An implementation of close reading instruction to promote English reading comprehension of secondary school students

Abstract

Close reading has become the means to help readers promote comprehension of complex texts. This study implemented the Close Reading instruction for Thai EFL secondary school students and explored their use of close reading strategies. Eighteen secondary school students participated in eleventh weeks to examine the effects of Close Reading instruction on their English reading comprehension. The research instruments were (1) English Reading Comprehension Test, (2) Close Reading Strategies Questionnaire, and (3) Semi-Structured Interview. Results from the paired sample t-test, at a significance level of .05, revealed that students significantly improved reading comprehension after they participated in the Close Reading instruction. Almost all of them tended to reread the text, think about the author meant, and underline when they encountered with difficult texts. According to the content analysis, students reported using the annotating strategy at the first reading for key ideas and details.