First and Second Language Readers Distinguishing Fact From Opinion: An Exploratory Study
Results were examined by groups, items, and individuals. These results indicated that readers used evidentials and relied on the first part of combined sentences in making fact and opinion evaluations. The more proficient second language readers evaluated most sentences similar to first language readers. Two differences that emerged between first language and second language readers included: L1 readers evaluated inferential evidentials as more factual than L2 readers; L1 readers evaluated the ambiguous simple sentence John was wrong as more factual than L2 readers. When it was included in combined sentences, L1 readers appeared to use this complement to evaluate the combined sentences. Finally, some readers applied criteria that were more factual or more opinion in their evaluation of the sentences.
University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign