AN EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION INTO THE EFFECTS OF EXPLICIT AND INTEGRATED INSTRUCTION OF READING STRATEGIES ON EFL STUDENTS’ READING PERFORMANCE: CASE OF EFL STUDENTS AT ABOU BEKR BELKAID, UNIVERSITY OF TLEMCEN

Abstract

The ultimate aim of the present exploratory based research is an attempt to identify the possible effects of implementing in an explicit way reading strategy instruction on university EFL students’ reading proficiency and strategy use. Pegged to this objective guiding this research, a case study of thirty third year LMD students from the department of English was undertaken, and who were assigned to intervention/ experimental and control groups. Relying on a feasible application of a set of nine reading strategies, the researcher conducted a study of three regular ninety minutes period on a weekly basis for nine weeks, from February 2013 till May 2013. This study has been undertaken relying on a mixed methodology including some introspective and retrospective instruments namely: questionnaires, semi-structured interview, reading comprehension tests, and students’ personal journals/ diaries. The findings were very satisfactory and corroborated the positive effects of explicit- based strategy teaching on developing reading strategy knowledge among the experimental group compared to the control group. Moreover, the results suggested that after training most students appreciated the programme of strategy intervention that led them to have rather positive attitude towards reading in English.