Sentence-Level Expectancy as an Aid to Advanced Reading
Mary Eleanor Pierce · TESOL Quarterly · 1973
One of the greatest problems for advanced EFL/ESL students is the transition from specially-prepared reading material to textual material prepared for native speakers. This is particularly true for college students, who must learn to cope with college-textbook prose as quickly as possible. Expectancy based on structural redundancy is presented as an aid in interpreting the complex sentence patterns found in textbooks. Expectancy is an important factor in recognizing normal sentence patterns as well as functional relationships between the sentence parts. An analysis of textbook sentences shows that, despite structural complexities within the sentence parts, expectancy for normal patterning can be applied. Internal complexities are seen as expansions of expectancy; variations in patterning are seen as violations of expectancy. Procedures are suggested for introducing students to the application of expectancy. Particular emphasis is placed on identification of the subject as an arbitrary functional unit from which the rest of the sentence must develop. It is also suggested that awareness of the reasons for highly complex sentences can increase student understanding.