Abstract
Verbal protocols have been used to construct proposition about cognitive process in language learning and reading process. Despite extensive development of cognitive –based research in reading strategies, revelations of cognitive process as well as its relation to proficiency are still inconclusive and more studies are still needed to venture into this field. There is a need to add existing literature in order to refresh current inconsistency regarding the relationship between proficiency and reading strategy. The paper reports the findings of a case study research at one of public university in Makassar, Indonesia. Five less proficient learners at English Department, Hasanuddin University participated in a six-weeks training. The verbal reports were recorded, transcribed, and then analyzed qualitatively by means of interpretative paradigm. Findings showed that less proficient EFL learners performed wide range of strategies, such as skimming, as well as compensation strategy of code-switching, and sounding out words to help their comprehension process. These learners tended to employ those strategies in less efficient manner so as to read the text line by line. Variability in the use of strategies did not fully support these learners’ comprehension over the text as indicated in the way they approached the tasks as well as their performance results in task completion. Lexical problem was indicative to account for their comprehension problem as shown in their report for willing to use ssupport strategy, such as the use of dictionary. Overall, the less proficient learners performed almost all of the important reading strategies commonly practiced by the proficient learners of ESL background. The findings strengthen previous proposition that no consensus can be drawn between certain pattern of strategy use in relation to proficiency level. The finding confirmsan emerging need of reading strategy instruction in order to generate strategic reading behaviour in these learners.
Highlights
At present, the Indonesian government demands its people to acquire high standard of English in reading as a result of global necessity in knowledge transfer of science and technology
The five less proficient learners performed wide range of strategy use that could be classified into two broad categories, direct and indirect strategy
Findings of this study have revealed that there are variations in the reading stratergy use by the less proficient learners
Summary
The Indonesian government demands its people to acquire high standard of English in reading as a result of global necessity in knowledge transfer of science and technology. The government of Indonesia through the Department of Education and Culture has urged its people all over the country to improve their literacy skills in order to be able to challenge the dynamic development of globalization era (Abidin, et al 2012). The needs for this reading proficiency in academic setting at university level has already gathered momentum for the last few decades and has been a challenge for teaching professionals and educators in the country. Koo Yew Lie and Peter Kell (2006) advocate that in recent times there has been rising educational concern about transitions between academic literacies and work place literacies in Malaysia
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