Second language reading research on passage content and gender: Challenges for the intermediate-level curriculum

Second language (L2) reading research has shown that content schemata significantly influence comprehension. However, a careful examination of available studies reveals disparities among research methods and procedures, thus making it difficult to formulate theories for re-examining the intermediate-level course, where the reading of lengthy, authentic texts begins. To complicate matters further, females begin to outnumber males at the intermediate level, and this gap widens at the advanced levels (Chavez, 2001). This article - through a careful review of the relevant literature - shows that much of the L2 reading process at the intermediate level remains unexplained. Finally, a call for more research at the intermediate level that examines key variables, such as passage content and gender, is made.