Incarcerated Adult Learners’ English Reading for General Information Through the Skimming Strategy and Graphic Organizers

Abstract

The present action research study aimed to explore how the explicit teaching of the skimming reading strategy using graphic organizers can support six adult learners’ reading for general information in a Chilean EFL incarcerated context and to describe their perceptions of the skimming strategy intervention. Based on an intervention of four sessions utilizing the Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach (CALLA), the data was collected using pre and post intervention tests and a focus group discussion. The findings revealed that the explicit teaching of skimming strategy and the use of graphic organizers helped incarcerated learners to improve their reading skills to find general information in a text. Moreover, the findings showed positive perceptions from learners towards the teaching of the strategy and the use of graphic organizers.