Saudi ESL/EFL Learners' Metacognitive Online Reading Strategies in Arabic and English
[Thesis]
Alluhaydan, Hamad
Dalle, Teresa
The University of Memphis
2019
134
Ph.D.
The University of Memphis
2019
Historically, Saudi readers have demonstrated poor metacognitive reading skills and literacy practices. This study investigates what online metacognitive reading strategies ESL and EFL Saudi learners believed they used more frequently in Arabic and English. It also shows perceived differences between Saudi male and female ESL/EFL learners in their strategy use while reading online texts. The lack of practice reading in Arabic or English affects comprehension skills; less than 25% of participants felt they could answer reading comprehension questions in class. Male and female participants did not differ in their use of global, support, and problem-solving metacognitive online reading strategies when language was not taken into consideration. Similarly, EFL/ESL and Arabic speakers did not differ in their use of metacognitive strategies when gender was not considered. However, male participants reported using global, support, and problem-solving strategies more often than women when reading in English, while participants did not differ by gender regarding metacognitive strategies in Arabic.