Efarmosmeni

Reading comprehension practices in Greek elementary EFL classrooms

Part of : Εφαρμοσμένη γλωσσολογία ; No.28, 2013, pages 29-50
Issue:
No.28, 2013
Pages:
29-50
Author:
Abstract:
The present study probes into elementary English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ reading comprehension practices. It aims at gaining an insight into how they approach reading comprehension and specifically whether they explicitly teach students reading strategies, when interacting with written texts. Five instructors, who work at public elementary schools in a provincial city of central Greece, Trikala, participated in the study. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and classroom observations. The results of this study indicated that reading lessons mainly focused on oral reading of texts, vocabulary instruction, assessment of text content through post-reading oral questions and written tasks. Concurrently, there was lack of strategy instruction, which means that teachers were not involved in teaching students how to approach and comprehend written texts in the English language. The pedagogical implications that result from this study are further discussed and the need for further research to verify these findings is accentuated.
Subject:
Subject (LC):
Notes:
Περιέχει πίνακες και βιβλιογραφία
References (1):
  1. Alvermann, D.E. and D.A. Hayes (1989). Classroom discussion of content area readingassignments: An interaction study. Reading Research Quarterly, 24: 305-335.Anderson, N.J. (1991). Individual differences in strategy use in second language readingand testing. Modern Language Journal, 75/3: 460-472.Baumann, J.F., J.V. Hoffman, A.M. Dufly-Hester and J.M. Ro (2000). The first R yes­terday and today: U.S. elementary reading instruction practices reported by teachersand administrators. Reading Research Quarterly, 35: 338-377.Block, E. (1986). The comprehension strategies of second language readers. TESOLQuarterly, 20: 463-94.Brown, R., M. Pressley, P. Van Meter and T. Schuder (1996). A quasi-experimentalvalidation of transactional strategies instruction with low-achieving second gradereaders. Journal of Educational Psychology, 88/1:18-37.Carrell, P.L. (1988). Introduction: Interactive approaches to second language reading.In P.L. Carell, J. Devine and D.E. Eskey (eds), Interactive Approaches to Second Lan­guage Reading. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1-7.Carrell, P.L., B.G. Pharis and J.C. Liberto (1989). Metacognitive strategy training forESL reading. TESOL Quarterly, 23/4: 647-678.Celani, M.A.A. (2006). Language teacher educators in search of locally helpful under­standings. In S. Gieve and I.K. Miller (eds), Understanding the English Classroom.New York: Paigrave McMillan, 226-238.Charmaz, C. (2000). Grounded theory: Objectivist and constructivist methods. In N.K.Denzin and Y.S. Lincoln (eds), Handbook of Qualitative Research. California: SAGEPublications, 769-802.Cohen, A.D. (2007). Coming to terms with language learner strategies: Surveying theexperts. In A.D. Cohen and E. Macaro (eds), Language Learning Strategies: ThirtyYears of Research and Practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 29-45.Council of Europe (2001). Common European Framework of Reference for Languages:Learning, Teaching, Assessment. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Cross-Thematic Curriculum Framework for Foreign Languages (2003). GovernmentGazetteissue B, no 303-304/13-03-03. Athens: Pedagogical Institution.Dermitzaki, L, G. Andreou and V. Paraskeva (2008). High and low reading compre­hension achievers’ strategic behaviors and their relation to performance in a readingcomprehension situation. Reading Psychology, 29: 471^192.Dewitz, P., J. Jones and S. Leahy (2009). Comprehension strategy instruction in corereading programs. Reading Research Quarterly, 44/2: 102-126.Dole, J.A., G.G. Duffy, L.R. Roehler and D. Pearson (1991). Moving from the old tothe new: Research on reading comprehension instruction. Review of Educational Re­search, 61/2: 239-264.Duffy, G.G., L.R. Roehler, M.S. Meloth and L.G. Vavrus (1986). Conceptualizing in­structional comprehension. Teaching & Teacher Education, 2/3: 197-214.Duke, N. and P.D. Pearson (2002). Effective practices for developing reading compre­hension. In A.E. Farstrup and S.J. Samuels (eds), What Research Has to Say aboutReading Instruction. Newark, DE: International Reading association, 205-242.Durkin, D. (1978-1979). What classroom observations reveal about reading comprehen­sion instruction. Reading Research Quarterly, 14/4: 481-533.Efraimidou, H., F. Frouzaki and H.Z. Reppa (2009). English 6th Grade. Teacher's Book.Athens: Organization of Printing Teaching Books (OEDB).Goodman, K.S. (1967). Reading: A psycholinguistic guessing game. Journal of the ReadingSpecialist, 6/1: 126-135.Grabe, W. (2002). Teaching reading. In J.C. Richards and W.A. Renandya (eds), Method­ology in Language Teaching: An Anthology of Current Practice. Cambridge: CambridgeUniversity Press, 273-286.Iosifidis, Th. (2003). Analysis of Qualitative Data in Social Studies. [Ανάλυση ποιοτικώνδεδομένωνσαςκοινωνικέςεπιστήμες]. Athens: Kritiki.Janzen, J. (2007). Preparing teachers of second language reading. TESOL Quarterly,41/4: 707-729.Janzen, J. and F.L. Stoller (1998). Integrating strategic reading in L2 instruction. Readingin a Foreign Language , 12/1: 251-269.Kern, R.G. (1989). Second language reading strategy instruction: Its effects on compre­hension and word inference ability. Modern Language Journal, 73/2:135-148.Kletzien, S.B. (1991). Strategy use by good and poor comprehenders reading expositorytext of differing levels. Reading Research Quarterly, 26/1: 67-86.Koda, K. (2005). Insights into Second Language Reading: A Cross-Linguistic Approach.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Macaro, E. and L. Erler (2008). Raising the achievement of young-beginner readersofFrenchthroughstrategyinstruction.AppliedLinguistics, 29: 90-11.Manoli, P. and M. Papadopoulou (2012). Reading strategies versus reading skills:Two faces of the same coin. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences Journal, 46:817-821.McDonough, J. and St. McDonough ( 1997). Research Methods for English LanguageTeachers. London: Arnold.Ness, M. (2011). Explicit reading comprehension instruction in elementary classrooms:Teacheruse of reading comprehension strategics. Journal of Research in ChildhoodEducation,25/1: 98-117.Nunan, D. (1992). Research Methods in Language Learning. United States of America:CambridgeUniversity Press.Olshavsky, J.E. (1976-77). Reading as problem solving: An investigation of strategies.Reading Research Quarterly, 12: 654-74.Oxford, R. (1990) Language Learning Strategies: What Every Teacher should Know.Boston: Heinle & Heinle.Palincsar, A.S. and A.L. Brown (1984). Reciprocal teaching of comprehension-fos­teringandcomprehension-monitoringactivities. Cognition and Instruction, 1/2:117-175.Paris, S.G., M.Y. Lipson and K.K. Wixson (1983). Becoming a strategic reader. Con-temporaty Educational Psychology, 8: 293-316.Paris, S.G., D.R. Cross and M.Y. Lipson (1984). Informed strategies for learning:Aprogram to improve children’s reading awareness and comprehension. JournalofEducational Psychology, 1C. 1239-1252.Patton, M.Q. (1990). Qualitative Evaluation and Research Methods. Newbury Park:SAGEPublications.Pearson, P.D. and M.C. Gallagher (1983). The instruction of reading comprehension.Contemporary Educational Psychology, 8: 317-344.Pearson, P.D. and J.A. Dole (1987). Explicit comprehension instruction: A review ofresearch and a new conceptualization of instruction. The Elementary School Journal,88/2: 151-165.Pressley, M. (2006). Reading Instruction that Works: The Case for Balanced Teaching.New York: Guilford.Pressley, Μ., P. El-Dinary, I. Gaskins, T. Schuder, J. Bergman, L. Almasi and R.Brown (1992). Beyond direct explanation: Transactional instruction of readingcomprehensionstrategies.The Elementary School Journal, 92/5: 511-554.Pressley, M., R. Wharton-McDonald, J. Mistretta-Hampston and M. Echevarria(1998). Literacy instruction in 10 fourth and fifth grade classrooms in upstate NewYork. Scientific Studies of Reading, 2: 159-194.Psaltou-Joycey, A. (2010). Language Learning Strategies in the Foreign Language Class­room. Thessaloniki: University Studio Press.Ryan, G.W. and H.R. Bernard (2000). Data management and analysis methods. InN.K. Denzin and Y.S. Lincoln (eds), Handbook of Qualitative Research. California:SAGEPublications,769-802.Song, M.J. (1998). Teaching reading strategies in an ongoing EFL university readingclassroom. Asian Journal of English Language Teaching, 8: 41-54.Sporer, N., J.C. Brunstein and U. Kieschke (2009). Improving students’ reading com­prehensionskills: Effects of strategy instruction and reciprocal teaching. LearningandInstruction,19: 272-286.Strauss, A. and J. Corbin (1998). Basics of Qualitative Research: Techniques and Pro­cedures for Developing Grounded Theory. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Urquhart, S. and C. Weir (1998). Reading in a Second Language: Process, ProductandPractice. London and New York: Longman.Zhang, L.J. (2001). Awareness in reading: EFL students’ metacognitive knowledgeofreading strategies in an acquisition-poor environment. Language Awareness,10/4: 268-28.Zhang, L.J. and A. Wu (2009). Chinese senior high school EFL students’ metacogni­tive awareness and reading strategy use. Reading in a Foreign Language, 21/1:37-59.