eading Development in a Second Language attempts to provide a thorough account of what is known about the acquisition of reading abilities in a second language. Its aim is to foster more principled research and instruction in second language literacy. In order to teach the aim discussion is set forth from a variety of perspectives: first; through examinations of theoretical models of the reading process and their application to a second language context; second, through a synthesis of the empirical data base from 1973 to the present; third, by means of descriptions of reader-based interactions with second language texts; and finally, through concepts of curriculum, instruction, and assessment.