Strategy Instruction: A Case of Teaching Cognitive and Metacognitive Reading Strategies

Reading is considered as one of the fundamental skills for language learners. Many investigations are of the opinion that readers require to be conscious of and use efficient reading strategies to be able to read accurately in a second or a foreign language. Therefore, investigating the effect of teaching these strategies is important. The present study attempted to compare the effects of teaching cognitive strategies, metacognitive strategies, and their combination on improving Iranian EFL learners’ reading comprehension. To do so, three intact classes of one language institute including low intermediate learners were randomly divided into three groups: cognitive (n = 17), metacognitive (n = 19), and integration of cognitive and metacognitive strategies (n = 18). After homogenizing the groups regarding their language proficiency level through running Oxford Placement test, the pre-test was administered and results showed no significant difference among the groups regarding their reading comprehension skills. During the treatment, the strategies were explicitly taught to each group. Treatment lasted for 8 sessions and one session after it post-test was run. Results of the dependent t-test showed that cognitive and integration of both cognitive and metacognitive strategies were effective in improving the participants’ reading comprehension, but the metacognitive strategies alone could not have significant role in this regard. Administering one-way ANOVA and post-hoc Scheffe test revealed that integration of both types of strategies was more effective than using them alone. These findings are consistent with the results of many other investigations which emphasize that effective L2 readers are conscious of reading strategies which will ultimately help them to become skillful readers.

کلیدواژه ها:

Cognitive strategies ، Instruction ، Metacognitive strategies ، Reading comprehension