Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of reading strategies by the university Business English majors in relation to their levels of reading proficiency. The participants were 926 university Business English majors from 6 universities in southwest China. The Strategy Questionnaire for Business English Reading (SQBER) and the Business English Reading Comprehension Test (BERCT) were used to collect the data. The results showed that the students with good reading proficiency reported significantly greater use of reading strategies than the students with either fair or poor reading proficiency at the overall and category levels. At the individual strategy level, 25 out of the 45 reading strategies across the inventory varied significantly in terms of the students’ levels of reading proficiency. Most of these strategies with significant differences showed positive correlation, with the higher reading proficiency students reporting employing reading strategies significantly more frequently than the lower reading proficiency students. In addition, the students with different proficiency levels had different tendencies in the use of individual reading strategies.
Highlights
The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of reading strategies by the university Business English majors in relation to their levels of reading proficiency
The variations in the frequency of students’ overall reading strategy use are presented in Table 1 below, which consists of the variable, the number of students, the mean frequency score, the standard deviation (S.D.), the significant level and the variation pattern
The findings of the present investigation revealed that the use of reading strategies by the university Business English major students varied significantly according to their levels of reading proficiency at the overall, category and individual levels
Summary
The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of reading strategies by the university Business English majors in relation to their levels of reading proficiency. Many researchers (e.g. Hosenfield, 1977; Block, 1986; Barnett, 1988; Anderson, 1991; Anderman, 1992; Sheory & Mokhtari, 2001; Anastasiou & Griva, 2009; Saengpakdeejit, 2009; Maarof & Yaacob, 2011) have conducted studies to investigate the relationship between learners’ levels of reading proficiency and their use of reading strategies. Liu’s (2002) study used 193 non-English major participants to compare the difference between the strategies used by successful readers and unsuccessful readers. Liu and Zhang (2008) compared the difference of reading strategy use between successful readers and unsuccessful readers using 202 non-English majors as participants. In accordance, Luo (2010) found that students with higher reading proficiency reported employing reading strategies significantly more frequently than the students with lower reading proficiency
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
