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Casanave's (1988, pp. 283299) article on comprehension monitoring is reviewed in this research. The article is summarized, and the relevancy of the article for the English as a second language (ESL) teacher is assessed.

Success in reading comprehension is dependent upon a reader's abilities to both identify the essential content of that which is written and to relate that content to the formal structure of the writing (Casanave, 1988, p. 283). The acquisition of reading comprehension skills in a language other that one's native tongue is frequently a particularly difficult task. Casanave (1988, pp. 283299) drew attention to one technique that will be beneficial in the development of improved reading comprehension for some ESL students.

Casanave (1988, pp. 291296) suggests that ESL teachers incorporate comprehension monitoring into their classroom presentations. Comprehension monitoring is a form of meta cognition that permits readers to determine that comprehension is or is not occurring (Casanave, 1988, p. 288). Effectively, thus, comprehension monitoring is a form of feedback. The article includes techniques suggested by Casanave (1988, pp. 291296) for introducing comprehension monitoring into ESL instruction.

This article provides practical advice for the ESL teacher on how comprehension monitoring may be introduced into the classroom. Casanave (1988, pp. 283299) also provides an explanation of the comprehension monitoring concept and the significance of the concept for ESL teaching.

Comprehension monitoring is a concept that could lead to greater effectiveness in ESL instruction. The concept may be easily incorporated into ESL teaching without interrupting the flow of instruction and without the use of substantial additional resources.

Casanave, Christine P. (1988, June). Comprehension monitoring in ESL reading: A neglected essential. TESOL Quarterly, 22(2), 283299.

Raimes' (1990, pp. 427441) artic...