Reading Processing Patterns of Culturally Familiar/Unfamiliar Content Schemata-Oriented Texts: An Eye-Tracking Study of EFL Learners

Through a triangulation of on-line reading processing measures along with retrospective thinking aloud (RTA), the reading processing patterns of Persian EFL learners were investigated. A number of 16 undergraduate students in two groups of advanced (n=8) and beginner (n=8) were recruited to read two types of reading texts as culturally familiar/unfamiliar schemata-oriented (CF/ CU) tasks defined for the eye-tracker. Upon doing the tasks, EFL learners participated in a Retrospective Thinking Aloud (RTA) session talking about the underlying causes of their eye movements. The qualitative data indicated that eye movements patterns of EFL learners differed along the groups rather than texts types, that is, their language proficiency was more influential than the type of texts in producing different types of processing patterns. The quantitative data containing fixations, saccades, and regressions scales showed that the two groups differed regarding fixations and regressions scales, but no significant differences were detected regarding saccadic movements. Then, a content analysis (CA) of RTAs’ voice transcriptions was run, and the main underlying causes of EFL learners’ eye movements were inquired and listed under seven categories. These findings also indicated that EFL language proficiency level affected more on the eye movement behaviors rather than the type of texts. Syllabus designers while designing materials and EFL teachers in their teaching practice might consider the findings of this study.