Study on reading strategies in college English teaching： Top-down or bottom-up？

Reading comprehension ability is one of the key abilities trained in College English teaching in China. This paper first examines the theories behind top-down and bottom-up reading strategies, and then suggests top-down reading strategies are more effective than the bottom-up ones in training EFL learners to be efficient readers in English. In particular, taking into account the English proficiency and the cognitive ability of the Chinese university students （non-English major）, the author argues that more priorities should be given to the top-down reading strategies training in EFL reading class.

An Employment of English Reading Strategies by Chinese University Students

The increased strategy use is one of the factors that contribute to the success of English reading comprehension. In addition, strategic reading is significant for a reader to construct meaning effectively from written texts. The study aimed to examine the frequency of the employment of reading strategies by 1,368 Chinese university students in Southwest China; and the relationship between students＇ employment of reading strategies and their genders. The data were collected through the questionnaire and analyzed quantitatively through the ANOVA （Analysis of Variance） and the chi-square tests in terms of examining the significant variation. The results revealed that the frequency of the participants＇ overall reading strategy use fell into the moderate use; the significant differences were found in relation to the students＇ genders. The pedagogical implications in relation to the particular research findings were given at the end of the paper.

Paper and Screen： Reading Strategies Used by Low-Proficient EFL Learners

In the age of Information technology, online learning environment and its visual and audio applications require new literacy for learners and educators. According to this new literacy perspective, reading comprehension becomes an important issue to study （Cairo, 2003）. The present study investigates metacognitive reading strategies used by low-proficient EFL （English as a Foreign Language） learners while reading paper-based documents and hypertext documents for general comprehension. The author of the paper tries to find whether these strategies are essentially different from each other. Data were collected from 32 students through SORS （Survey of Reading Strategies） and OSORS （Online Survey of Reading Strategies） questionnaires and from five students through think-aloud protocol The result indicates that some of the metacognitive reading strategies observed in hypertext reading are similar to those used in paper-based reading such as ＂using reference materials＂ and ＂translating from English to Turkish＂ However, there are few new emerging strategies while some of them are not observed in paper-based reading

Reading with Strategies： A Study of Young EFL Learners＇ Use of Online Reading Strategies

To assist young learners to cultivate efficient learning strategies in the early ages, students in the current study were guided to read three authentic online storybooks and then write their own digital stories with tablet PCs. The study aims to investigate Taiwan Residents elementary school students＇ use of online reading strategies, and their relationship with students＇ performance on reading proficiency tests. The target population consisted of upper-grade learners （n = 83）. The instruments were a M-SORS （modified survey of reading strategy） questionnaire and a reading proficiency test. Major findings were as follows： （l） Students used online reading strategies at medium level; （2） problem solving strategies were proven to significantly correlate with students＇ performance on reading comprehension test; and （3） there was a significant difference between higher and lower reading proficiency learners＇ use of online reading strategies. Pedagogical implications of the findings and suggestion for future research are discussed.

Study on the Influencing Factors of L2 Reading Ability and Its Regulation Strategies

This paper takes college students as research subjects to investigate the factors affecting L2 Reading ability and their regulation strategies through scale surveys.The findings are as follows:(1)Linguistic factors have significant impacts on L2 Reading ability,and the influence of non-linguistic factors,such as non-intellectual factors and cultural background knowledge,is also important;and(2)flexible use of reading regulation strategies according to the learning conditions(such as the information extraction strategy,the metacognitive reading regulation strategy,and the interactive reading strategy)can effectively improve learners’L2 Reading ability.The findings of this study have important theoretical and practical value for improving L2 learners’Reading ability.

THE INFLUENCE OF COGNITIVE STYLE AND READING STRATEGIES ON ENGLISH READING: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY

This paper presents the results of a research study carried out with students of China University of Geosciences to analyze the influence of readers' cognitive styles (field dependent/field neutral/field independent) and reading strategies on their reading performance, including the total reading score, global inference questions, factual and detail questions, main idea questions, lexical inference questions. Results show the correlations between cognitive style and most of the reading questions are not statistically significant, except for the total reading scores and performance of global inference question. One-way ANOVA shows that there is significant difference between the FN and FD group in total reading score and global inference question. However, when the reading strategies have been partialled out of the correlations between cognitive style and reading scores, the remaining correlation with the total reading score and global inference and lexical inference reaches significance. This indicates the different information processing of FD/FI learners and the important role of direct reading strategies for all learners. Teachers can help their students become more effective readers by encouraging them to apply direct reading strategies, and apply different indirect reading strategies based on their different cognitive styles.

GENDER DIFFERENCES IN USING READING STRATEGIES

This article attempts to find out if there are gender differences in using reading strategies and if any what they are. The questionnaire and think-aloud research methods are adopted. Result shows that although the difference between boys and girls in the overall use of reading comprehension strategies was not significant, a strong tendency was observed indicating the greater extent of strategy use among girls in both the results from the questionnaire and think-aloud technique. Girls used reading strategies more frequently than boys. Boys and girls used strategies differently, especially in the strategies for establishing coherence in the text.

Utilizing Learner Strategies to Improve College Students＇ Reading Ability

Reading is the main way of acquiring information and an important method of learning foreign language. But in the reading process, because of the affective and cognitive differences and the lack of knowledge about reading patterns and methods, undergraduates＇ reading efficiency and speed are greatly influenced. This article analyzes the mode and strategies which can be adopted in English reading.

AN EMPIRICAL STUDY OF THE READING STRATEGIES IN THE TEM4 CONTEXT

The present paper attempts to investigate into how candidates process the reading materials in the TEM4 reading component. A checklist was designed to elicit candidates' responses in this respect. The findings are illuminating in the sense that we are able to know more about the nature of reading in testing situations, about the relevant skills or strategies (both reading and test-wiseness ones), and about the validity of the TEM reading component.

A Study on Senior High School Students＇ English Reading Barriers and Strategies

Referring to the questionnaire surveys and literature materials, this paper tries to discuss the causes of high school students＇ English reading barriers and its possible strategies to improve their English reading ability. This paper used a questionnaire survey to collect data with 188 grade one high school students as research subject. The result shows English reading barriers are mainly divided into two parts, language factors and non-language factors. Language factors include vocabulary barriers, grammar barriers, discourse barriers and culture background barriers. Non-language factors mainly include psychological factors, reading habits, reading interest and reading strategies. It is suggested that joint efforts from teachers and students are needed to solve the reading barriers. Teachers should help students increase vocabulary accumulation, strengthen grammar knowledge, develop their discourse comprehension skills and teach culture knowledge in class. Students need to overcome psychological factors, develop good reading habits, do a series of trainings on reading, give immediate feedbacks and sum up reading experiences.

On the Factors Hindering Chinese College Students＇ English Reading and Possible Strategies

Chinese college students reading in a foreign language seem to read with less understanding and at a considerably slower speed. The factors that hinder Chinese college students' English reading were analyzed at the lexical level, the syntactic level,and the discourse level. And then, several reading strategies were recommended to overcome such reading difficulties.

Multiple Choice Reading Comprehension Tests and English as a Foreign Language （EFL） Learners Answering Strategies

As far as we are concemed, one of the elements of assessing EFL/ESL （English as a Foreign Language/English as a Second Language） learners＇ language proficiency in institutions and universities in our country ＂lran＂ are multiple-choice reading comprehension tests. We also know that, it comprises one major section of the standard and TOEFL （Test of English as a Foreign Language） tests. Taking into account its importance and the problems which EFL learners have answered them, I get motivated to uncover some of the test-taking strategies which they employ to answer multiple-choice reading comprehension questions when dealing with familiar versus unfamiliar topics. To get a better conclusion, I choose 20 advanced male and female candidates whose English proficiency is at an acceptable level and at least at the same age level, and they major in English language from different colleges and universities. They are given two reading comprehension passages （familiar and unfamiliar）, each one with five final questions and allotted time to answer the questions. Two main instruments in this study are a retrospective think-aloud protocol and a semi-structured interview. The results of the reading comprehension tests and interview part revealed that advanced learners＇ high scores in the familiar topic were not because of their strategy use but because of their high linguistic and background knowledge on the topic. I also concluded that the number, kind, and sequence of strategies employed, were greatly dependent on the degree of testees＇ familiarity on the topic. In other words, test-takers used more strategies to compensate for their lack of linguistic knowledge.

Question-Generation Reading Strategy of Iranian EFL Learners

This paper tries to explore the effect of question-generation reading strategy on the reading comprehension of Iranian intermediate EFL （English as a Foreign Language） learners. Since the researchers did not have any control over randomization of students and it was considered as one of the features of experimental method, this study is not a true experimental method. This method is called Intact Group Study. In this research there were experimental and control groups. The age range of the learners in both groups was between 19 to 22; the age range difference was so limited that we could neglect the difference concem. The number of students in both groups was closely the same. One of these groups received question-generation reading strategy instruction and the other group---control group--did not receive this instruction. Participants in both groups studied a task-based course book called New Interchange 3 by Richards （2005）. They studied the last eight units of this book during a whole term. The instruction was the same for both groups except for the reading parts. Participants in experimental group were taught how to generate questions as being linked to the main ideas of the text they were reading. They were also given feedback on the correctness of the questions they generated. Then they answered the follow-up questions However, participants in control group received a traditional method of reading for comprehension; they read the text on their own and answered the follow-up questions. Of course both groups enjoyed a warm-up before reading each text. The statistical independent group T-test of the reading comprehension posttest showed that participants in the experimental group performed better than the students in the control group

Chinese English Learners＇ Text Reading Strategy Research

Reading strategies are different from identifying the words, but a kind of metacognitive activity based on the monitoring mode. This paper will explore Chinese English learners＇ text reading strategies according to the cognitive process of the reading, hoping for providing some suggestions and references for Chinese college students to learn English well and improve the text reading ability.

Research on the Relationship Between Reading Anxiety and Reading Strategy in English Reading:A Quantitative Study in Chengdu University

According to a large number of studies since the 1970s,learners’emotional state is one of the important factors affecting learning effect of foreign language learning.In addition,reading is an important input and practice method in English learning,especially when it comes to language learning.102 students majoring in English at the Faculty of Foreign Languages of Chengdu University were investigated by using two scales,FLRAS and ERSS,based on the Individual Learner Differences and Affective filter hypothesis.This study uses the social science statistical tool SPSSPRO to process and analyze all the data,aiming to explore the degree of English reading anxiety and the relationship between reading anxiety and reading strategies in English reading.

Study on the relationship between the reading anxiety and the reading strategy in foreign language learning

This study is concerned with the possible relationship between language anxiety and language learning strategies in reading process among the students of English as a foreign language （EFL）. Participants consist of a volunteer pool of 120 sophomore non-English majors. Versions of previously published measurement scales, the Foreign Language Reading Anxiety Scales （FLRAS） and the Survey of the Reading Strategies （SOR）, were administered to the subjects as measures of foreign language anxiety and foreign language learning strategy preferences. Based on the collected data, the statistics descriptions were performed to investigate the students＇ anxiety state and strategy use level. The analyses suggest that most of students have the anxiety level above the mean, and the anxiety regarding the reading confidence is mainly responsible for the students＇ reading anxiety, and meanwhile, students use more cognitive strategies in their reading and the level of their language learning strategies are relatively low. Results indicate no significant differences between males and females on their anxiety level, as well as their strategy use. Furthermore, a Pearson correlation analysis reveals that, for the most learners, the anxiety state do hinder them from choosing effective strategies in their reading. The study explores the relationship between the reading anxiety and the reading strategy, demonstrates the effects of the anxiety reduction training on the strategy use, provides the implications for foreign language teachers that in reading comprehension teaching they should focus more on students＇ anxiety, especially their reading confidence anxiety, and encourage them more.

Graphic Organizers and Reading Comprehension Ability： Evidence From Iranian EFL University Students

The present study investigated the impact from GOs （Graphic Organizers） upon reading comprehension ability. To this end, an OPT （Oxford Placement Test） was administered to a research population （N = 354） in order to homogenize it. On the basis of the test results, the population was sorted into three groups of reading-low, reading-mid, and reading-high students. Sixty participants with the lowest level of reading comprehension proficiency were randomly selected and assigned to an EG （Experimental Group） （N = 30） and a CG （Control Group） （N = 30）. Afterwards, a TOEFL （Test of English as a Foreign Language） reading comprehension pretest was administered to both groups in order to determine their current level of reading proficiency. Then, the EG received 10 successive 90-minute sessions on GOs as post-reading strategies for expository text comprehension, while the CG received the same amount of treatment on other post-reading strategies. In the end, another TOEFL reading comprehension posttest was administered to the research groups to measure their reading comprehension performance level after the treatment. The results revealed that GOs were statistically more significant and effective for the low-skilled readers than other post-reading strategies.

The Effect of a Proposed Training Program Based on the Reflective Model on the Teachers＇ Reading Practices in Mafraq

This study aimed at investigating the effect of a proposed EFL （English as a Foreign Language） training program on the teachers＇ reading practices in Mafraq. This program was developed by the researcher according to the ninth-grade EFL teachers＇ needs. The participants of the study were 20 ninth-grade females EFL teachers who represented the experimental and control groups （10 teachers in each group）. They were randomly chosen from 10 schools in the Northwestern Badia Directorate of Education. To achieve the purposes of the study, the researcher designed a needs analysis questionnaire, a training program, a pre and post observation checklist, and a pre and post received knowledge test for teachers. Proper statistical analysis was used to analyze the results of the research questions. The results of the study showed that teachers were in need to be trained on 20 reading comprehension practices to be able to teach reading comprehension effectively. Besides, there were statistically significant differences at the level of （a = 0.05） between the means scores of the ninth-grade teachers＇ performance of the control and experimental groups on the post observation checklist and on the post received knowledge test in favor of the experimental group due to the training program.

A Survey on Teaching EFL Reading in College

Reading, as an important input of language, is one of the most essential parts in ELT. This paper analyzes the current situation in reading teaching by studying the teaching methods and human factors. With the help of a questionnaire, some problems existing in reading are put forward. The pedagogical implication of the survey as to acquiring communicative competence in reading course is discussed.

Perspectives for Teaching Reading in a College English Classroom

English, has not only become the international language as it is spoken by a large number of native speakers of other languages and serves as a language of wider communication but also achieved a genuinely global status owing to its special role recognized in every country. Under such circumstances, greater importance has been attached to English teaching of which reading has been given some privileges at the tertiary level in China. Hence, it is very essential for language teachers to have a good understanding about how to teach reading in a college English classroom. This article discusses what reading is, the important issues in teaching reading, and gives some proposals for how to teach reading efficiently in a college English classroom, aiming to give an idea that reading can be learnt effectively if students are motivated, exposed to English language and given chances to use English.