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45THE EFFECT OF READING STRATEGIES TO EFL LEARNERS
AND THEIR READING COMPREHENSION
Z.N. Abdurashitova1, Z.D. Fazlidinova2
Reading is an interactive process, in which the reader talks to the author through a text. Reading comprehension of students plays a pertinent role in dealing with the text in EFL (English as a foreign language) learners and there is a great deal of reading strategies that help students to improve reading and better comprehend given text. Furthermore, some features have a noticeable eff ect on reading comprehension. To meet students' needs EFL teachers should keep updating their teaching techniques. This paper provides a review of several studies on the reading comprehension level of learners and gives information about mostly used types of reading strategies in EFL classes.
Key words: reading, reading comprehension, reading strategies, cognitive strategy, metacognition.
Introduction
Reading is considered to be important in learning English, as EFL learners cannot have an opportunity to communicate with native speakers, but they have admission to their literature (Tavakoli, 2014;), which enables them to improve their English reading skills. However, understanding the text, and getting the main idea can be challenging for students at elementary levels, reading without comprehension is insignificant says Katim (1997; cited in Khaki, 2014 ;). There are various strategies that are used by high proficiency level students, to help to understand the text in advance. Scientists define reading comprehension in diverse ways. Tompkins (2011) stated that comprehension is a process that demands knowledge of phonology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics (Gilakjani, Sabouri, 2016 ;). Many experts tested the effect of reading strategies and reading skills on reading comprehension and concluded that there is a vital role of reading strategies in comprehending the text. (Khaki, 2014; Abdelhalim, 2017; Pourhosein & Banou,2016; Mumtaz & Garner, 2010; Aziza & razali, 2019; Meniado, 2016; Tavakoli, 2014; Mistar, Zuhairi & Yanti, 2016; Zare, 2013; Hamra & Syatriana, 2010;). Reading strategy is a technique or method that is used by readers to comprehend the given material better, according to Anderson reading strategies are the mental tasks that students use to get meaning from the texts. (1999, cited in Gilakjani, Sabouri, 2016 ;) Commonly there are 3 types of reading strategies Global Reading Strategies (GLOB), Problem-Solving Strategies (PROB), Support Reading Strategies (SUP) (Tavakoli,2014; Aziza & Razali, 2019; Meniado,2016;). In addition, there are factors that influence learners' reading comprehension: the difficulty of the reading text, environmental effects, anxiety during reading comprehension, interest and motivation, word recognition speed, and medical problems (Gilakjani, Sabouri, 2016). On the other hand, Semtin and Maniam divided reading strategies into various types, such as Cognitive Reading Strategies (e.g., planning and goal setting, tapping prior knowledge, asking questions and making predictions, constructing gist, monitoring, revising meaning, reflecting and relating, and revising meaning) Planning Strategies (i.e., pausing and thinking about reading, trying to stay focused on reading, scanning the text, reading slowly and carefully and determining what to read) and Monitoring Strategies (i.e., rereading the text, paying attention to reading, and asking oneself questions),(2015, cited in Aziza & Razali,2019). Oxford's (1990) model of language learning strategies were: memory strategies, cognitive strategies, compensation strategies, metacognitive strategies, affective strategies, and social
1Abdurashitova Zemfira Naumovna - English teacher with high category at School 3 at Turaqurgan, Namangan region, Uzbekistan.
2 Fazlidinova Zulfiyakhon Dilmurod qizi - Student, English filology faculty, Namangan state university, Namangan region, Uzbekistan.
strategies (Tavakoli,2014). This article provides a review of several studies on reading comprehension, reading strategies, and skills, additional factors that influence EFL learners' reading obtained from Google Scholars and the ERIC website.
Literature review.
Reading comprehension.
Reading is an inseparable part of English. And, according to many scientists, reading is the meaning getting from the printed page (Rubin, 1982; Harris & Sipay, 1980; Smith,1971; Fries, 1963; Hittleman, 1978; cited in Hamra & Syatriana, 2010; Pressley, 2000; Birsch, 2011; cited in Gilakjani, Sabouri, 2016;). However, every student gets a different meaning from the text, as each of them has a different level of comprehension, thinking process in their mind, and use of various skills. There are some factors and skills that have a huge effect on reading. Reading skills are word recognition, fluency, lexical knowledge, and pre-existing knowledge. As stated by Tompkins comprehending needed four skills phonology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics (2011; cited in Gilakjani, Sabouri, 2016;). Consistent with the Kolker affect, cognition and language are the interactive factors that influence reading comprehension Affective behaviors are related to feelings, cognitive behaviors to thought, and linguistic behaviors to language (1979; cited in Hamra & Syatriana, 2010;). Some factors affect reading comprehension skills. They are the complexity of the reading text, environmental influences, anxiety during reading comprehension, interest and motivation, decoding or word recognition speed, and medical problems. (Gilakjani, Sabouri, 2016;) Difficultness of the text can lower students' level of understanding as text should be selected according to students' English level. In order to understand well students' attention and focus must be concentrated on only on the reading passage that's why the environment should be a calm and safe place for readers. The pressure which is put on students during exams or control work affect negatively to students as they feel a lack of time and worry about the result of the work. Teachers can motivate their students by providing interesting text, that arise students' willingness to read the passage and various tasks can help better analyze what is read. The next factor is decoding of words, here students need vocabulary knowledge related to the topic of the text, otherwise, they should guess or predict the meaning of the words from the context. The last factor is medical problems that affect pessimistically to the reader.
Reading strategy and types of reading strategies.
Reading strategies were defined in various ways by different scholars and the most suitable description was given by Karami in 2008, according to his reviews reading strategy is characterized as the conscious, inside, variable, mental methods pointed at moving forward the effectiveness of compensating for the breakdowns in perusing comprehension on specific perusing assignments and in particular settings. Anderson (1999 cited in Gilakjani, Sabouri, 2016,) described perusing strategies as the mental activities that learners apply to make meaning from the text.
The variety between good and poor learners are reading strategies considered by Karami (2008, cited in King 2008). To promote poor readers Brown (2001, cited in Karami, 2008) represents ten reading strategies that students use to improve their reading ability;
1.Discover the reason of reading.
2.Utilize graphemic rules and designs to help in bottom-up reading.
3.Utilize diverse noiseless reading procedures for generally quick reading/
4.Skim the content for fundamental thoughts.
5.Check the content for particular data.
6.Utilize semantic mapping or clustering.
7.Figure once you are not certain.
8.Analyze lexicon.
9.Recognize between exacting and inferred implications.
10.Capitalize on talk markers to prepare relationships.
Sheorey and Mokhtari (2001) came up with a classification of reading strategies into three categories: cognitive, metacognitive, and support strategies. Meanwhile,
Marzuki, Alim, and Wekke separated reading strategies into two groups,i.e, direct and indirect techniques. Direct strategies consisted of memory techniques, and cognitive and compensation procedures. The indirect methodologies are composed of metacognitive strategies and affective and social techniques. Among these strategies, cognitive and metacognitive methodologies are the foremost well-known techniques utilized in reading.
Cognitive strategies in reading distinguished are repeating, getting the idea rapidly (skimming and scanning), utilizing resources for receiving and sending messages, thinking deductively, analyzing expressions, analyzing constructively, translating, elaborating, exchanging, taking notes, summarizing and highlighting. Using these strategies can make learners be proficient readers.
To test the use and effect of cognitive strategies on EFL readers of an Islamic university in Indonesia Marzuki, Alim and Wekke carry out the study, in which classes were divided into 2 cycles, and each cycle consisted of planning, and implementation, observation, and reflection. According to the results of the first cycle, 56,7% of students gained scores and 63,3% participated actively. Cycle 2 demonstrated that 83,3% of students obtained scores and 86,7% took part in classes actively.
Metacognition as a term was represented by Flavell in one of his articles and was described as "one's knowledge concerning one's cognitive process and outcomes or anything related to them" (Iwai,2011). Suitable material, paying attention, realizing language, organizing, reasoning specific aims and objectives, searching for practice opportunities, self-monitoring, and self-evaluating are composed to be metacognitive strategies (Marzuki, Alim, and Wekke,2017).
In the study which was presented by Nash-Ditzel (2010) that metacognition is separated into 3 elements declarative (knowing "that" what to read) knowledge, procedural ("how" to implement reading strategies), and conditional knowledge (knowing "why" prereading techniques are crucial). In accordance with Yuko Iwai metacognitive strategies are divided into 3 clusters, such as planning, monitoring, and evaluating. Planning occurs before reading and readers guess the meaning from the title, heading, or picture and take an overview of the text and use background knowledge. Observing happens in the reading process understanding the vocabulary self-questioning, and summarizing are used to discover the main issues from the text. And readers conclude and assess by evaluating the cluster. Additionally, metacognitive strategy has 3 categories which we can divide reading strategies: SUP (the support reading strategy, GLOB (the global reading strategy), and PROB (problem-solving reading strategy) (Tavakoli, 2014; Aziza & Razali,2019). Meniado tested the effect of metacognitive strategies in Saudia Arabia college and revealed that respondents often use metacognitive techniques and PROB strategies were mostly used among readers (2016). Nash-Ditzel provided the case study in 5 colleges and concluded that the use of metacognitive strategies assisted to improve students' reading comprehension and reading.
IV.Conclusion
To sum up, from the review of the several carefully selected research articles, it can be concluded that through reading EFL learners can learn the literature of English-speaking countries. There are plenty of factors that affect students and as many strategies to significantly improve reading comprehension and deal with reading texts. Several studies were accomplished to check the use and effect of reading strategies. In addition, there are various types of reading techniques and the most preferred are cognitive and metacognitive reading methodologies.
References:
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© Z.N. Abdurashitova, Z.D. Fazlidinova, 2022.
