Reading strategy use and proficiency of EFL students in China

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Keywords:

reading strategies, reading proficiency, China, university students

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between reading strategy use and reading proficiency among Chinese university students of English as a foreign language.  Participants were 241 students at two universities in northwest China: one Tier I university, and one Tier II university.  Strategy use was measured using Mohktari and Sheorey’s (2002) Survey of Reading Strategies (SORS).  Data analysis was conducted using quantitative measures, including bivariate correlation, multiple regression, and multiple analysis of variance (MANOVA).  Study results provided evidence that a significant relationship exists between reading strategy use and proficiency.  Results of the multiple regression analysis revealed that  (a) problem-solving strategies and global strategies are predictive of proficiency score among the study population, and (b) support strategy use is negatively correlated with reading proficiency score.  Results of the MANOVA revealed differences in strategy use and proficiency among students at the two different universities.  Taken together, these findings add support to previous research that has demonstrated a linkage between reading strategy use and reading proficiency overall, while also revealing a complex interaction between reading strategy use and proficiency among university students in China.

Author Biographies

  • Deanna L. Nisbet, Regent University

    Dr. Deanna Nisbet is a professor in the Regent University School of Education, where she serves as the faculty chair of the M.Ed. TESOL Program.  Her areas of expertise and research include second language acquisition, literacy among English language learners, and exploration of affective and cultural factors that impact learning.

  • Jiuhan Huang, Regent University
    Dr. Jiuhan Huang is an associate professor in the Regent University School of Education in Virginia Beach, VA.  She has taught ESL and TESOL courses for more than 25 years, in both the US and China.
The Asian Journal of Applied Linguistics. Volume 2. Issue 3. December 2015

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Published

2015-12-21

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 3 (2015)

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Articles

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How to Cite

Reading strategy use and proficiency of EFL students in China. (2015). The Asian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 2(3), 202-212. https://caes.hku.hk/ajal/index.php/ajal/article/view/244

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