The Impact of Reading Strategy Training on Taiwanese EFL Reading Comprehension

This study focused primarily on an investigation of how four reading strategies training (cognitive, metacognitive, compensation, and testing strategies) affect the development of Taiwanese EFL learners’ reading comprehension. Specifically, this study aimed to identify different reading strategy uses among good and poor readers. One hundred and ten seniors (27 males and 83 females) majoring in English in a Taiwanese university participated in this study. Three principle questions were addressed: (1) What are the relations and effects between strategy training and reading comprehension? (2) What are the differences existing between good and poor Taiwanese EFL readers on strategy use and reading comprehension performance? (3) What are students’ attitudes toward the effect of overall reading strategy training? In this study, the students’ strategy-training effect was evaluated based on reading comprehension preand post-tests, reading strategy preand post-uses, and students’ journal entries. Results showed that students generally used reading strategies more frequently and enhanced their reading comprehension after participation in a strategy training program. Poor readers scored lower than good readers in their use of all strategies, especially when they encountered difficulty in the use of metacognitive and testing strategies. The implications of these findings for implementing effective reading strategy instruction in an EFL context are discussed.