International Journal of Trend in Scientific

Research and Development (IJTSRD)

International Open Access Journal
ISSN No: 2456 - 6470 | www.ijtsrd.com | Volume - 2 | Issue – 5

Repositioning
itioning Reading Comprehension for Learner
Autonomy in English as a Second Language
Clement Gowon Omachonu PhD
PhD, Sunday Sule Emah PhD
Department of Arts Education,
Kogi State University, Anyigba, Nigeria

ABSTRACT
The ultimate aim of any reading effort is to first and (2002) noted that L2 readers are limited in their
foremost comprehend the message of the text being linguistic knowledge as a result of the following:
read. It is only when one comprehends that one enjoys
a given text and one is expected to react, evaluate and  They do not have cultural and social knowledge
benefit from the reading exercise. Reading, whether in that is common in the English context;
the first or second language context, involves the  They do not necessarily retain prior knowledge ,
reader and the text. Although reading in the L1 shares which is the basis for understanding English
numerous important basic elements with reading in material;
the L2, the processes differ. This paper focu
focuses on the  They study English for a variety of reasons;
challenges English Language learners face in  They use both L1 and L2 during reading exercises
achieving autonomy in reading comprehension. The
paper also offers suggestions for teachers of English These differences have made reading
readin in the English
as a second language to enable them achieve better Language more challenging for the L2 readers thereby
service delivery. One of such suggestions is tthat preventing them from achieving learning autonomy.
teachers of L2 readers should create time to build This paper aims at presenting the challenging issues
their learners’ background knowledge to enable them leaners of English as a second language face in
create mental schema for text organization. This will reading in the English Language and to suggest ways
help them to achieve autonomy in reading. for teachers of English as a second language for better
instruction that could lead to learning autonomy.
Keywords: Reading Comprehension, Learner
Autnomy, English, Second Language Learner Autonomy
Learner autonomy is the power of learners to make
INTRODUCTION their own decisions with regard to learning. It is a
Reading is a domain of language proficiency that situation whereby
ereby learners themselves participate in
encompasses how a reader processes, interprets and deciding the content of their learning and how to go
evaluates written language, symbols and texts with about it. Its principle is to make the learner part of the
understanding and fluency. It is a process of retrieving learning process. According to Little (2000), learner
and comprehending
ehending some form of stored information autonomy involves teacher guidance, individual work,wo
or ideas in written form. The goal of reading is to pair work, use of projects, brief plenary sessions
construct text meaning based on visually encoded conducted by the teacher at the beginning and end of
information (Koda, 2007). In first language (L1) lesson. It emphasizes the ability of learners to develop
reading, readers use only one language, whereas in the capacity for independent thought and critical
second languagee (L2) reading, leaners have at least reflection, of helping them to learn how to learn.
two languages to contend with. Carrel and Grabe

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Aug 2018 Page: 807
 International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (IJTSRD) ISSN: 2456-6470
Learner autonomy calls for the need to bring up reading without comprehension is a meaningless
learners who can approach learning in an independent, exercise. Comprehension is an essential part of the
active, purposeful and deliberate manner. Efficient reading process where the reader understands not only
learners are known to be independent in their learning the meaning of isolated words, but also their
orientation. They are usually characterized by their meanings when combined in phrases, sentences and
active involvement and efficient management of longer strings. A reader’s previous knowledge or
learning experiences. To achieve learner autonomy in experience is very important for comprehension.
reading comprehension, therefore, would mean the Reading comprehension is based on using the
ability of learners of English as a second language to appropriate meaning-making processes from the
read and comprehend independently of the teacher or, printed messages. It involves the passage, the reader
at best, the teacher serves as a guide to the learner in and the context. Readers construct meanings with
his reading comprehension activity. various approaches, such as using background
knowledge, analyzing words, inferring the text, and
Reading Comprehension identifying key vocabulary or information.
Reading is the ability to interpret the written words
and to gain meaning from them. It is the decoding of The importance of reading for comprehension has
information presented in writing. It involves making been greatly emphasized by educationists and
visual contact with the letters of the alphabet and psychologists as the child’s progress in school hinges
relating them to the sounds of the language which on the ability to read and comprehend presented
they represent. Ogwu (1999) sees reading as the materials. Crain-Thoreson, Lppman and Mccledon-
meaningful interpretation of written symbols; a Magnuson (1997) point out that there is a positive
complex process that involves the physical, mental, correlation between reading comprehension and
and emotional abilities and conditions of the readers school success. According to Omachonu and Offorma
and the kind of material to be read. To read (2008), learning depends on the comprehension and
efficiently, a reader must be able to perceive the retention of new information. This means that a lot of
individual letters of the alphabet, their arrangement emphasis must be placed on reading comprehension
into words, and the arrangement of words into groups in school in other to overcome the challenges learners
to form sentences. This implies that reading is not a of English Language as a second language face in
mechanical response to symbols but a process achieving learning autonomy in the English
whereby symbols are interpreted and placed within Language.
the wider structure of language. The words
‘language’, ‘symbol’ and ‘interpret’ are significant to Challenges of Second Language Readers
our conception of reading. This is because when oral Learners of English as a second language face some
language is reduced to written form, it becomes coded challenges in the process of reading which could
in mute symbols which must be interpreted (by the prevent them from achieving learning autonomy.
reader) to elicit the message. Reading, therefore, Some of these challenges include: culturally different
involves an understanding or comprehension, not only schemata, lack of vocabulary knowledge and
of the literal sense of the meaning of printed material, translation from L1 to L2. These are dealt with below:
but also of the meaning implied by the author, his
mood, tone, intent and even his attitude towards his Culturally Different Schemata
readers and himself (Unoh, 1989). Schemata have been described as cognitive constructs
which allow for the organization of information in the
Comprehension is the process of understanding the long term memory. It consists of generalized
ideas expressed in the written or printed text. To information abstracted from a variety of instances and
understand the ideas, the reader and the texts interact. show the relationships among their component
In other words, during the reading comprehension elements. In addition to allowing readers to organize
process, the reader is actively trying to make sense of information and knowledge economically, schemas
the written texts by integrating his previous relevant allow readers to predict the continuation of both
experiences with text information. Dawson and spoken and written discourse. The first part of a text
Bamman (1980) point out that the purpose of reading activates a schema, that is, calls up a schema which is
is not simply emitting sounds and naming words but either confirmed or disconfirmed by what follows.
rather for comprehension. This presupposes that The mind stimulated by key words or phrases in the

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 International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (IJTSRD) ISSN: 2456-6470
text or by the context, activates knowledge schema. Vocabulary is very closely linked to comprehension.
Windowson (1983) and Cook (1989) both emphasize Harris and Hodges (1981) recognized the value of
the cognitive characteristics of schema which allows vocabulary as a very significant determinant of
readers to relate the incoming information to already reading comprehension when they outlined three
known information. Rich schemata, therefore, can types of vocabulary:
help readers understand the reading material better
than readers without background information on the  General vocabulary – number of words which
topic. individuals own, add to, and uses in everyday
activities;
Cultural orientation in terms of background  Technical terms – used in specialized field of
knowledge is a factor that influences L2 reading. human endeavor; and
Although all the variables and factors surrounding the  Specialized vocabulary – words which have
issues of how culture shapes background knowledge common and known meanings but which have
and influences reading are not fully understood, there very different and specific definitions when used
is agreement that background knowledge is important in context of a given content area.
and that content schema plays an integral role in
reading comprehension (Singhal, 1998). Readers The size of one’s vocabulary and how accurately
appear to have a higher level of comprehension when one’s idea is of what words mean, therefore, are very
the content is related to their cultural background. important factors in understanding what one reads.
Given this, L2 readers do not possess the same degree This is why Hudson (2007) observes that having rich
of content schema as L1 readers, and hence, this can vocabulary knowledge is a key element to better
result in comprehension difficulties. Singhal (1989) reading comprehension. Insufficient English
points out that the L2 readers who do not possess vocabulary knowledge is a serious challenge to L2
cultural background knowledge on an English text are readers in English. L2 readers need to develop their
limited in comprehending the text’s message. This capacity in depth. Some words in the English
could hinder learner autonomy in reading Language may have more than one meaning and
comprehension. It is therefore important to recognize could confuse L2 readers because they do not
that organizational structure in text differ across consider the meaning of the word in the contexts. The
cultures, hence the challenge of culturally different word ‘freedom’, for instance, could have many
schemata. meanings depending on the context of use. Let us
examine the following sentences:
Lack of Vocabulary Knowledge 1. Freedom: the state of being free.
Studies have shown that the knowledge of letter The master gave the slave his freedom.
names is a good indicator of success in learning to During the holidays, the children enjoyed their
read. A student who has learnt to associate a name freedom.
with a letter has already learnt a basic reading skill. 2. Freedom: certain rights often given as an honour.
He has learnt how to discriminate one visual form They gave her the freedom of their house (gave
from another and has associated a sound and her the right to use the house as if it were her
consequently a name and meaning with that symbol. own).
The reason for this is that the traditional theory of The minister was given the freedom of the city as
reading portrays reading as a bottom-up process. an honour (was given certain rights within the city
According to this theory, the processing begins with as an honour).
letter features which give rise to letter recognition, 3. Freedom: the power to do, say, think or write as
which in turn leads to word recognition. Words are one pleases.
then recorded to inner speech, from which the reader Two of the four freedoms spoken of by President
derives meaning. Comprehension is an automatic Roosevelt in 1941 are freedom of speech and
outcome of accurate word recognition. In order to freedom of religion.
recognize words fast and achieve maximum 4. Freedom: do what you think best.
comprehension, a reader must have acquired a large You are given the freedom of dealing with this
stock of vocabulary. matter.

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 International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (IJTSRD) ISSN: 2456-6470
Other uses of freedom include: Tight clothes do not recognize words, he needs concepts to visualize the
allow enough freedom of movement; for the first two flow of action presented on the page. The same kind
days after he broke his arm, he had little freedom of concept building technique that works for the L1
from pain. readers also work for the L2 readers. The L2 readers,
however, gain more from concrete experiences and
Learners of English as a second language, therefore, images than from abstract ones (Singhal, 1998). It is
need to develop their vocabulary in depth to not enough for the teacher to simply tell the L2 reader
understand each meaning of English words in the to use visual images, the teacher has to describe the
different contexts to enable them achieve autonomy in images that occur in his own mind as he reads a
reading comprehension. particular passage, thus giving the L2 reader a
concrete sense of what visual imagery means.
Translation from L1 to L2 Pictures, physical action, demonstrations, practice
As soon as a child gains fluency in his L1, he begins using words in an exchange of views among peers are
to express his thoughts or ideas in that language. He is some of the ways a teacher can make the key
therefore said to be thinking in that language. vocabulary items take root in the L2 readers’ mind.
Therefore, at the early or intermediate stages of
learning English as a second language the L2 reader In texts where vocabulary is not familiar, teachers can
tends to read in English and then translate it into his introduce key vocabulary in pre-reading activities that
L1 for comprehension to take place because he has a focus on language awareness, such as finding
different constructive process from his L1 synonyms, antonyms, derivatives, or associated
experiences. Littlewood (1984) observes that the L2 words. Bos (1982) points out that brief plenary
learner uses his previous L1 experience as a means of sessions by the teacher in the comprehension process
organizing the L2 data. This is because the language increases reading comprehension for L2 readers.
faculty has been taken over by the features of the L1 These readers often need help with vocabulary and
with a resulting loss of flexibility or openness to need reminders to summarize as they proceed to
receive another language. enable them achieve autonomy in reading.

In general, L2 readers, especially in their introductory It is also necessary for the L2 readers to become
stage, are likely to translate words from English to aware of the purpose and goal for reading certain
their L1. They feel that they are unable to understand material. At the beginning stages, this can be done by
what a text is about without understanding the the teacher, but as the L2 reader becomes mature, this
meaning of each word (Singhal, 1998). They stop at a purpose, i.e. awareness raising strategy, can be left to
point when they encounter an unknown word to look the reader. For instance, the reader may be guided to
it up in the dictionary. The danger is that, by the time ask himself, “Why am I reading this text? What do I
they translate all unfamiliar words into their L1, they want to know or do after reading?” According to
may not retain information from the text and Vaezi (2006), one of the most obvious, but unnoticed,
comprehension would not take place. point related to reading purpose is the consideration of
the different types of reading skills:
Suggestions for Teachers of L2 Readers
The ability to read and read successfully implies text  Skimming – reading rapidly for the main points
comprehension. Comprehension relies on the mastery  Scanning – reading rapidly to find a specific piece
of decoding. Since efficient comprehension relies on of information
reader’s ability to see the pattern or the direction that  Extensive reading – reading a longer text, often
the writer is taking, teachers can help the L2 readers for pleasure with emphasis on overall meaning
by spending more time on building background for  Intensive reading – reading a short text for
the reading selection, both in the general sense of detailed information.
concept building and in specific sense of creating a
mental schema for the text organization. One effective The teacher must, therefore, guide the L2 readers to
strategy for L2 readers is to generate visual images of become familiar with the fact that texts may take
what is being read (Carnine and Kinder, 1985). For different forms and hold certain pieces of information
the reader to generate images, he must first be able to in different places; and that it is necessary to
recognize words. Assuming the reader knows how to understand the layout of the material being read in

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 International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (IJTSRD) ISSN: 2456-6470
order to focus more deeply on the parts that are more 7. Harris, T. L. & Hodges, R. E. (1981). A
densely compacted with information. Dictionary of Reading. Newark, Delaware:
International Reading Association.
Furthermore, learners of English as a second language
8. Hudson, T. (2007). Teaching Second Language
should not be labeled based on their status or cultural
Reading. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
background, but rather teachers should respect their
individual differences (Nieto, 2003). Since the L2 9. Koda, K. (2007). Reading and language learning:
reader is not equipped with the knowledge to perceive cross linguistic constraints on second language
texts in a culturally authentic and culturally specific development. Language Learning 57 (1) 1 – 44.
way, he should be provided with a safe learning 10. Littlewood, D. (2000). Learner autonomy: why
environment as comprehension would be only based foreign languages should occupy a central role in
on linguistic data. curriculum. In Green, S. (ed). New Perspective on
Teaching Foreign Languages. Clevedon:
Conclusion Multilingual Matters Ltd.
This paper has discussed the challenging issues
learners of English as a second language face in 11. Nieto, S. (2000). Affirming Diversity: the Socio-
reading comprehension. Factors such as culturally political Context of Multicultural Education. (3rd
different schemata, lack of vocabulary knowledge and ed.). New York: Longman.
the problem of translation from L1 to L2 were
considered. Suggestions were also put forward to the 12. Ogwu, O. M. (1999). Reading disability among
teachers of L2 readers to help learners achieve school children in Nigeria: causes and remedial
learning autonomy in reading comprehension in the strategies. Teacher Education Journal, 1 (6) 87 –
English language. 93.
13. Omachonu, C. G. & Offorma, G. C. (2008). The
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