mental imagery seems to be a component of thought underlying every act of knowledge. In consonance with this evidence, some educational approaches are advocating the use of mental images in the classroom in order to aid in comprehension and recall. This new neural evidence presents an epistemological challenge both to the empirical and the theoretical realm, implying the promotion and development of research studies to check its applicability to different areas of learning together with the revision of the existent learning theories incorporating the new research findings. In line with this neural evidence, a cuasi-experimental study (n=223) was designed in order to analyse the incidence of mental imagery instruction on reading skill in a foreign language (English) and the degree of correlation to interest in the FL. The experimental group received treatment in mental imagery generation and manipulation, whereas the control group kept the traditional reading activities of the course. Different gathering information tools were used: reading part of the TOEFL, visual vividness imagery questionnaire, and a group of qualitative tools (questionnaires, interviews, and observation rubric). The UNIANOVA analysis shows a significant increase in the reading ability of the experimental group together with an increase in the interest measures on the experimental group.

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2018-09-14

How to Cite

Mental imagery, motivation and reading in a foreign language. (2018). TEJUELO. Didactics of Language and Literature. Education, 28, 127-160. https://doi.org/10.17398/1988-8430.28.127