Reading Comprehension Challenges: A Case Study of General Foundation Program (GFP) Students at International College of Engineering and Management (ICEM)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.1606.07Keywords:
reading comprehension, autonomy, English as Foreign Language (EFL), the General Foundation Program (GFP), International College of Engineering and Management (ICEM)Abstract
Reading comprehension is critical for academic achievement, particularly for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students who often struggle with understanding academic texts. This research examined the specific reading comprehension difficulties faced by higher education EFL students, defined the strategies which students use to overcome the English reading comprehension challenges and found the impact that the General Foundation Program (GFP) had on students' English comprehension reading skills. Using a mixed-method approach, the study gathered data through quantitative surveys, from a sample of 114 students at the International College of Engineering and Management (ICEM) in Oman, and qualitative interviews with 10 students at this college. Over six weeks, targeted reading sessions incorporated these strategies to assess their impact on comprehension. The results confirmed that students face challenges when learning to read in English, most notably the inability to understand new and unfamiliar words, the pronunciation of new words, and difficulty understanding long sentences. The results indicated the possibility of relying on a set of strategies to overcome reading comprehension difficulties, including re-reading the text more than once, summarizing ideas, relying on key words to understand the context of the text, skimming and scanning. The results also indicated the role of the foundation in improving students' reading comprehension abilities and enhancing their motivation to learn. Findings from this research highlight the potential of integrating targeted reading strategies into EFL curricula to improve comprehension, promote self-directed learning, and enhance academic outcomes.
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