ESL learners’ online research and comprehension strategies

Abstract

In order to enhance second language (L2) acquisition, English as a Second Language (ESL) students are encouraged to exploit the abundant information and opportunities for authentic language use afforded by the Internet. This study investigated the online research and comprehension strategies employed by ESL learners in a public university in Malaysia. The study was descriptive and the data was collected via the Qualtrics survey system. Data analysis demonstrated the most and least frequently used online research and comprehension strategies of 74 ESL undergraduates and uncovered an overview of the ESL undergraduates’ existing online research and comprehension strategies. The findings suggest that explicit training in the area of online research and comprehension processes is worth pursuing in the development of online study skills. This study also presents validation of a survey instrument used within the study to assess ESL learners’ online research and comprehension strategies.