The Impact of Strategy Use in Enhancing EFL Learners' Reading Skills Case Study: First-Year English Students at the University of Dr. Moulay Taher– Saida.

Abstract

The present study seeks to expand on the existing literature on reading strategies by examining and measuring the impact of strategy use on EFL learners' reading performance and skills development. In a descriptive and experimental study using quantitative research methods, first-year EFL students from the University of Dr. Moulay Taher-Saida (84) were selected through convenience and stratified sampling to participate in the present study. The study comprises two main phases. The initial study investigated the reading strategies used by Algerian EFL learners, utilizing the Survey of Reading Strategies (SORS). The findings of the initial study revealed that problem-solving reading strategies were prominently employed by the participants. These insights functioned as the foundation for the subsequent main study. In the main study, the research initially focused on determining Algerian EFL learners' reading proficiency levels using a pre-test. Moreover, proficient readers' (the control group=10) responses to the SORS were examined to identify specific reading strategies that were subsequently applied to less proficient readers (the experimental group=11). The selected reading strategies were then integrated into a Direct Instructional Program, which aimed to measure the impact of the selected set of reading strategies on EFL learners' reading skills over a short period. The impact of these reading strategies was measured through reading activities incorporated in the teaching intervention program, and a post-test assessment. The results of the study demonstrated that the specific reading strategies employed had a notably positive effect on learners' reading proficiency levels within a relatively short timeframe. Additionally, these strategies facilitated the transition from thoughtful reading strategies to spontaneous reading skills, indicating a significant enhancement in learners' reading abilities. This research contributes valuable insights into the effective utilization of reading strategies for EFL learners and underscores their potential to foster reading skill development. However, Future research should contain larger-scale and longer-term studies to gain a deeper understanding of how these strategies offer maintained advantages. Longitudinal experiments can reveal the lasting impact of strategy use on overall reading skills. Also, exploring how reading strategies differ across proficiency levels and age groups may yield beneficial insights for instructors and curriculum designers.