The Effects of Strategies-based Instruction on

Advanced CFL Learners’ Reading Comprehension and Strategy Use

Jia Lin (林佳)

University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

Reading strategies are deliberate, goal-directed attempts to control and modify the reader’s efforts to decode text, understand words, and construct meaning of text (Afflerbach, Pearson, and Paris, 2008, p.15). The application of reading strategy has a significant influence on second language (L2) learners’ reading effectiveness. The obvious pedagogical effects of strategy training have given rise to strategies-based instruction since 1990s.

The present study investigates the influence of a short-term (seven weeks, approximately 50 minutes per week, 375 minutes in total) strategies-based instruction program on advanced learners’ top-down strategy application and reading comprehension in reading texts of different genres. This study also explores the patterns of top-down strategy use among good and poor readers, and the relationship between using particular strategies and reading effectiveness.

This research has the following findings: First, after seven weeks of training in top-down reading strategies, participants showed significant progress in reading comprehension. Their predominant improvement was in generating a holistic understanding of the text, which highly relied on the employment of top-down reading strategies. Second, this study found out when, where, how, and how often each strategy was used. It also explores the patterns of integrated use of multiple strategies. Third, this research found out the difference in strategy use between good and poor readers in terms of strategy-use frequency and strategy-use patterns.

As a pioneer of applying strategies-based instruction in advanced Chinese extensive reading classes, this study is expected to contribute to the research and teaching of L2 Chinese reading.

Family name: Lin

First name: Jia

Name in Chinese characters: 林佳

Gender: F

Highest degree: M.A

Job title: Instructor

Affiliation: UNC-Chapel Hill

Office address: 110 New West , UNC-Chapel Hill, NC, 27599

Home address: 500 Umstead Dr. Apt 208D, Chapel Hill, NC, 27516

1st email address (check it carefully): jialin1984@gmail.com

2nd email address: tobaby0861@yahoo.com.cn

Office phone number: 9199621018

Home phone number: 3194710712

Fax number:

The topic of your paper: The effects of strategies-based instruction on advanced CFL learners reading comprehension and reading strategies use

Will you attend the conference without a paper? No.