Promoting reading comprehension competence among English second language high school learners in a disadvantaged community

• Main Author: Coleman, Mary F.
• Other Authors: Van Niekerk, L. J.
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: 2009
• Subjects: Reading comprehension; Developing reading comprehension competence; Comprehension achievement; Academic achievement in English; Academic performance; Extensive reading; English second language; High school learners; Factors affecting reading comprehension; Tools for teaching reading comprehension; Strategies for learning comprehension; Reading strategies; 428.00712; English language > Study and teaching (Secondary) > Foreign speakers; Reading comprehension > Study and teaching (Secondary) > Foreign speakers; High school students > South Africa
• Online Access: Coleman, Mary F. (2009) Promoting reading comprehension competence among English second language high school learners in a disadvantaged community, University of South Africa, Pretoria, <http://hdl.handle.net/10500/1138>; http://hdl.handle.net/10500/1138

The goal of this research study was to determine whether extensive reading, supported by the instruction and use of appropriate strategies, would a) improve learners' comprehension achievement b) increase academic achievement in English, and c) promote higher achievement in general academic performance. One hundred and twenty-one learners participated in this project. Three groups of learners: extensive readers, less extensive readers and non-extensive readers were identified and studied. The result indicated that extensive reading not only leads to improved achievement in comprehension, but that it also leads to improvement in general academic performance in all subjects across the curriculum; while lack of extensive reading has an adverse effect on both reading comprehension achievement and general academic performance as a whole. === Teacher Education === M.Ed. (Didactics)