An Examination of Reading Strategies in Arabic (L1) and English (L2) Used by Saudi Female Public High School Adolescents
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Date
2015-04
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Publisher
The British University in Dubai (BUiD)
Abstract
Reading is the most critical aspect of knowledge, it is believed that it affects
other language skills such as writing, speaking, and listening. However, the
process of reading on its own is very complex because it is usually
associated with strategy instruction. This study observes how female Saudi
high school adolescents from different linguistic backgrounds use reading
strategies in Arabic and English. The study has used the think aloud protocol
to allow students to verbalize their thoughts on to how they interpret four
different reading texts, two in English and two in Arabic. The element of
intertextuality is considered as a text testing criteria. The researcher tries to
answer the following questions: 1) what are the symmetries and
asymmetries of using reading strategies in L1 and L2? 2) what is the role of
genre, register, and students’ linguistic background in reading
comprehension? and 3) what are the Arabic and English subject teachers’
perceptions about the new implemented curriculum and methods of reading
strategy instruction? The research has bred interesting and varying results
when looking at students individually; however, holistically more research
should be done in this area in order to provide a clearer understanding of
how strategies are used in both languages.
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Keywords
reading strategies, language skills, high school adolescents