Effectiveness of Pre-Reading Questions as Sources of Situational Interest in Second Language Reading: An Exploratory Study on the Role of Intrigue Questions

Among the wide range of studies investigating sources of situational interest in text-based and classroom-based contexts, two strands of findings seem to have emerged: intrigue and knowledge gap. However, the effectiveness of these two types of triggers has not been extensively examined, particularly for the reading context in the field of second language reading. Therefore, this study uses a quasi-experimental method to compare the effectiveness of different types of pre-reading questions that are designed based on features drawn from intrigue and non-intrigue, with the condition of no pre-reading questions in arousing situational interest in text reading among English as a foreign language (EFL) learners. Their effects on reading task performance were also examined. A total of 89 EFL learners were divided into three groups: intrigue question group, non-intrigue question group and a no-question group. The results indicated that intrigue questions were more effective in triggering situational interest compared to non-intrigue questions in this single-session context. However, the aroused interest did not significantly influence the L2 reading task performance. Given the exploratory nature of this study and its methodological limitations, these preliminary findings suggest that intrigue features may play a role in triggering situational interest in L2 reading. Pedagogical recommendations for optimizing pre-reading and other steps of reading activities in L2 contexts are provided.