The purpose of this study is to identify problems with traditional methods for teaching English reading comprehension, formulate alternative strategies, and examine the effectiveness of the new strategies. Because of the importance of reading comprehe...
The purpose of this study is to identify problems with traditional methods for teaching English reading comprehension, formulate alternative strategies, and examine the effectiveness of the new strategies. Because of the importance of reading comprehension in a variety of examinations that are conducted in Korean schools, including the Korean Scholastic Achievement Test (KoSAT) for college entrance, secondary school students and teachers consider reading comprehension to be the most important aspect of English education.
To effectively teach English reading comprehension, teachers should know the various reading comprehension teaching-learning strategies that are best suited to the students. To enhance their reading comprehension students should read varied English materials, extending their knowledge of vocabularies and basic sentence structures and actively applying reading strategies.
The traditional "grammar translation" method is not will suited to contemporary students. It is boring, tedious, and ineffective. These findings were collected form the opinions of 123 students in one middle school and 67 teachers in active service within Taegu Metropolitan city who were selected on a random sampling basis, by use of a questionnaire.
Three teachers ongoing reading comprehension classes are recorded and examined. In addition to that, the interviews of 9 students, after one year of learning reading strategies, were analysed to know their needs. A new method is required to be developed to enhance students' ability to improve their English reading comprehension. This method including 11 strategies based on the cognitive learning theory and English reading teaching-learning strategies from the ESL field, proved highly effective among intermediate level of secondary school students. Based on these rather spectacular results, the author recommends that this method be widely used with intermediate students especially in middle and high schools, in order to enhance students' English reading comprehension.
An experiment was conducted using the new method with 247 second-grade students attending Y middle school in 6 classes. The difference in the scores for each of the 6 classes was statistically tested using the SAS statistical analysis.
Results of the statistical analysis of the changes in the scores on the three examinations revealed a dramatic improvement in the intermediate group using the new method. There was a great change between the first and second examination, while there was no significant change in the classes taught with the traditional method. The high level and intermediate level students benefitted greatly by being taught the learning strategies in this new method.
More effective reading strategies should be developed and applied to English classes for reading comprehension classes which should be conducted in student-centered ways. Especially high level students reading speed is to be taught by recording their speed on speed graph paper and reading diary books and encouraged to form reading clubs activities for their own pleasure and achievement purposes. For the intermediate level students various strategies should be developed and applied in pair activities such as Jigsaw games and Information Gap activities. For the lower level students it is prerequisite to restore their self-esteem and confidence to balance their mentality by individual counseling. They need to set the definite goals of learning first. And then they should be assisted to enhance their interests and motivation in English reading.
In conclusion, 11 reading strategies suggested statistically demonstrated that it was highly effective among intermediate level students. They should be expanded and applied to intermediate level students in schools. Other methods should be developed to deal with the special needs of the lower level and high level students.