Date of Award
7-2014
Culminating Project Type
Thesis
Degree Name
English: Teaching English as a Second Language: M.A.
Department
English
College
College of Liberal Arts
First Advisor
John Madden
Second Advisor
James Robinson
Third Advisor
Ramon Serrano
Keywords and Subject Headings
ESL, reading strategies, reading proficiency, language acquisition, SORS, metacognition, Intensive English Program, academic reading
Abstract
This study applies reading strategies, the Survey of Reading Strategies (SORS), devised by Professor Mokhtari and Professor Sheorey (2002) to ESL students studying in an Intensive English Program at a midsized university in the Upper Midwestern United States of America. The study attempts to determine whether the differences in applying their reading strategies may result from different levels of English proficiency. Data were collected from students actively studying English in a Low Level class and an Upper Level class. SORS employs commonly used reading strategies, measuring how frequently ESL students use those defined reading strategies. This study may reveal which strategies ESL students commonly use, and which strategies might require ESL instructors to provide training in order to improve the learners' reading proficiency.
The findings of this study indicate that there were no significant differences in the overall use of certain reading strategies among ESL students of either class; neither the length of the language learning experience in the Intensive English Program, nor the gender of the student. A few significant differences in individual reading strategies can predict the ESL students' reading strategies preference.
Recommended Citation
Chen, Chen, "Using SORS to Analyze the Change of Reading Strategies Among ESL Students" (2014). Culminating Projects in TESL. 44.
https://repository.stcloudstate.edu/tesl_etds/44
