Reading Strategies Used By Grade 9 English Second Language .
Page 1 of 7Original ResearchReading strategies used by Grade 9 English SecondLanguage learners in a selected schoolAuthors:Madoda Cekiso1Nophawu Madikiza1Affiliations:1Department of English,University of Fort Hare,South AfricaCorrespondence to:Madoda CekisoEmail:mcekiso@ufh.ac.zaPostal address:PO Box 8 Nqamakwe 4990,South AfricaDates:Received: 31 July 2013Accepted: 19 May 2014Published: 10 Sept. 2014How to cite this article:Cekiso, M. & Madikiza, N.,2014, ‘Reading strategiesused by Grade 9 EnglishSecond Language learners ina selected school’, Reading& Writing 5(1), Art. #42,7 pages. http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/rw.v5i1.42Copyright: 2014. The Authors.Licensee: AOSISOpenJournals. This workis licensed under theCreative CommonsAttribution License.Read online:Scan this QRcode with yoursmart phone ormobile deviceto read online.Knowledge of the reading strategies used by English Second Language learners can helpteachers to plan appropriate lessons and apply relevant methods of teaching reading in order toenhance learners’ reading comprehension. The main objective of this study was to investigatethe reading strategies used by Grade 9 English Second Language (ESL) learners and also toestablish if there was any significant difference between perceived strategy use and gender.The respondents (192) were all ESL learners in Grade 9 in 2011 in a selected school. The studyemployed a quantitative research method. The study used convenience sampling on a groupof 192 Grade 9 learners. The data collected through questionnaires was analysed by meansof the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software. The findings revealed that thelearners did not employ a wide range of reading strategies. The results further indicated thatthere was no significant difference between boys and girls in terms of strategy use. Based onthe above findings several suggestions were made to help teachers improve their teachingand help learners improve their reading comprehension and also about possible areas forfuture research.IntroductionThe literature has shown that awareness of the reading process and reading strategy use ofreaders can improve learners’ reading comprehension (Porter 2010; Wessels 2007). Accordingto Tercanlioglu (2004:12), reading strategies are specific actions, behaviours, steps or techniqueslearners use to improve their progress in comprehending, internalising and using a secondlanguage. The literature reveals that in order to improve reading proficiency and designreading skills development programmes in an informed manner, educators’ knowledge oftheir learners’ knowledge about reading and reading strategies must be increased (Sheorey& Mokhtari 2001:439). Thus, educators’ knowledge about the reading strategies used by theirlearners is important for planning relevant lessons and also for making an informed decisionabout whether to teach reading strategies explicitly or implicitly. Such a decision could betaken in order to develop the learners’ reading comprehension.Many studies conducted in South Africa and in other countries reveal that reading withcomprehension is difficult for learners (Dreyer & Nel 2003; Porter 2010; Sheory & Mokhtari 2001;Wessels 2007). Such studies reveal that this problem manifests itself at primary level and secondarylevel, as well as at university level. In a South African context, the high failure rate at matric(Grade 12) level is partly ascribed to the lack of reading comprehension, which is associated withthe use of ineffective and inefficient reading strategies (Pretorius 2002). Some studies reveal thatlearners find it difficult to understand the examination questions and end up making wrongguesses that lead to incorrect answers (Madikiza 2011:3). In addition, Van Wyk (2001) points outthat learners present low levels of reading strategy knowledge and lack the strategies neededto successfully comprehend expository texts; hence, they often select ineffective and inefficientstrategies with little strategic intent. Subsequently, the use of a range of reading strategies hasbeen seen as a solution in order to empower learners with the relevant tools to comprehend theprinted text. In the literature there is a strong debate about the choice and use of reading strategiesaccording to gender. Such studies have produced contradicting results. For example, in a studyconducted by Monos (2004:149), female learners reported higher usage of reading strategies thanmale learners in all categories of strategies. However, a study conducted by Tercanlioglu (2004:14)found that boys were using more strategies than girls. Therefore, the current study seeks to makea contribution by exploring the reading strategies used by both boys and girls amongst the Grade9 learners in a particular school and make recommendations on how the learners’ reading strategyuse could be improved or stretched so as to develop their reading comprehension.Purpose of the studyThe purpose of this study was to find out what reading strategies learners in the selected schoolused, and with what frequency, to approach English Second Language (ESL) texts and whetherhttp://www.rw.org.zadoi:10.4102/rw.v5i1.42
Page 2 of 7there were differences in strategy choice between boys andgirls. Specifically, the study sought to address the followingresearch questions:1. What type and frequency of use of reading strategies dothe learners use before, during and after reading?2. Is there any significant difference between the perceivedstrategy use of girls and boys?Theoretical perspectiveStrategic awareness and monitoring of the comprehensionprocess are critically important aspects of skilled reading(Sheory & Mokhtari 2001). Such awareness and monitoringis often referred to in the literature as ‘metacognition’, whichentails knowledge of strategies for processing texts, the abilityto monitor comprehension and the ability to adjust strategiesas needed (Euerbach & Paxton 1997:239). According toSheory and Mokhtari (2001:444), it is the combination ofconscious awareness of the strategic reading process andthe actual use of reading strategies that distinguishes skilledreaders from unskilled readers. The literature reveals thatsuccessful reading strategy use is dependent on whether astrategy is employed metacognitively (Carrell 1989; Jimenez1996). In addition, (Mokhtari & Reichard 2004:379) point outthat these less successful learners, who are often unaware oftheir own cognitive process, must be helped to acquire anduse the reading strategies that have been identified to besuccessful. Similarly, this study sought to identify the currentstrategies used by learners and introduce them to a repertoireof reading strategies in order for them to comprehend a widerange of printed texts. Sloat, Beswick and Willms (cited inAD‑Heisat 2009) state that failure to learn reading at theprimary level may cause a learner to lack the ability to readwell. Sloat et al. further point out that learners with limitedliteracy skills may develop poor self-esteem, lack motivationand display behavioural and academic problems, thuscausing them to be alienated from the regular curriculum(see AD‑Heisat 2009). Therefore, reading comprehensionis a critical component of effective reading instruction forlearners even at an early stage (Begeny et al. 2010).According to Pretorius (2002:99), a fundamental feature ofacademic underperformance in South Africa is poor readingability. The results of her study show that the learners whofail are those who obtain low marks on reading tests andattain comprehension levels of less than 4.5%. This studysought to establish the Grade 9 learners’ current use ofreading strategies in the selected school. This could assistthe learners to cope with their reading at higher levels.Pretorius (2002:98) states that the skill of reading becomesmore demanding as learners go up the education ladder,whilst the gap between skilled and unskilled readerswidens. Noor (2010:67) concurs with Pretorius by statingthat in any academic or higher learning context, the abilityto read is a crucial skill as it requires learners to interact withand process information from texts. Noor further pointsout that many first-year university students, specificallysecond language learners, who enter institutions of higherhttp://www.rw.org.zaOriginal Researchlearning are unprepared for the reading demands placedupon them and they encounter difficulties. Thus, learners’awareness and use of reading strategies is important foracademic success. This concern is also echoed by Dreyerand Nel (2003:168), who point out that many SouthAfrican students who register for undergraduate studieseach year are underprepared for university education.Therefore, it is important to develop the reading skills ofthe learners as early as primary level so as to equip themwith reading strategies to manage the academic demandsof university education. In addition, Oxford (1990:2) pointsout that creating awareness, attention, intentionality andcontrol of reading strategies are amongst the most usefulcontributions that teachers can make to develop theirlearners’ comprehension ability.Research into reading strategies reveals that there are threeclassifications of reading strategies. These are pre-readingstrategies, during-reading strategies and post-readingstrategies. According to Al-Issa (2006), pre-reading strategieshelp one to identify the reading demands, activate whatone knows about the topic and anticipate what will beread. The pre-reading stage is the crucial stage for buildingbackground knowledge. According to Saricoban (2002:150),pre-reading strategies attempt to improve learners’ interestin the topic and motivate them, provide some predicting orguessing activities for the passage, prepare the learners forthe context of the reading and build a bridge between thereading passage and the learners’ background and interest.The second category of reading strategies, during-reading,helps learners to cope with problematic and greyer areasof the text such as identifying the main areas of the text(AD‑Heisat 2009). Some examples of the during-readingactivities identified by AD-Heisat (2009) and Flowerdewand Peacock (2001) are guessing word meaning by usingclues, word information clues or cognates, scanningand skimming for specific pieces of information. Thethird category, post-reading, helps learners deepen theirunderstanding of their comprehension of the content, buildfurther connections and expand their prior knowledge of thesubject matter (AD-Heisat 2009). In addition, Cekiso (2007)points out that post-reading strategies help learners to drawconclusions and make judgements and generalisations. Someexamples of post-reading strategies include evaluating textpurpose, confirming predictions, summarising, reflecting,questioning and connecting materials to one’s own life(Christen & Murphy 1991).Tercanlioglu (2004:16) states that the consistent results ofstudies have shown that gender plays an important role instrategy choice. In a study conducted by Monos (2004:150)amongst Hungarian university students, the findingsindicated that female students reported higher usage ofreading strategies than male students in all categories andthey seemed to be more conscious strategy users than malestudents. The results of Tercanlioglu’s study, conducted onTurkish students, were not consistent with those of Monos.Her study revealed that boys were using more strategies thatgirls. She further points out that a possible explanation forthis result may be that in the male-dominated Turkish societydoi:10.4102/rw.v5i1.42
Page 3 of 7female students may have lower self-esteem in reporting thestrategies they use.Problem statementPoor reading comprehension amongst ESL learners is welldocumented in both national and international studies(AD-Heisat 2009; Cekiso 2012; Dreyer & Nel 2003; Monos2004; Pretorius 2002). Research conducted in South Africaindicates that many South African students who registerfor undergraduate studies each year are underpreparedfor university education. It also shows that many of thesestudents also have low reading ability (Dreyer & Nel2003:167). The same sentiment is echoed by Van Wyk(2001:126), who states that learners present low levels ofreading strategy knowledge and lack the strategies neededto successfully comprehend expository texts. This is a causefor concern as reading comprehension forms the pillar of thelearning process. Learning without comprehending wouldbe a futile exercise and waste of time. This idea is supportedby Pretorius (2002), who states that research findings inapplied linguistics and reading research consistently show astrong correlation between reading proficiency and academicsuccess at all ages, from primary school right through touniversity level. Therefore, knowledge of reading strategiesis important for both teachers and learners and interventionsbased on that knowledge are likely to be meaningful andbeneficial for both parties.Rationale of the studySince reading is considered the most important skill inacademic contexts (Grabe 1991) and reading strategies arecrucial for efficient reading comprehension (Carrell 1989), itis therefore important for teachers to prepare their learners tobecome competent readers by raising their awareness and useof reading strategies. It is assumed that such knowledge canhelp learners to differentiate between effective and ineffectivereading strategies. In addition, teacher knowledge of thereading strategies used by their learners is likely to help themgain insights into effective strategy instruction. Applying thefindings of this study is likely to help ‘struggling’ readers tobecome high-ability readers.Research methodThis study used a quantitative research method, which is aprocess that is systematic and objective in its ways of usingnumerical data from a selected subgroup of a universe(or population) to generalise the findings to the universe thatis studied (Maree 2008). The target population comprisedGrade 9 learners who were all isiXhosa speakers studyingEnglish as a second language (ESL) in the Mthatha districtof the Eastern Cape. A convenience sample of 192 learners(all Grade 9 learners in a single selected school) was chosenby means of convenience sampling. The sample constituted80 boys and 112 girls.InstrumentationThe instrument used to collect data in this study wasonly a questionnaire. Many studies have relied only onhttp://www.rw.org.zaOriginal Researchquestionnaires in order to identify strategy use as well asfrequency of strategy use by learners (Alhaqbani & Riazi 2012;Poole 2009; Zhang & Wu 2009). Data on learners’ awarenessand use of reading strategies before, during and after readingwas collected from one selected school. The researchers useda standardised reading strategies questionnaire inventorydeveloped by Oxford (1990) to determine learners’ use ofreading strategies. The researchers rearranged the readingstrategies in this questionnaire so as to focus on pre-reading,during-reading and post-reading strategies. The subjectsidentified the reading strategies they employed by rating howwell a certain statement described them. The questionnairehad 34 items (7 for pre-reading strategies, 18 for duringreading and 8 for post-reading strategies). Taking intoconsideration the ESL proficiency level of the participants,it was decided that the questionnaire be administered inisiXhosa, the mother tongue of the participants and thus thelanguage they were most proficient in and comfortable with.A similar technique was used by Zhang and Wu (2009), whotranslated the English version of their questionnaire intoChinese, which was the native language of their learners.The idea was to guarantee successful data collection andavoiding comprehension difficulties that participants mightencounter when given the English version. In the currentstudy, the questionnaire was translated to isiXhosa by oneof the local university lecturers, who holds a doctoral degreein translation and is highly proficient in both English andisiXhosa. Her mother tongue is isiXhosa, which is also themother tongue of the participants. The survey questionnaireused a five-point Likert scale:1.2.3.4.5.never true for meusually not true for mesomewhat true for meusually true for mealways or almost always true for me.Data analysisThe data from the questionnaire was analysed using theStatistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software. Thismethod of analysis required that data be coded before beingcaptured. The Chi-square test was used to examine therelationship or association between girls’ and boys’ strategychoices and also to answer questions on the frequency ofreading strategies employed by Grade 9 learners whilstreading texts.Findings and discussionThe objective of this study was to investigate the readingstrategies employed by the Grade 9 learners in a selectedschool. The study also set out to discover if there was anysignificant difference between the perceived reading strategyuse of boys and girls.The reading strategies were grouped as pre-reading, duringreading and post-reading strategies. The researchers notedthat there was a wide range of critical reading strategiesdoi:10.4102/rw.v5i1.42
Page 4 of 7Original Researchfor text comprehension that were not employed by themajority of learners. This was shown by the low frequencyof some reading strategy use. Tsai, Ernest and Talley(2010:29) argue that strategy use has a positive influenceon reading proficiency because skilled readers use morestrategies in various categories than less-skilled readersdo. This is a cause for concern as learners in the currentstudy seemed not to use some key reading strategies at all.The results of the reading strategies questionnaire shown inTable 1 indicate that the Grade 9 learners were not using themajority of pre-reading strategies: the learners reported onlyusing two out of seven reading strategies they were supposedto use in this category. The strategies that were used by themajority of learners were ‘I look for important information inthe text’ and ‘I try to draw on my knowledge of the subject togenerate questions about the text’. The majority of the learnersdid not know how to skim the text or how to use knowledgeof the subject to help them generate questions about thetext; they did not know how to set goals and struggled tosearch out information relevant to the reading goals. Yet, theknowledge and application of the pre-reading strategies isimportant for text comprehension. Berrett (2011:69) uses theanalogy of sport in order to stress the importance of the prereading strategies. She states that before playing a sport ordoing other physical activity, it is important to warm up andprepare your body for the upcoming task. She further statesthat the same thing applies to the reading process as you needto warm up and prepare your mind for reading so that youcan perform your best, get the most of it and increase yourcomprehension. The importance of pre-reading strategiesis echoed by Williams (cited in Al‑Issa 2006), who statesthat the pre-reading phase is the most important phase forbuilding background knowledge and to help one to identifythe reading demands. The findings of this study contradictthe findings of a study conducted by Cekiso (2007:98), whoseresults indicated that Grade 11 learners reported using prereading strategies more than other strategies.reading comprehension. Amongst such strategies are:summarising or paraphrasing as you read, jumping forwardor backwards in the text to find important information,trying to underline when reading in order to rememberthe text and making notes in order to remember the text.The awareness and use of the during-reading strategiesis emphasised by AD-Heisat (2009), who points out thatthese strategies help learners cope with problematicand greyer areas of the text such as identifying the mainareas of the text, guessing word meaning by using contextclues, word information clues or cognates, sc
the reading strategies used by Grade 9 English Second Language (ESL) learners and also to establish if there was any significant difference between perceived strategy use and gender. The respondents (192) were all ESL learners in Grade 9 in 2011 in a selected school. The study employed a quantitative research method.
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