Digital Hypertext Reading and Nonlinear Processing in EFL

Abstract. The expansion of digital technologies has significantly transformed reading practices in English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Unlike traditional print reading, digital hypertext reading is characterized by nonlinearity, multimodality, and reader-controlled navigation. In hypertext environments, learners move across linked nodes, evaluate information, and construct meaning through selective pathways rather than through fixed linear sequences. This shift introduces both opportunities and challenges for EFL learners. On the one hand, hypertext can promote learner autonomy, motivation, access to authentic materials, and interactive meaning-making. On the other hand, nonlinear processing may increase cognitive load, fragment attention, and hinder comprehension, especially for learners with limited language proficiency or insufficient digital reading strategies. This article examines the nature of digital hypertext reading in EFL and explores how nonlinear processing affects comprehension. It argues that successful hypertext reading depends on an interaction among linguistic proficiency, prior knowledge, strategic competence, and the design of the digital environment. Drawing on studies of digital reading, online strategy use, and cognitive processing, the article suggests that EFL pedagogy should explicitly teach students how to navigate hypertext, evaluate links, synthesize dispersed information, and regulate online reading behavior. The article concludes that digital reading instruction should move beyond print-based models and incorporate the distinct cognitive and strategic demands of hypertext environments. Keywords: EFL reading, digital reading, hypertext, nonlinear processing, online reading strategies, cognitive load Introduction. The growing presence of digital technologies in language education has altered the way learners read and interact with texts. In contemporary EFL contexts, students increasingly encounter reading materials in online environments rather than exclusively in printed formats. These digital texts often include hyperlinks, multimedia features, and interactive elements that change reading from a linear act into a more dynamic and nonlinear process. As a result, reading in digital environments requires not only linguistic comprehension but also navigational decisions, strategic link selection, and the ability to integrate information across multiple sources and modes.This shift is particularly important in EFL settings, where reading is often one of the main channels for language input and academic development. Reiber-Kuijpers et al. (2021) emphasize that digital reading in a second or foreign language differs from print reading because it requires additional concentration, memory, and strategic control. Their systematic literature review shows that digital reading environments may support motivation and interaction, but they also increase the demands placed on learners. In this sense, digital hypertext reading should not be treated as a simple technological variation of print reading; rather, it represents a distinct literacy practice that requires specific skills.The purpose of this article is to examine digital hypertext reading in EFL with special attention to nonlinear processing. It discusses the nature of hypertext reading, the cognitive and strategic demands it imposes, and the implications for EFL pedagogy. The main argument is that hypertext can be pedagogically valuable, but only when learners are given sufficient support to manage its nonlinear structure. Hypertext is generally understood as a digital system in which segments of information are connected through links, allowing readers to move across texts according to their own choices rather than through a predetermined linear order. This feature of reader-controlled navigation distinguishes hypertext from conventional print and makes digital reading inherently nonlinear. In a hypertext environment, readers do not simply decode information in sequence; they must also decide where to go next, which links to follow, and how to build coherence from fragmented textual units.This nonlinear structure has major implications for comprehension. DeStefano and LeFevre (2007) argue that hypertext reading imposes additional cognitive demands because readers must divide their attention between comprehending content and making navigational decisions. Their review demonstrates that the visual complexity and decision-making requirements of hypertext can reduce reading performance when compared with more linear forms of reading. In other words, comprehension is influenced not only by what is read but also by how the reading path is constructed.For EFL learners, the problem may be even more pronounced. Since foreign language reading already involves lexical, syntactic, and inferential effort, the added task of hyperlink navigation can overload working memory. Fontanini and Tomitch (2009) found that working memory capacity influenced how L2 readers comprehended linear texts and hypertexts. Their study suggests that hypertext environments can complicate text processing because readers must simultaneously process language and manage digital navigation. Thus, nonlinear reading may interfere with the formation of a coherent mental representation of the text, particularly for less proficient readers.However, nonlinear processing is not necessarily a disadvantage. Hypertext environments may also support deeper engagement by allowing learners to pursue personally relevant information, access glosses, and connect ideas across sources. Erçetin (2010) found that topic interest influenced both text recall and annotation use in L2 hypermedia reading. This indicates that when learners are interested in the content and know how to use digital support tools, hypertext can facilitate more active and meaningful reading. Because hypertext reading is nonlinear, successful comprehension depends heavily on strategy use. In digital environments, learners must plan their reading path, monitor comprehension, evaluate the relevance of links, and synthesize information scattered across multiple nodes. These are not merely extensions of traditional reading strategies; they also involve digital literacy practices specific to online environments.Huang et al. (2009) investigated EFL learners’ use of online reading strategies and found that strategy use significantly affected comprehension performance. Their results showed that support strategies were frequently used, but global strategies played a more important role in understanding more difficult texts. This finding is important because it suggests that successful online reading depends not simply on local problem-solving, such as checking unknown words, but on broader strategic control over the reading process. Similarly, Park and Kim (2011) found that ESL learners engaged in online reading in a nonlinear and dialogic manner, employing multiple strategies to negotiate meaning across digital texts. Their study highlights that online reading involves flexible interactions with text rather than passive reception. Readers adapt their strategies according to task demands, textual complexity, and available digital tools. Li (2020) further strengthens this argument by showing that second language online reading requires strategies that go beyond conventional print-based reading. In developing and validating the Second Language Online Reading Strategies Inventory, Li identified dimensions of online reading such as information location, navigation, evaluation, and synthesis. This suggests that EFL instruction must explicitly teach learners how to operate in digital reading environments instead of assuming that traditional reading instruction is sufficient.The pedagogical importance of strategy instruction becomes even clearer when considering that many EFL learners are familiar with digital devices but not necessarily skilled in academic online reading. Being able to click, scroll, or search does not automatically mean being able to construct meaning effectively in a hypertext environment. Therefore, EFL reading pedagogy must distinguish between technological familiarity and genuine digital reading competence. One of the most important theoretical frameworks for understanding hypertext reading is cognitive load. In digital environments, readers are often exposed to multiple windows, hyperlinks, images, annotations, and embedded media. Each of these features may support comprehension, but they may also consume attentional resources. When the amount of information or the number of choices becomes too large, the learner’s cognitive system may struggle to maintain coherence.DeStefano and LeFevre (2007) explain that the cognitive cost of hypertext reading lies partly in the need to make continuous decisions. These decisions involve evaluating whether a link is relevant, predicting what information lies behind it, and determining whether the current reading path should be maintained or changed. Such activities compete with comprehension for limited working-memory resources. As a result, hypertext may hinder understanding when its structure is too complex or when readers lack sufficient strategy control.Reiber-Kuijpers et al. (2021) also note that digital reading in a second or foreign language requires more time, memory, and concentration than traditional reading. This is particularly relevant in EFL settings, where learners may already struggle with vocabulary recognition, sentence processing, and inferencing. If these language-related demands are combined with navigational complexity, comprehension may decline. This helps explain why some learners who perform relatively well on printed reading passages may still have difficulty understanding online texts.Another important point is that online reading comprehension is not fully predicted by offline reading ability alone. Coiro (2011) ar

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