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61THE ROLE OF READING COMPREHENSION IN TEACHING
ENGLISH Raxmonov O.T.
Raxmonov Oybek Tursunkulovich - teacher, ACADEMIC LYCEUM OF GULISTANSTATE UNIVERSITY, GULISTAN, REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN
Abstract: the article presents such challenges English language learners face in developing their reading comprehension skills as: culturally different schemata, insufficient vocabulary knowledge, and use of the first language.
Keywords: reading, comprehension, schemata, vocabulary, first language.
Reading is a complex activity. The goal of reading is to construct text meaning based on visually encoded information. In first language (L1) reading, readers use only one language, whereas in second language (L2) reading, learners have at least two languages to deal with. According to Carrell and Grabe (2002), L2 readers use different reading processes than L1 readers for the following reasons: the former group is limited in their linguistic knowledge; they do not have cultural and social knowledge that is common in the English context; they do not necessarily retain prior knowledge, which is the basis of understanding English materials; they study English for a variety of reasons, including accommodating English speaking countries and pursuing degrees in these countries; and they use both L1 and L2.
This study focuses on second language reading for English language learners. It aims to present the challenging issues English language learners face in developing their English reading comprehension skills and to suggest recommendations for teachers of English language learners for better instruction.
Reading comprehension refers to constructing the meaning of the oral or written messages. Comprehension involves the ability of understanding the intended messages of a text. Reading comprehension is based on using the appropriate meaning-making processes from the printed messages. Reading comprehension involves the passage, the reader, and the context. Readers construct meanings with various approaches, such as using background knowledge, analyzing words, inferring the text, and identifying key vocabulary or information.
Schemata, background knowledge, consist of generalized information abstracted from a variety of instances and show the relationships among their component elements. Previous research shows that having rich schemata on a subject matter is related to better reading comprehension. For example, if readers see a title of a text, such as "Halloween," and if they already know what "Halloween" is, it is easier for them to expect what the text is about and to integrate their prior knowledge with the passage on "Halloween." Rich schemata, therefore, can help students understand the reading material better than students without background information on the topic. One of the characteristics of English language learners is that they are not likely to have the same schemata that English-speaking students possess. Due to cultural differences, English language learners may have a hard time in understanding the content of a message that is not culturally familiar to them. L2 readers, who do not possess cultural background knowledge on an English text, are limited in comprehending the text message.
Another challenging issue English language learners are struggling with is their insufficient English vocabulary knowledge. Having rich vocabulary knowledge is another key element to better reading comprehension. L2 readers need to develop their English vocabulary capacity in depth and width. Certain words in the English language can have more than one meaning and confuse English-language learners because they do not consider the meaning of the word in the contexts. One example is the word of "table." "Table" in the following sentence, "We sit around the breakfast table," means "a piece of furniture." The
same word in another sentence, "I kept the whole table entertained with my jokes," indicates the people who are sitting at a table. In the sentence, "Look at the table of contents," "table" means a list of information in a book. Table can also refer to a tablet or plateau. Used as a verb, the sentence, "They tabled a question in Parliament," means to set aside a question for later discussion. Used as an idiom, "The proposal is on the table," "table" means submitted for consideration.
Moreover, many English words were derived from other languages, such as Greek and Latin. English language learners often struggle when analyzing prefixes and suffixes. English words have irregular rules in affixes. Affixes include prefixes (e.g., anti-, di-, or ultra-) and suffixes (e.g., -able, -ism, or -ness). Some English-language learners study affixes so that they can analyze unknown words and infer their meanings on their own.
The results show that less advanced students used more native language to think-aloud than the advanced students. In addition, less advanced learners tended to use the bottom-up approaches, including focusing on lexical resources and grammatical structure. However, the advanced learners focused on the top-down approaches, such as capturing the whole picture of the text passage and making inferences from prior knowledge.
References
1. Carrell P.L., & Grabe W. Reading. In N. Schmitt (Ed.), An introduction to applied
Linguistics. London: Arnold, 2002.
2. Hudson T. Teaching second language reading. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007.
