You are on page 1of 6

See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/261213403

Reading Skills and Reading Comprehension in English for Specific


Purposes

Conference Paper · September 2010

CITATIONS READS

0 3,033

1 author:

Milevica Bojovic
University of Kragujevac
9 PUBLICATIONS   24 CITATIONS   

SEE PROFILE

Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:

TEMPUS project "Building Capacity of Serbian Agricultural Education to link with the Society" (CaSA) View project

Teaching and Learning - problems, goals and perspectives OI179026 View project

All content following this page was uploaded by Milevica Bojovic on 31 March 2014.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.


23 and 24 September 2010 Celje, Slovenia

Reading Skills and Reading Comprehension in


English for Specific Purposes
M. Bojovic1
1University of Kragujevac, Faculty of Agronomy Cacak, Serbia

Abstract— Reading is a complex, purposeful, interactive, decoding processes are important for comprehension and
comprehending, and flexible activity that takes considerable are used by readers in interaction with the more complex
time and resources to develop. Reading comprehension is a processes of meaning generation, as referred in [4], [5],
process of getting meaning from and bringing meaning to a and [6]. However, it is equally clear that readers engage in
text. Theoretical framework, concerning classification of reading in order to gain information. Reading purpose is a
reading skills, criteria for skill ranking and skill transfer, is central concern of English for Specific Purposes (ESP),
presented. The balance between skills and language affects and purpose resides in the language learner's relationship
the teaching of reading in English for Specific Purpose. to the learning task. The purpose is assumed to be
Adopting a range of reading styles, strategies and comprehension of the message. Comprehension in
techniques in second/foreign language classroom is instructional settings is translated into some product, such
necessary for successful interaction with the authentic texts as completion of comprehension questions, a written
in English for Specific Purpose implying more efficient summary, or an oral report [7].
second language readers. Different techniques for testing
reading are also analyzed. Success in reading
comprehension task is studied by analyzing effects of the
type of the training students have undergone, for how long III. READING SKILLS
they have studied English at the faculty, duration of training A reading skill is a cognitive ability which a person is
in reading skills, frequency of testing, and the nature of texts able to use when interacting with the written text. In the
used as a basis for applying reading comprehension tests. taxonomies given in the following paragraph some skills
seem more inclusive than others.
Index Terms—Reading, skills, comprehension, reading According to the reference [8], reading skills involve:
assessment.
identifying word meaning, drawing inferences, identifying
writer’s technique, recognizing mood of passage, finding
I. INTRODUCTION answers to questions. Reading skills [9] can also include:
recognizing the script of language; deducing the meaning,
Reading is a complex, purposeful, interactive, use of unfamiliar lexical items; understanding explicitly
comprehending, flexible activity that takes considerable and non-explicitly stated information, conceptual
time and resources to develop. Reading is rapid, which meaning, communicative value of sentences, relations
means that readers should maintain flow of information at within the sentences and between parts of text through
a sufficient rate to make connections and inferences vital lexical cohesion devices; recognizing indicators and main
to comprehension. The reader has a purpose for reading, point of information in discourse; distinguishing main idea
whether it is for entertainment, information, or research. from supporting detail; selective extraction of relevant
Reading for a purpose provides motivation - an important points from the text; basic reference skills; skimming,
aspect of being a good reader. It is interactive activity - the scanning, transcoding information from diagrams/charts.
reader makes use of information from his/her background According to [10], reading skills are as follows: word
knowledge as well as information from the printed page; meaning in context, literal comprehension, drawing
reading is also interactive in the sense that many skills inferences, interpretation of metaphor, finding main ideas,
work together simultaneously in the process. The reader forming judgments. Reading skills, as in [11], also
typically expects to understand what s/he is reading. involve: automatic recognition skills, vocabulary and
Reading is flexible, meaning that the reader employs a structural knowledge, formal discourse structure
range of strategies to read efficiently. Finally, reading knowledge, content/world background knowledge,
develops gradually; the reader does not become fluent synthesis and evaluation skills/strategies, metacognitive
suddenly, or immediately following a reading knowledge and skills monitoring.
development course.
Grabe’s taxonomy [11] uses very general categories,
equivalent to knowledge areas. If reading itself is a skill, it
must be possible to break this down into different levels of
II. READING COMPREHENSION component skills categories. Reference [12] suggests a
Reading is not merely a process of exact identification distinction between “language related” and “reason
of letters, words, and ultimately sentences leading to related” skills. Some attempts have been made to arrange
comprehension built from letter to word to phrase to skills into hierarchies. The taxonomy of Lunzer et al. [10]
sentence [1]. Readers make use of their existing is so arranged, with the lowest level skills at the top.
background knowledge (schemata) to make predictions Munby’s taxonomy [9] was not intended to be
about what is coming next in the text and about how some hierarchically arranged, but it seems that some skills
new, unfamiliar piece of information relates to what is presuppose the learning of other skills. Skills are
already known, as in [2] and [3]. It is clear that basic interdependent, and they are acquired at different rates and

The International Language Conference on The Importance of Learning Professional Foreign Languages for Communication between Cultures 1
2010, int.conference@fl.uni-mb.si website: http://fl.uni-mb.si/
23 and 24 September 2010 Celje, Slovenia

for different purposes. Decoding words, for example, is a Most of these skills are composed of several processes,
necessary but not sufficient skill for comprehending of which skimming and scanning are useful first stages for
written texts. determining whether to read a text or which parts to read
This component skill approach is practical as it leads to carefully. Once a text has been identified as relevant, then
important insights into the reading process and classroom ESP readers need to read carefully, extract meaning and
practices and it can be useful for teaching of reading. consider the author’s attitude.
Possible criteria for ranking skills [13] are as follows:
 logical implication – one system component can
V. KINDS OF READING, CLASSROOM READING
be considered to presuppose all components
below it; PROCEDURES AND READING TESTING TECHNIQUES
 pragmatic implication – a reader displaying one The following types of reading are important to discuss
skill in the system can be assumed to posses all [13]: search reading - locating information on
the “lower” skills; predetermined topics; skimming - reading for gist;
 difficulty – the components are arranged in order scanning - reading selectively to achieve very specific
of increasing difficulty; reading goals; careful reading - reader attempts to handle
 developmental – some skills are acquired earlier majority of information in the text and to build up a
than others (it is unwise to suppose that readers macrostructure. The reader may choose kind of reading
pass through a period of comprehending according to the perceived demands of the learning task.
“explicitly stated” information before they arrive Adopting a range of reading styles during pre-reading
at the stage of inferencing). (predicting, word association, discussions, text surveys),
while-reading (a list of questions, scanning and skimming
activities, working out the meaning of unfamiliar words,
IV. READING SKILLS IN ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC pattern study guides, summarising, clarifying, questioning,
PURPOSES predicting, etc.) and post-reading activities (review of the
The purpose of reading and the balance between skills content, work on grammar, vocabulary in context or word
and language affect the teaching of reading in English for roots, discourse features, consolidation of what has been
Specific Purposes. Two contributions to the approach to read by relating the new information to the students’
reading in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) are of knowledge, interests, and opinions through a writing
prime importance, as in [14]. assignment, discussions, debates, role-plays, project work)
in second language classroom is necessary for successful
One of them is the shift from text as a linguistic object
interaction with the authentic texts, both in English for
to text as a vehicle of information [15]. The key principles
Specific Purposes and General Purpose English.
for ESP learners are that extracting information accurately
and quickly is more significant than language details; that Considering testing reading ability, two approaches can
understanding the macrostructure comes before language be distinguished: discrete-point or analytic approaches and
study; and that application of the information in the text is integrative or integrated approaches [18]. In discrete-point
extremely important. The reader first processes the approaches, the intention is to test one aspect of reading
language and then links the ideas to prior knowledge. ability at a time. On the other hand, in integrative
approaches test designers aim to gain a global overview of
The second significant contribution to teaching reading
a reader’s ability to handle text. There are arguments that
on ESP courses is the recognition that good reading
it is more appropriate not to attempt to analyse reading
requires language and skills. According to [16], less
into component parts (as in discrete approach to testing
successful foreign language learners had a fragmented
reading), which will distort the nature of reading:
approach to text, while successful learners went for
consequently, a more global approach is more valid.
overall meaning, guessing or skipping language and
information. As referred in [17], several hypotheses were Methods of second language reading ability assessment
tested about the role of language and skills, showing that can be formal and informal, as in [18]. Techniques that
poor reading in a foreign language is due in part to poor can be used in the formal, often pencil-and-paper-based,
reading in L1, together with an inadequate knowledge of assessment of reading involves the following: the cloze
the foreign language. The learners need to reach a test, gap-filling tests, multiple-choice techniques,
threshold level of L2 before they are able to transfer any matching, ordering tasks, editing tests; then alternative
L1 skills to their L2 reading tasks. integrated approaches as the cloze elide test or negative
cloze, short-answer tests, the free-recall test, summary
The reading component of an ESP course thus requires
test, the gapped summary; and finally, information-
a balance between skills and language development. Some
transfer techniques where the student task is to identify in
of the crucial skills to be learnt or transferred into the new
the target text the required information and then to transfer
language are, as referred in [14]: selecting what is relevant
it (sometimes in transposed form) on to a table, diagram,
for the current purpose; using all the features of the text
flow chart, or map. Informal methods of assessment in the
such as headings, layout; skimming for content and
second-language reading context in common use include
meaning; scanning for specifics; identifying organisational
interviewing readers about their habits, problems and
patterns; understanding relations within a sentence and
performance; the use of self-report techniques, including
between sentences; using cohesive and discourse markers;
think-alouds, diaries and reader reports, to assess levels of
predicting, inferring and guessing; identifying main ideas,
reading achievements and proficiency; also, the cloze
supporting ideas and examples; processing and evaluating
technique could be used on sample passages selected from
the information during reading; transferring or using the
library books to assess whether readers had understood
information while or after reading.
texts at the given level. Informal reading assessment

The International Language Conference on The Importance of Learning Professional Foreign Languages for Communication between Cultures 2
2010, int.conference@fl.uni-mb.si website: http://fl.uni-mb.si/
23 and 24 September 2010 Celje, Slovenia

techniques seem more appropriate in assessing extensive TABLE I.


reading [19]. PERCENTAGE OF CORRECT ANSWERS FOR GROUP I ON INITIAL AND FINAL ESP
TESTS AND ADDITIONAL GPE TEST
It is now generally accepted that it is inadequate to
measure comprehension of text by only one method. Good
reading tests usually employ number of different Group I Nr. Nr. Study- Period Initial Final GPE
(agroeconomy) of of ing of ESP (II) test
techniques, possibly even on the same text, but certainly student- begin- English reading test ESP (III)
skill
across the range of texts tested – this is a sensible concept s ners at
training
(% ) Test (%)
Faculty (%)
of making reading tests, since in real-life reading, readers (years) (years)
responds to texts in different ways. Highly
intensive 5 2 3 1 51 67.27 68.5
Seniors
training
in
reading
VI. ORGANIZATION OF RESEARCH skills Juniors 7 0 2 0 68.57 66.23 67.46
The research objective is the improvement of reading
comprehension in English as a second language (ESP -
English in Agronomy, Agroeconomy, and Food On the final ESP test (Table 1), seniors had better
Technology). The research was carried out at Faculty of scores comparing their initial ESP test and juniors’ final
Agronomy in Cacak (Serbia) during the period November ESP test, which can be attributed to positive influence of
2007 - June 2009. The participants were undergraduate highly intensive training and positive motivation on the
students – seniors, juniors, sophomores and freshmen - the whole group, especially on beginners [20]. On the
total number of students participating was 93, divided into additional GPE test (Table 1), seniors had even higher
five groups. scores comparing with their scores on the final ESP test,
The variables used in the research are: while juniors reached their standard level. The shift from
 the type of training students have undergone – ESP to GPE texts did not influence student achievements
ranging from highly intensive training to no at higher academic levels due to the fact that Group I
specific training in reading skills; students have already achieved adequate level of reading
 period of studying English at the Faculty – skills and knowledge of language.
depending on the group, it ranges from zero to Analyzing the results of Groups II and III (Table 2) on
three years of study; the initial ESP test, Group II had considerably lower
 duration of training in reading skills at the scores than Group III, which can be explained by general
faculty – up to one year of study; lower level of all language skills. Group II dramatically
 frequency of testing: increased their scores on the final ESP test due to frequent
 the change of the nature of the texts used in testing and training in reading skills. Group III, not having
testing – ESP and GPE (General Purpose undergone specific training in reading skills, also
English) texts and tests implemented. increased the scores on the final ESP test, which can be
ascribed to frequent testing [20]. On the additional GPE
The assumptions were that: test (Table 2), these two groups are at much the same level
a) intensive reading training and testing of achievement. Group II had lower scores comparing to
frequency, applied separately, can improve reading skills the final ESP test (Table 2) despite intensive training in
in second language; and reading skills and testing, which can be explained by
b) change of the nature of the text used in testing generally lower level of language skills manifested greatly
does not affect achievements in reading comprehension by the shift from ESP texts to GPE texts. Anyway, their
tasks. scores are far better than on initial ESP test, which means
The research instruments applied involve authentic that intensive training in reading skills and high frequency
English passages, followed by reading comprehension of testing still have positive effects.
tests items created for these texts (including multiple TABLE II.
PERCENTAGE OF CORRECT ANSWERS FOR GROUPS II AND III ON INITIAL AND
choice, true/false technique, cloze test, filling gaps, FINAL ESP TESTS AND ON ADDITIONAL GPE TEST
information transfer techniques – completing
diagrams/tables/flowcharts with the required information).
Nr. Nr. Study- Period Initial Final GPE
The reading comprehension questions were focused on of of ing of ESP ESP (V)
Groups II & III
text meaning rather than structural elements. Statistical students begin- English reading test (IV) test
ners at skill (% ) test (%)
procedure applied is descriptive statistics. Faculty training (% )
(years)
(years)
Group II
sophomores –
VII. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION agronomy and
agroeconomy- 13 0 1 0 33.60 71.79 9.40
In Group I (Table I) seniors had lower scores than medium-intensity
training in
juniors on the initial ESP test possibly because of higher reading
percentage of beginners among seniors than among Group III
juniors. Duration of previous reading skill training and of sophomores –
food technology -
studying English at the Faculty did not influence the with no specific 11 0 1 0 46.85 60.61 59.60
scores on the initial ESP test, since the students with more reading training
reading skill experience (seniors) had lower scores.

The International Language Conference on The Importance of Learning Professional Foreign Languages for Communication between Cultures 3
2010, int.conference@fl.uni-mb.si website: http://fl.uni-mb.si/
23 and 24 September 2010 Celje, Slovenia

Group III (Table 2) also had somewhat lower scores on TABLE III.
GPE test than on final ESP test (for 1.01 %) and can be PERCENTAGE OF CORRECT ANSWERS FOR GROUP IV ON INITIAL (GPE) AND
FINAL (ESP) TESTS
explained by lack of specific training in reading skills and
previously achieved levels of language skills. Their scores
on GPE test are better than on initial ESP test – it can be Group IV Nr. Nr. Studying Period of Initial Final
elementary level of of true English reading (GPE) (ESP)
ascribed to high frequency of testing. students true and students beginners at skill test (II)
Group IV (Table 3) on the initial (GPE) test had lower false beginners /
false
Faculty
(years)
training
(years)
(% ) test
(% )
scores than seniors and juniors initial (ESP) test (Group I, beginners
Table 1) for 6.89% and statistically significant 25.46%,
Sophomores –
respectively, which can be explained by generally lower agronomy,
level of knowledge and shorter period of studying agroeconomy, food
technology – 25 3/22 1 1 43.11 33.67
language at the faculty, though frequency of testing and intensive reading
type of training in reading skills were pretty much at the training

same level.
Comparing with the results of group III (Table 3), the
scores of Group IV were lower, which can be explained Considering the scores on final ESP test, Group V
by lower frequency of testing and higher proportion of scores (Table 4) were much lower than the scores of
beginners in the tested group (though the difference of Group I seniors and juniors (Table 1) for 24.39% and
3.74% is not statistically significant). However, Group IV 23.35%, respectively. Such results can be explained by
(Table 3) had higher scores than Group II (Table 2) on the Group I longer period of studying English at the faculty
first test for 9.51%, which can be explained by duration of and better background knowledge as well as the difference
previous reading training, even if the level of previously in intensity of training in reading skills despite higher
achieved language skills were not satisfactory for both proportion of beginners in senior group and higher
groups. frequency of testing in Group V. On final ESP test, Group
The scores of Group IV on the second (ESP) test were V also had lower scores than Groups II (for 28.12%) and
lower (Table 3) than on the first test (9.44%), which can III (for 17.73%) (Table 2) as the result of Group V shorter
be ascribed to the shift from GPE test to ESP test – the period of studying English at the faculty, lower
nature of text used as test basis was changed and students background knowledge and lack of specific reading
didn’t have experienced reading such texts in their training (particularly comparing to Group II). All
previous training. That is also the reason why on the final mentioned score differences are statistically significant.
(second) test this group had lower scores than groups I, II Regarding the Group V scores on initial and final ESP
and III on their final ESP test for 33.60%, 33%, 34.12% tests, the scores on the latter were slightly higher (for
and 26.94%, respectively, and groups I, II and III on their 0.44%) which is statistically insignificant.
additional GPE test for 34.83%, 33.79%, 25.73% and Analyzing the scores on the GPE tests, Group V (Table
25.93%, respectively (Table 1 and Table 2). All these 4) again had lower scores than Group I seniors (19.19%)
differences are statistically significant. The other reasons and juniors (for 18.15%), Group II (for 10.09%), and
for such high score differences in the final tests are also Group III (for 10.29%) (Tables 1, 2, and 3), which can be
Group IV lower level of all language skills. ascribed to lack of specific training in reading skills,
On the initial ESP test, Group V scores (Table 4) were shorter period of academic education, and possibly lower
lower than the scores of Group I, both seniors and juniors level of all language skills comparing to Groups I (both
(Table 1), for 8.56% and 26.13%, respectively. This can seniors and juniors) and III in particular. On the additional
be explained by Group V shorter period of studying GPE test, Group V (Table 4) had somewhat higher scores
language at the faculty, lack of any specific training in than on initial and final ESP tests (for 6.87% and 6.43%,
reading skills, possible lack of background knowledge. respectively), which can probably be explained by the
More frequent testing of Group V in this context didn’t presence of familiar text background. At least, the shift
have the effect it had at higher levels of academic from ESP to GPE test and frequency of testing possibly
education (Table 2). Group V scores were also lower than had some positive effects.
Group III scores (Table 2) for 4.41% (though not
statistically significant). It can be ascribed to lack of TABLE IV.
background knowledge (not having specific ESP content PERCENTAGE OF CORRECT ANSWERS FOR GROUP V ON INITIAL AND FINAL ESP
in the first term of university education), though frequency TESTS AND ON ADDITIONAL GPE TEST
of testing was almost the same. Group V, however, had
better scores than Groups II (Table 2) and IV (Table 3) for
Nr. Nr. Study- Period Initial Final GPE
8.84% and 8.77%, respectively, which can be ascribed to Group V of of ing of ESP (III) (IV)
Group II and IV general lower level of language skills students begin- English reading test ESP test
ners at skill (% ) test (%)
despite longer period of university education, presence of Faculty training (%)
background knowledge and medium-intense training in (years) (years)

reading skills, having in mind that Group IV also had


much lower frequency of testing. Freshmen –
with no 0 0 42.44 42.88 49.31
specific 32 6
reading
training

The International Language Conference on The Importance of Learning Professional Foreign Languages for Communication between Cultures 4
2010, int.conference@fl.uni-mb.si website: http://fl.uni-mb.si/
23 and 24 September 2010 Celje, Slovenia

VIII. CONCLUSION
Groups I, II, III and V improved the results, while
Group IV scores decreased theirs. The most significant [9] J. Munby, Communicative Syllabus Design, Cambridge:
improvement in reading comprehension was achieved by Cambridge University Press, 1978.
[10] E. Lunzer, M. Waite, and T. Dolan, "Comprehension and
Group II which had the lowest scores on the initial ESP comprehension tests," in The Effective Use of Reading, E. Lunzer
test, the highest ones on the final ESP test, and reasonably and K. Gardner, Eds. London: Heinemann Educational, 1979.
good results on GPE test. The assumption that separately [11] W. Grabe, "Current developments in second language reading
applied intensive reading training and frequency of testing research," TESOL Quarterly, vol. 25(3), pp. 375-406, Autumn
improve student’s reading skills proved to be correct. The 1991.
combination of reading skill training of medium intensity [12] E. Williams and C. Moran, "Reading in a foreign language at
intermediate and advanced levels with particular reference to
and high frequency of testing showed the best results English," Language Teaching, vol. 22, pp. 217-228, October 1989.
(Table 2, group II); it can be efficient with the students [13] A. H. Urquhart and C. J. Weir, Reading in a Second Language:
with lower level of knowledge and achievement in Process, Product, and Practice, London and New York:
English language tasks. The second assumption that Longman, 1998.
change of the nature of the text used in testing does not [14] T. Dudley-Evans and M. J. St John, Developments in ESP: a
affect achievements in reading comprehension tasks also Multidisciplinary Approach, Cambridge: Cambridge University
proved to be correct, except with the students with Press, 1998.
[15] T. F. Johns and F. Davies, "Text as a vehicle for information: the
inadequate level of general foreign language skills (Group classroom use of written texts in teaching reading in a foreign
II, Table 2 and Group IV, Table 3) and at low levels of language," Reading in a Foreign Language, vol. 1, pp. 1-19,
academic education (Group V, Table 4). March 1983.
[16] C. Hosenfeld, "A preliminary investigation of the reading
strategies of successful and non-successful second language
learners," System, vol. 5(2), pp. 110-123, May 1977.
REFERENCES [17] J. C. Alderson, "Reading in a foreign language: a reading problem
[1] K. S. Goodman, " Reading: A psycholinguistic guessing game," or a language problem?, in Reading in a Foreign Language, J. C.
Journal of the Reading Specialist, vol. 6, pp. 126-135, May 1967. Alderson and A. H. Urquhart, Eds. London: Longman, 1984.
[2] D. E. Rumelhart, " Schemata: The building blocks of language," in [18] J. C. Alderson, Assessing Reading, Cambridge: Cambridge
Theoretical Issues on Reading Comprehension, R. J. Spiro, B. University Press, 2000.
Bruce, and W. Brewer, Eds. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum, [19] C. Nuttall, Teaching Reading Skills in a Foreign Language,
1980, pp. 33-58. Oxford: Heinemann English Language Teaching, 1996.
[3] D. E. Rumelhart and A. Ortony, "The representation of knowledge [20] M. Bojovic, "Development of reading skills in second language
in memory," in Schooling and the Acquisition of Knowledge, R. C. learning and teaching," International Journal of Psychology, vol.
Anderson, R. J. Spiro, and W. E. Montague, Eds. Hillsdale, NJ: 43 (3/4), p. 223, July 2008.
Lawrence Erlbaum, 1977, pp. 99-135.
[4] D. Eskey, "Conclusion", in Research in Reading English as a
Second Language, J. Devine, P. Carrell, and D. Eskey, Eds. AUTHORS
Washington, DC: TESOL, 1987, pp. 189-192.
[5] W. Grabe, "Reassessing the term ‘interactive’," in Interactive M. Bojovic is with the Faculty of Agronomy,
Approaches to Second Language Reading, P. Carrell, J. Devine, University of Kragujevac, Cara Dusana 34, Serbia (e-mail:
and D. Eskey, Eds. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, milevicabojovic@gmail.com; milevicab@tfc.kg.ac.rs).
1988.
[6] D. E. Rumelhart, "Understanding and summarizing brief stories,"
in Basic Processes in Reading: Perception and Comprehension,
D. LaBerge and S. J. Samuels, Eds. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Manuscript submitted on 30 August, 2010.
Erlbaum, 1977, pp. 265-303.
[7] T. Hudson, "A content comprehension approach to reading Published as submitted by M. Bojovic.
English for Science and Technology," TESOL Quarterly, vol.
25(1), pp. 77-104, Winter 1991.
[8] F. B. Davies, "Research in comprehension in reading," Reading
Research Quarterly, vol. 3, pp. 499-545, July 1968.

The International Language Conference on The Importance of Learning Professional Foreign Languages for Communication between Cultures 5
2010, int.conference@fl.uni-mb.si website: http://fl.uni-mb.si/

View publication stats

You might also like