Schema theory research has shown importance of background knowledge within a psycholinguistic model of reading. This paper gives an overview of schema theory as part of a reader-centered, psycholinguistic processing model of EFL/ESL reading, in which we discuss how reading comprehension involves background knowledge that goes far beyond linguistic knowledge. The process of interpretation is realized by the employment of two basic modes of information processing, bottom-up and top-down processing. Then, a variety of techniques and classroom activities are suggested for accommodating this phenomenon in a reader-centered EFL/ESL reading program.
The relationship of culture-specific background knowledge and EFL/ESL reading methodology is to be explored. We illustrate this discussion of the culturally based and culturally biased nature of background knowledge with sample reading passages which have actually caused comprehension problems for EFL/ESL students. A reader's failure to activate an appropriate schema (formal or content) during reading is due to the fact that the schema, content schema in particular, culturally specific, which hinders him greatly from perfecting the reading comprehension. Some suggestions are brought forth for both ESL students and teachers to deal with the problem.
