Reading, Listening, or Both? : A Study of Text Modality and Reading Comprehension in Swedish as a Second Language

This thesis investigates how different modalities affect text comprehension among students of Swedish as a second language. Drawing on Cognitive Load Theory, the study explores how visual, auditory, and bimodal text presentation interact with learners’ comprehension of factual and literary texts. The study addresses two research questions: how learners’ comprehension is affected by whether texts are presented in a visual, auditory or bimodal format, and to what extent modality influences comprehension of different types of texts. The study was conducted using a quasi-experimental design. Participants were exposed to either a factual or literary text presented through one of three modalities. Comprehension was measured using a standardised questionnaire, supplemented by self-assessment and open-ended responses. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and triangulated with participants’ qualitative comments. The results indicate that differences in comprehension between modalities are limited. Compared to visual reading, bimodal presentation does not appear to offer a clear advantage, while auditory presentation appears to be less efficient when processing information in factual texts. Participants who engaged with the literary text demonstrated consistently higher comprehension regardless of modality. Overall, the findings suggest that the role of modality in text comprehension is conditional upon text type and cognitive demands, with implications for teaching Swedish as a second language.