COMMON READING STRATEGIES USED BY ESL TERTIARY LEARNERS OF PAKISTAN’S
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55197/qjssh.v5i6.517Keywords:
reading strategy use, comprehension performance, think-aloud, ESL, ESL readingAbstract
The present study explored the common reading strategies employed by Pakistani ESL tertiary learners to tackle down the reading comprehension problems. Reading comprehension plays a pivotal role in academic success, understanding the strategies learners adopt to address challenges is essential. The data were collected through semi-structured focus group interviews with third and fourth-year undergraduates of Sindh University's English Department. Thematic analysis of the interviews revealed that undergraduates used a range of strategies to enhance their comprehension and tackle difficulties, including cognitive strategies such as scanning, skimming, rereading, intensive reading, predicting text, referring to the dictionary, and using contextual clues. Meta-cognitive strategies involved maintaining patience and recalling former ideas, while social strategies were driven by intrinsic, instructional, and exam-based motivations. The findings of the present study revealed that a combination of cognitive, meta-cognitive, and social strategies is crucial for improving reading skills and tackling reading comprehension problems. The study emphasizes the significace of a multi-strategy approach, as different strategies serve to address different aspects of reading comprehension. The findings gained from this study can inform teaching practices and assist educators design effective reading strategies that cater to the diverse needs of ESL learners, ultimately enhancing their reading proficiency and academic performance.
References
Afflerbach, P., Hurt, M., Cho, B.Y. (2020): Reading comprehension strategy instruction. In Handbook of Strategies and Strategic Processing, Routledge 20p.
Agustin, L., Wisudaningsih, E.T., Fatmawati, R. (2023): Exploring How Skimming and Scanning Fosters EFL Students’ Reading Comprehension at an English Club Senior High School in Indonesia. – Tamaddun 22(1): 20-27.
Alsubaie, M.A.A. (2014): An exploration of reading comprehension challenges in Saudi Arabian University EFL students. – University of Exeter, United Kingdom 362p.
Bernhardt, E. (2005): Progress and procrastination in second language reading. – Annual Review of Applied Linguistics 25: 133-150.
Chen, L.L., Maarof, N., Yunus, M.M. (2016): Factors affecting ESL reading comprehension of Malaysian secondary school students. – In International Conference on Education 5p.
Chiang, M.H. (2016): Effects of varying text difficulty levels on second language (L2) reading attitudes and reading comprehension. – Journal of Research in Reading 39(4): 448-468.
Chou, P.T.M. (2011): The effects of vocabulary knowledge and background knowledge on reading comprehension of Taiwanese EFL students. – Electronic Journal of Foreign Language Teaching 8(1): 108-115.
Fatmawan, A.R., Dewi, N.P.A., Hita, I.P.A.D. (2023): SKIMMING AND SCANNING TECHNIQUE: IS IT EFFECTIVE FOR IMPROVING INDONESIAN STUDENTS’READING COMPREHENSION? – Edusaintek: Jurnal Pendidikan, Sains Dan Teknologi 10(3): 1181-1198.
Hoodless, P. (2006): Materiality and ideology in children's perceptions of past historical writing. – The Curriculum Journal 17(4): 335-350.
Jang, B.G., Henretty, D. (2019): Understanding multiple profiles of reading attitudes among adolescents. – Middle School Journal 50(3): 26-35.
Kintsch, W. (1994): Text comprehension, memory, and learning. – American Psychologist 49(4): 294-303.
Lapp, D., Flood, J., Brock, C.H., Fisher, D. (2013): Teaching reading to every child. – Routledge 470p.
Leu, D.J., Kinzer, C.K., Coiro, J., Castek, J., Henry, L.A. (2018): New literacies: A dual-level theory of the changing nature of literacy, instruction, and assessment. – In Theoretical Models and Processes of Literacy, Routledge 27p.
McNamara, D.S., Graesser, A.C., Louwerse, M.M. (2012): Sources of text difficulty: Across genres and grades. – Measuring Up: Advances in How We Assess Reading Ability 27p.
Mehrpour, S., Rahimi, M. (2010): The impact of general and specific vocabulary knowledge on reading and listening comprehension: A case of Iranian EFL learners. – System 38(2): 292-300.
Nakamoto, J., Lindsey, K.A., Manis, F.R. (2008): A cross-linguistic investigation of English language learners' reading comprehension in English and Spanish. – Scientific Studies of Reading 12(4): 351-371.
Nassaji, H. (2011): Issues in second‐language reading: Implications for acquisition and instruction. – Reading Research Quarterly 46(2): 173-184.
Nordin, N.M., Rashid, S M., Zubir, S.I.S.S., Sadjirin, R. (2013): Differences in reading strategies: How ESL learners really read. – Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences 90: 468-477.
Noviabahari, J.L., Palupi, D., Wulandari, R.M. (2023): EFL College Students' Reading Strategies for Comprehending Reading Texts. – NOBEL: Journal of Literature and Language Teaching 14(1): 72-83.
Nunan, D. (2012): Learner-centered English language education: The selected works of David Nunan. – Routledge 289p.
Oakhill, J., Cain, K. (2007): Issues of causality in children’s reading comprehension. – Reading Comprehension Strategies: Theories, Interventions, and Technologies 24p.
O’Reilly, T., Wang, Z., Sabatini, J. (2019): How much knowledge is too little? When a lack of knowledge becomes a barrier to comprehension. – Psychological Science 30(9): 1344-1351.
Othman, J. (2024): Academic Vocabulary Learning in EMI Classrooms: Challenges and Strategies. – Arab World English Journal 15(2): 3-18.
Ricketts, J., Nation, K., Bishop, D.V. (2007): Vocabulary is important for some, but not all reading skills. – Scientific Studies of Reading 11(3): 235-257.
Smith, R., Snow, P., Serry, T., Hammond, L. (2021): The role of background knowledge in reading comprehension: A critical review. – Reading Psychology 42(3): 214-240.
Souhila, R. (2014): The Use of Reading Strategies in Improving Reading Comprehension The case of First Year LMD English Students. – Kasdi Merbah University Ouargla 49p.
Suh, Y.M. (2012): Strategy-Based Reading Instruction Utilizing the CALLA Model in an ESL/EFL Context. – International Journal of Literacy, Culture, and Language Education 1: 199-212.
Susoy, Z., Tanyer, S. (2019): The role of vocabulary vs. syntactic knowledge in L2 reading comprehension. – Eurasian Journal of Applied Linguistics 5(1): 113-130.
Tercanlioglu, L. (2004): Postgraduate Students' Use of Reading Strategies in L1 and ESL Contexts: Links to Success. – International Education Journal 5(4): 562-570.
Tighe, E.L., Little, C.W., Arrastia-Chisholm, M.C., Schatschneider, C., Diehm, E., Quinn, J M., Edwards, A.A. (2019): Assessing the direct and indirect effects of metalinguistic awareness to the reading comprehension skills of struggling adult readers. – Reading and Writing 32: 787-818.
