Background knowledge

According to the principles of the universal perspective on reading, conceptual processing is one of the reading components that do not vary from language to language. Thus, within this view background knowledge is considered universal in reading across all languages. As regards reading comprehension, background knowledge is viewed as an important factor influencing “all aspects of text-information processing” (Koda 2005: 135). Its role in the reading process has been emphasised in schema theory models, e.g., those by Minsky (1977), Schank and Abelson (1977), and Adams and Collins (1979). A fundamental assumption in those theoretical perspectives is that successful comprehension requires from the reader reconstruction of the text meaning with the aid of the knowledge that he/she brings to the text. Schemata seem to serve three functions in reading comprehension (Anderson, Reynolds, Schallert and Goetz 1977). First, schemata provide the material for filling the gaps in one's comprehension. They allow the reader to construct a coherent interpretation through inferencing. Next, schemata control the reader in his/her comprehension of an ambiguous message. Third, schemata permit meta-comprehension; by developing a correspondence between ideas suggested by schemata and those given in the text the reader monitors the process of his/her understanding and becomes aware whether he/she has understood the text. Research has looked at the role of several types of background knowledge: conceptual, domain and cultural. The most salient studies that explored the role of each type of background knowledge are discussed below.