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Original Research
The role of explicit teaching of reading comprehension strategies to an English as a second language learner
Submitted: 02 September 2021 | Published: 29 November 2022
About the author(s)
Andrea Elston, Department of Research, Faculty of Education, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, South AfricaChantyclaire Tiba, Department of Research, Faculty of Education, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, South Africa
Janet Condy, Department of Research, Faculty of Education, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, South Africa
Abstract
Background: Reading comprehension is one of the most important skills a learner needs for academic achievement and is something which many South African learners lack. Studies suggest that explicit teaching of comprehension strategies has the potential to improve literacy.
Aim: The aim of this article is to determine the role of explicit teaching of reading comprehension strategies to an English as a second language (ESL) learner.
Setting: This study was conducted at a dual-medium quintile 5 primary school in the Western Cape. Quintile 5 are affluent schools (fee-paying schools) which receive less funding from the government. This is a single case study with a Grade 4 ESL learner. The medium of instruction was English.
Methods: This is a qualitative interpretive study in which the researcher used an observation and interview schedules to collect data. Pre- and post-tests were conducted before and after the intervention programme (IP).
Results: It was evident from the findings that the explicit teaching of three reading comprehension strategies and one-on-one interactions and guidance from the teacher enabled the learner, who is in Grade 4, to acquire critical thinking skills. The learner’s literacy improved, which boosted her self-confidence.
Conclusion: As the three reading comprehension strategies were constantly and explicitly taught throughout the IP, these collaborative, multitiered approaches began to develop the learner’s habit of thinking in a higher-order manner. She began to develop a mindset of critical thinking, even in her second language.
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