Enhancing reading skills and strategic reading in university students through explicit reading instruction: an intervention teaching study

Abstract

Reading in English is a common requirement in tertiary level EFL, even in contexts where English is not the native language. In these contexts, reading in English becomes a hindrance for many students since they are not proficient readers and their interest in the foreign language is lacking. However, these students are aware of the need they have to read in English so that they can fulfill their reading requirements. As a consequence, an investigation about the effects explicit reading instruction has towards the development of strategic reading and reading skills was carried out challenging the traditional notion of teaching reading through language lessons. This investigation consisted of delivering an explicit reading program with an interventionist approach where qualitative research methods such as pre- and post- questionnaires, focus group interviews, and observations were considered. This teaching intervention was conducted with 26 engineering undergraduate students from a public university in the south-east of Mexico over 15 weeks; during which time the effects of this reading instruction and the participants' perceptions towards this reading approach were collected. The overall findings suggest that explicit reading instruction was beneficial for these students as it helped them develop not only their reading skills but also their language skills. This instruction also boosted the students' confidence and produced a sense of achievement. These positive outcomes may enrich the design and implementation of reading programs for students who have to read in English for academic purposes (EAP).