Investigating Students’ Problems in Understanding English Reading Texts
Reading Comprehension, English as a Foreign Language, Vocabulary, Inferencing, Multimodal learning
Abstract
Understanding English reading texts is a critical skill for secondary‑school learners, yet many students encounter persistent difficulties that impede academic success. This study investigates the specific problems faced by Indonesian senior high‑school students when reading English narrative and expository texts. A mixed‑methods design was employed: a questionnaire (N = 210) identified the frequency of comprehension obstacles, and semi‑structured interviews (n = 12) explored underlying causes. Quantitative results revealed that limited vocabulary, insufficient inferencing skills, and low metacognitive awareness were the most prevalent issues (p < .01). Qualitative analysis highlighted gaps in prior knowledge, ineffective reading strategies, and limited exposure to authentic texts. Findings suggest that incorporating multimodal resources and mobile‑learning (M‑learning) platforms can alleviate these problems. Implications for curriculum design and teacher training are discussed.
References
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Relevance: Identifies specific reading difficulties among high school students, providing a foundational taxonomy for the present study.
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Relevance: Demonstrates the link between reading comprehension and overall language proficiency, supporting the emphasis on vocabulary.
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Relevance: Connects language and reasoning deficits to critical thinking and inferencing challenges in reading.
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Relevance: Reviews multimodal instructional approaches that can address identified reading problems.
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