Reading Strategies in Teaching and Learning English as a Foreign Language: A Mixed-Method Study

Abstract

Reading strategies are essential for teachers and students, especially in an EFL classroom. However, reading comprehension strategies and effective adoption of the strategies have been challenging for both teachers and students in Malaysia. This study aimed to identify the reading strategies used and not used by students and teachers when answering and teaching reading comprehension questions and explore the discord between the responses using an explanatory sequential mixed methods research design. The participants were 91 students and five teachers from a private university in Malaysia recruited using census sampling methods. A questionnaire consisting of literal, reorganization, and inferential reading comprehension questions was administered to the students, whereas interviews and observation were used to examine the strategies targeted by teachers based on Barrett’s reading taxonomy (1972). The findings revealed that EFL teachers used a vast repertoire of strategies in teaching reading, whereas students only used a small number of strategies when answering reading comprehension questions. This study underscores the importance of the accord between the strategies taught and those utilized by L2 readers. Students’ awareness plays a key role in filling in this gap.

Language Learning Strategy Employed for Improving Reading Skills Among Form 5 Suburban Secondary School Students

“…The second reading strategy used mainly by the respondents for literal reading comprehension is "I read the questions prior to reading the passage", with 14 respondents (47%) stating that they have tried this strategy and liked it. The finding compromises the result of the research conducted by Sieo et al (2022), as this strategy is known as the most frequently used reading strategy in literal reading comprehension. To attain effective reading, it is essential to possess a purpose as it gives the reason for reading a given material.…”

“…The researchers employed purposive sampling whereby only a class of students was selected to participate in this survey questionnaire. A survey questionnaire adapted from the Language Strategy Use Survey by Cohen et al (2002a); Sieo et al (2022) was used to assess the language learning strategies the Form 5 students employed to improve their reading. The survey questionnaire was administered using two languages, English and Malay Language, to ease the students' understanding of the questions.…”

“…The second section consists of 20 items designed to draw out information regarding the language learning strategies employed for improving their reading skills. 11 items were adapted from the Language Strategy Use Survey by Cohen et al (2002a), while another 10 items were adapted from (Sieo et al, 2022). All the items focus on language learning strategies, specifically on reading skills.…”

“…Undeniably, teachers and students must understand and be aware of the reading strategies that could be applied to reading. Findings from a study conducted by Sieo et al (2022) also stated that teachers employed various reading comprehension strategies in the classroom. It was found that most of the students applied the reading comprehension strategies.…”

A review of the challenges and merits of collaborative learning in online translation classes

“…Designing an apt course content also remains an ongoing problem when the educators are not adequately prepared or equipped in the process of transitioning to online learning. The consequences of this inexperience will be instructors' poor competency in the application of the teaching methods (Azman, et al, 2020;Ng et al, 2020;Sieo et al, 2022), and the learners' poor performance and learning in the online mode (Dhawan, 2020). Therefore, an important point to consider in adapting to the "new" norm of the online teaching mode is the adaptation to the justified course content that is able to be delivered "successfully" to the students via the "new platforms".…”