Korean ESL students' perceptions about themselves as readers and about reading in English

Abstract

This study's primary purpose was to investigate Korean ESL students' perceptions about reading in English and about themselves as readers of English texts, and to examine how those perceptions influence their reading processing strategies. The secondary purpose was to discover how the cultural background of a text affects Korean ESL students' reading strategies and reading comprehension. Differences between intermediate and advanced readers were analyzed. The study followed a qualitative case study methodology, targeting five Korean ESL students in a university-affiliated language program. Five data sources were employed: interviews, questionnaires, think-aloud protocols, follow-up discussions, and a researcher's journal. Major findings were that (1) intermediate as well as advanced readers possessed the notion that second language reading, like first language, is an active process of comprehension; (2) subjects' perceptions about reading in English affected their interactions with English texts; (3) subjects employed a variety of reading strategies to enhance their comprehension; (4) both advanced and intermediate readers focused on meaning construction, but intermediate readers also indicated a strong concern with vocabulary, which became an obstacle to their reading comprehension; (5) participants perceived that it was easier to comprehend a culturally familiar text than a culturally unfamiliar one; and (6) regardless of proficiency, participants generally did not consider themselves good ESL readers, as they still have difficulty interacting with English texts. However, an analysis of their reading strategies demonstrated that all should be viewed as proficient ESL readers; they understood what they read, clarified their misunderstandings, and employed reading strategies appropriate to the given task. Implications of this study for teaching and for materials selection and design are provided.