In order to understand how L2 learners handle reading, one must first establish how they may be considered to process text at a cognitive level. After establishing that reading depends on parallel 'top-down' and 'bottom-up' processing, we go on to consider the main factors that contribute to reading fluency and vocabulary acquisition; and we also cover the related aspects of teaching and learning practice that may contribute to developing these aspects of L2 reading skills. We then consider the role played by top-down factors: self-monitoring, awareness of text types and background knowledge.