Exploring Reading Difficulties and Online Reading Strategies Employed by Pre-University English as A Second Language (ESL) Learners

Abstract

Academic success and language acquisition hinge upon the fundamental role of reading as a key component. Effective reading strategies have been indicated as one of the pivotal determinants of academic success in tertiary education that warrants their mastery and utilisation. This study aims to determine online reading difficulties among pre-university ESL learners, and the strategies they employ when dealing with demanding online reading tasks. A quantitative method was used to retrieve data from a total of 207 participants who were selected through a purposive sampling method from a Centre of Foundation Studies at a selected public university in Malaysia. An online 5 Likert-scale survey, consisting 5 sections and a total of 48 items, was used for data collection. The questionnaire was adapted from Abeeleh and Al-Sobh (2021) and Amer, AL Barwani, and Ibrahim (2010) and analysis was done using IBM SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) Statistics. Findings suggest that a sense of inferiority, low self-confidence, inadequate language proficiency, feelings of worry and frustration regarding their inability to comprehend online materials in English have led to the manifestation of reading difficulties. Nonetheless, irrespective of the difficulty level of reading materials, pre-university students have been utilising global, problem-solving and support strategies when engaging with online reading texts. The findings presented in this study offer valuable insights for designing specific interventions aimed at improving learners' reading skills, specifically in identifying strategies to deal with reading difficulties more effectively. This calls for a comprehensive review of the current pre-university language instructions, with the focus on aligning the curriculum to match learners' needs for a better comprehension of academic materials.