Effective reading strategies for tertiary level ESL learners

Abstract

Tertiary level English language learners possess varied reading backgrounds and experiences. Majority of them have less proficiency in reading skill in L2. Among such students especially those who enter the arts stream possess low proficiency in their L2 reading skills. In the first year at the beginning a placement test in English as a second language is conducted in majority of the universities. Their performances in the tests reveal the fact that Arts faculty students have more difficulties in comprehending the reading texts and have less reading proficiency. The objective of the study is to explore the possibilities of improving the proficiency in reading skills of the participants- tertiary level ESL learners- through the use of various effective reading strategies.

An experimental research is conducted on fifty first year Arts students of the University of Jaffna who were selected on a random basis. Effective reading strategies were utilized for the experimental group. The participants’ pre and post tests and literature on reading skills and teaching strategies and the teachers’ observation were utilized as data for the study.

The experimental group showed remarkable improvement in the performance in the tests on reading skills which indicates that the participants could achieve their reading skill proficiency when effective strategies are employed in the class.

English as Second language learning (ESL) is very much neglected at the secondary level therefore the learners do not spend time in reading any material in English except their texts and other L2 learning materials. The study also depicts the fact that effective reading strategies have a positive impact on the tertiary level learners’ proficiency in reading skills.