The Foreign Language Reading Brain: Connecting the Dots in the Age of Paper and Pixel

Since the early eighties, numerous experiments have been conducted in order to answer the following question: How does reading on paper differ from reading on screen? Our article presents a brief review of comparative studies in this field of research. We then look at reading models in L1 and L2, and posit that digitally displayed language actually provides a rich source of comprehensible input, and that foreign language readers can benefit from digital presentation of texts, in particular by way of eBook readers. We also highlight the inevitable and profound impact of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) on the reading brain and, as digital literacy is fast becoming the norm in today’s modern society, we draw attention to the pedagogical implication for foreign language teaching and learning.