The Importance of Metacognitive Reading Strategy Awareness in Reading Comprehension

Abstract

Metacognitive reading strategy awareness plays a significant role in reading comprehension and educational process. In spite of its importance, metacognitive strategy has long been the ignored skill in English language teaching, research, learning, and assessment. This lack of good metacognitive reading strategy skill is exacerbated by the central role of reading comprehension in education success. One solution to the problem of poor reading comprehension is the learning of metacognitive reading strategy skills. Metacognitive reading strategy ability needs to be focused in language learning and teaching. The present study is an attempt to find out whether "meta-cognitive reading strategy awareness" enhances EFL students' reading comprehension. Furthermore, it attempts to detect the relationship between metacognitive reading strategy awareness and reading comprehension. This paper focuses on the four main issues. First, it discusses the definition of metacognitive reading strategy, the significance of metacognitive reading strategy. Second, it reviews the process of metacognitive reading strategy. Third, definition of reading comprehension and different models of reading comprehension are reviewed. Fourth, the relationship between metacognitive reading strategy and reading comprehension will be discussed. Findings based on the review of the literature along with analysis of the data are of great significance and can be advantageous to improve EFL learners' metacognitive reading comprehension skill. Metacognitive reading comprehension skill has a positive effect on learning a second language and learners can gain the skills they need for effective communication in English.

The Relationship between Metacognitive Reading Strategies Use and Reading Comprehension Achievement of EFL Learners

“…Ahmadi, Ismail and Abdullah (2013) also contended that more successful readers used metacognitive reading strategy in their reading comprehension more than the less successful readers.…”

ESL Elementary Teachers’ Use of Children’s Picture Books to Initiate Explicit Instruction of Reading Comprehension Strategies

“…Based on observing the teachers of the participating classroom, Ness found out that a total of 25% of the language arts teaching practices focused on explicit reading comprehension instruction. This score was the highest comparing to the findings of Durkin, Miller, Perkins, and Pressley et al Furthermore, remarkable research studies were implemented Ahmadi, Ismail, and Abdullah (2013), Hou (2013), and Ghavamnia, Ketabi, and Tavakoli (2013) to track comprehension strategy instruction in language learning classrooms. The overall results of these studies showed that comprehension strategy instruction developed gradually comparing to findings in previous research, nevertheless, it is still drought and far from satisfactory (Pressley, 2006;Williams, 2002).…”

English language proficiency level of Higher Secondary level students in Nepal

“…Similarly, application of schema theory (Zhao & Zhu, 2012), use of different model of reading like class discussion, and small group discussion (Shen, 2013;Hamra & Syatriana, 2012) teaching English through MI theory (Jing, 2013), adoption of cooperative learning (Pan & Wu, 2013), use of graphic organizer (D & Rajan, 2013), adoption of reading techniques of SQ3R i.e. survey, question, read, recite and review (Attaprechakul, 2013& Mohammadi, Heidari, & Niry, 2012, use of metacognitive reading strategy (Ahmadi, Ismail, & Abdullah, 2013), use of fill in the map version of concept map technique (Soleimani & Nabizadeh, 2012), use of novel as a reading text (Tsai, 2012), use of authentic material (Guo, 2012), focus on language based approaches and strategy based approaches (Park, 2013) are found effective techniques to enhance learners' reading comprehension. In the virtual world of ELT, the use of blogs (Kashani, Mahmud, & Kalajahi, 2013) and application of blended learning (Alzumor et al, 2013) can also be beneficial for the enhancement of learners' reading comprehension.…”