چكيده لاتين :
The objective of the current paper was set to examine the effect of second
language reading strategy instruction on young Iranian English as a Foreign
Language (EFL) learners’ reading comprehension and reading anxiety.
Although a growing body of empirical studies have employed CALLA as a
framework for L2 reading strategy instruction, there is a scarcity of
empirical studies exploring the effectiveness of this model for reading
strategy instruction among young learners in EFL contexts (Manoli,
Papadopoulou, & Metallidou, 2016). The importance of conducting strategyinstruction
studies involving younger L2 learners has been called for by
numerous researchers (e.g., Chamot, 2005; Macaro & Erler, 2008; Manoli,
Papadopoulou, & Metallidou, 2016) since the vast majority of studies have
recruited older students. Moreover, as discussed above the construct of FL
reading anxiety has remained under-researched in L2 empirical studies. For
these reasons, the current study was set to explore the impact of L2 reading
strategy instruction, set within CALLA model, on young Iranian EFL
learners’ reading comprehension and reading anxiety.
To accomplish this objective, a sample of 48 young Iranian EFL learners
were selected and randomly assigned to an experimental group (N = 25) and
a control group (N = 23). To guarantee the homogeneity of the experimental
and the control groups in terms of general English proficiency level “Oxford
Placement Test” (OPT) (Allan, 2004) was given to the students of both
groups. The results obtained from OPT indicated that the learner were of
lower intermediate level of language proficiency (B1). The two classes were taught by the same teacher who employed the same course book and
materials. The experimental intervention (i.e., reading strategy instruction)
lasted for a period of 12 weeks.
Employing a quasi-experimental design, the study employed an
experimental group that received a second language reading strategy
instruction for a period of one semester and a control group that were taught
with regular method with no strategy instruction but they were measured in
terms of reading comprehension and reading anxiety before and after the
strategy instruction. The strategy instruction intervention for the present
study was based on Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach
(CALLA) (Chamot & O`Malley, 1994) framework developed by Chamot et
al. (1999) which constitutes five key stages including preparation,
presentation, practice, evaluation, and expansion. In this framework, the
instruction gradually moves from a highly explicit instruction to a more
implicit teaching of using strategies to learning tasks so that the language
learners can begin to accept more responsibility in selecting and
implementing appropriate learning strategies. This cycle reiterates when new
strategies are added to students’ strategic repertoires. In the meantime, the
control group students were taught traditionally without receiving any
explicit instruction of L2 reading strategies. More specifically, the procedure
adopted for the control group was to make the students read a text aloud and
translate it. During the sessions, the teacher taught the new vocabularies and
provided the students with oral comprehension questions following passage
reading.
The reading component of Cambridge Preliminary English Test (CPET)
and Foreign Language Reading Anxiety Scale (FLRAS) were administered
to assess the reading comprehension performance and reading anxiety of the
participants as pre-test and post-test of the study.
The findings of the study revealed that the learners in the experimental
group outperformed those of control group with regard to reading
comprehension after receiving the strategy instruction intervention. The
results of this research indicated that the students of the experimental group
significantly outperformed those of control group with regard to reading
comprehension ability, suggesting that the reading strategy instruction was
influential in fostering L2 reading comprehension of the young Iranian EFL learners. The results of this research are in agreement with those of previous
empirical studies (Aghaie & Zhang, 2012; Akkakoson, 2013; Dabarera,
Renandya, & Zhang, 2014; Zhang, 2008, among others) and are at variance
with the findings of Shang (2010). More particularly, concerning the young
EFL learners as the participants of this study, it was revealed that the
findings of the present study corroborated and extended the findings of
Manoli, Papadopoulou, and Metallidou (2016) that supported the
effectiveness of strategy use and instruction in improving reading
comprehension among young, school-aged students.
Moreover, it was revealed that the reading strategy instruction reduced
the reading anxiety of the participants. Pedagogical implications on reading
strategy instruction were finally discussed. This finding is in line with the
findings of a number of previous empirical studies which suggested that the
use of comprehension strategies can decrease reading anxiety of the students
(Gahungu, 2007; Lien, 2016; Naseri & Zaferanieh, 2012). This is also
consistent with the claim that there are interactions between general foreign
language anxiety and strategy use (MacIntyre & Gardner, 1994; Rahimi &
Zhang, 2014). It might be argued that the improvement reading performance
by strategy instruction has helped the participants to reduce their reading
anxiety.
As far as practical implications of the study are concerned, it is suggested
that EFL practitioners need to integrate reading strategy instruction into their
regular L2 classrooms in order to improve reading performance of their
students. Nevertheless, the teachers themselves should be trained on how to
teach strategies effectively. If teachers are now equipped with the knowledge
and awareness of reading strategies, they will not be able to implement
strategy-based instruction (Zhang & Wu, 2009).
