Perspectives of EFL Students towards Reading Strategies.

Abstract

The present descriptive study looks at the importance of reading skills for English Language Leaners (ELL) and the challenges that university students in Ecuador face when practicing this skill. Hence, a survey was applied to 50 students, with an A2-B1 level from a private university located in Manabí, province of Ecuador. The results obtained from the survey show that many students read in English mostly for academic purposes and not necessarily for pleasure. It also shows that students try to look for strategies to make reading more enjoyable but tend to rely heavily on inappropriate strategies such as translation of texts. Additionally, results show a psychological aspect which is that many students feel very anxious when they read in English. Based on this evidence, it is possible to argue that teachers should pay more attention to the strategies that students employ when they read and to how students feel towards a particular reading activity. This study involves recommendations for teachers to work closely together with students to set, right from the start, clear strategies and goals so that the whole reading process is more productive and enjoyable.