Summary of Fitzgerald’s “English-as-a-Second Language Learner’s Cognitive Reading Processes: A Review of the Research in the United States”
Summary of Fitzgerald’s “English-as-a-Second Language Learner’s Cognitive Reading Processes: A Review of the Research in the United States” In this article, Jill Fitzgerald reviews the research on English-as-a-Second Language (ESL) learners in the United States to date (1995) [1] . She notes that ethnic and racial diversity continues to increase in our country; thus educators’ concerns about ESL students and their instruction continues to rise. Out of necessity, there has been a growth in ESL research, research that explores various aspects of the ESL learner and instruction. This article is mainly concerned with characterizing and making sense of research pertaining to ESL learners and their cognitive processes during reading. In this research review, Fitzgerald uses the federal definition of ‘limited English proficient’ as given in public law 100-297 (146). To be categorized as such, a person needs to meet the following criteria: a.) not born in