1. The reading strategies used by male and
female English language learners: A
study of Colombian high school students
Presenter : Chia- Li Sabina Chen
Instructor : Dr. Pi-Ying Teresa Hsu
Date : March 2, 2011
1

2. Citation
Alex, P. (2010). The reading strategies used by male
and female English language learners: A study of
Colombian high school students. New England
Reading Association Journal 46 (1), 55-63.
2

3. Contents
Introduction
Review of Literature
Methodology
Results
Discussions
Conclusions
Reflections
3

4. Contents
Introduction
4

5. Introduction
Colombia is one of the countries in which English is widely
studied as a foreign language.
5

6. Introduction
Colombian government has promoted a goal of having all
high school graduates passed a level of English proficiency
to economically and culturally compete on a global level.
6

7. Introduction
Reading proficiency will be one of skills of such a goal
and is necessary if students want to study and work in
English-speaking environment.
7

8. Contents
Review of Literature
8

9. Review of literature
Reading strategies and English language literacy development
English language learners (ELLs) who used reading
strategies frequently had a higher reading
proficiency than others who did not use more
reading strategies (Lee & Liao, 2007 ; Sheorey,
Kamimura & Freiermuth, 2008 ; Sheorey &
Baboczky, 2008 ; Zhang & Wu, 2009).
9

10. Review of literature
Reading strategies and gender
Most studies showed that females use more
strategies than males (Poole, 2005a ; Sheorey,
2006 ; Sheorey & Baboczky , 2008 ; Poole, 2009).
10

11. Research purpose
--to discover whether or not both male and female
Colombian high school students are nearing the goal of
advanced English language literacy
11

12. Research questions
1. What academic reading strategies do Colombian
high school English language learners report
using?
2. Do males and females report using different
academic reading strategies?
12

13. Contents
Methodology
13

14. Methodology
Male: 103
Ages: 12 to 18 Female: 96
Three private
Grades: 8 to 11 Colombian high
schools in Bogota
English class:
3 to 5 hours per middle to low-income
week families
Participants: 199 Colombian ELLs
14

15. Methodology
Reading academic Reading academic
materials in materials in
English --3.23 English -- 3.48
hours a week hours a week
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16. Methodology
Instruments
Survey of Reading strategies (SORS)
problem-
global support
solving
strategies strategies
strategies
(13items) (9 items)
(8 items)
Descriptive statistics
t-tests
16

17. Methodology
Five-point Likert scale
3.5 or above
frequent strategy use
2.5 to 3.4
moderate strategy use
2.4 or below
infrequent strategy use
17

18. Methodology
Examples
18

19. global strategies
Learners plan how to read and manage their comprehension.
GLOB 1 I have a purpose in mind when I read.
GLOB 3 I think about what I know to help me understand what I read.
GLOB 4 I take an overall view of the text to see what it is about before reading it.
GLOB 6 I think about whether the content of the text fits my reading purpose.
GLOB 8 I review the text first by noting its characteristics like length and
organization.
GLOB 12 When reading, I decide what to read closely and what to ignore.
GLOB 15 I use tables, figures, and pictures in text to increase my understanding.
GLOB 17 I use context clues to help me better understand what I am reading.
GLOB 20 I use typographical features like bold face and italics to identify key
information.
GLOB 21 I critically analyze and evaluate the information presented in the text.
GLOB 23 I check my understanding when I come across new information.
GLOB 24 I try to guess what the content of the text is about when I read.
GLOB 27 I check to see if my guesses about the text are right or wrong.
19

20. problem-solving strategies
Learners use when reading to make difficult portions of a text
comprehensible such as rereading difficult passages and
guessing the meaning of vocabulary items.
PROB 7 I read slowly and carefully to make sure I understand what I am
reading.
PROB 9 I try to get back on track when I lose concentration.
PROB 11 I adjust my reading speed according to what I am reading.
PROB 14 When text becomes difficult, I pay closer attention to what I am
reading.
PROB 16 I stop from time to time and think and think about what I am
reading.
PROB 19 I try to picture or visualize information to help remember what I
read.
PROB 25 When text becomes difficult, I re-read it to increase my
understanding.
PROB 28 When I read, I guess the meaning of unknown words or phrases.
20

21. support strategies
Learners use to understand text such as bilingual
dictionaries and underlining key words and sentences.
SUP 2 I take notes while reading to help me understand what I read.
SUP 5 When text becomes difficult, I read aloud to help me understand what I
read.
SUP 10 I underline or circle information in the text to help me remember it.
SUP 13 I use reference materials (e.g., a dictionary) to help me understand
what I read.
SUP 18 I paraphrase (restate ideas in my own words) to better understand
what I read.
SUP 22 I go back and forth in the text to find relationship among ideas in it.
SUP26 I ask myself questions I like to have answered in the text.
SUP 29 When reading, I translate from English into my native language.
SUP 30 When reading, I think about information in both English and my
mother tongue.
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22. Contents
Results
22

23. What academic reading strategies do Colombian high school English
language learners report using? ResultsTable 1.
Strategies Used by Colombian ELLs in Ascending Order
Strategy Mean
1. PROB 7 I read slowly and carefully to make sure I understand what I am reading. 4.05
2. PROB 9 I try to get back on track when I lose concentration. 3.94
3. PROB 14 When text becomes difficult, I pay closer attention to what I am reading. 3.93
4. PROB 25 When text becomes difficult, I re-read it to increase my understanding. 3.90
5. GLOB 3 I think about what I know to help me understand what I read. 3.83
6. SUP 29 When reading, I translate from English into my native language. 3.75
7. SUP 13 I use reference materials (e.g., a dictionary) to help me understand what I read. 3.75
8. SUP 18 I paraphrase (restate ideas in my own words) to better understand what I read. 3.65
9. GLOB 4 I take an overall view of the text to see what it is about before reading it. 3.64
10. GLOB 23 I check my understanding when I come across new information. 3.58
11. GLOB 1 I have a purpose in mind when I read. 3.57
12. SUP 30 When reading, I think about information in both English and my mother tongue. 3.54
13. GLOB 8 I review the text first by noting its characteristics like length and organization. 3.41
14. GLOB 15 I use tables, figures, and pictures in text to increase my understanding. 3.29
15. PROB 11 I adjust my reading speed according to what I am reading. 3.28
16. PROB 16 I stop from time to time and think and think about what I am reading. 3.25
17. SUP26 I ask myself questions I like to have answered in the text. 3.18
18. GLOB 27 I check to see if my guesses about the text are right or wrong. 3.15
19. GLOB 21 I critically analyze and evaluate the information presented in the text. 3.13
20. SUP 22 I go back and forth in the text to find relationship among ideas in it. 3.12
21.
22.
GLOB 17
GLOB 6
OVERALL MEAN
I use context clues to help me better understand what I am reading.
I think about whether the content of the text fits my reading purpose.
3.35 3.10
3.07
GLOBAL
23. PROB 19 I try to picture or visualize information to help remember what I read. 3.06
24.
25.
GLOB 24
SUP 5
I try to guess what the content of the text is about when I read. 3.26
When text becomes difficult, I read aloud to help me understand what I read.
2.94
2.90
26.
27.
SUP 2
PROB 28
PROBLEM-SOLVING
I take notes while reading to help me understand what I read.
When I read, I guess the meaning of unknown words or phrases.
3.54 2.89
2.88
SUPPORT
28. GLOB 20 I use typographical features like bold face and italics to identify key information. 2.83
29. GLOB 12 When reading, I decide what to read closely and what to ignore. 3.30 2.80
30. SUP 10 I underline or circle information in the text to help me remember it. 2.79
OVERALL MEAN 3.35
GLOBAL 3.26
PROBLEM-SOLVING 3.54
SUPPORT 3.30 23

24. Results
Do males and females report using different academic reading strategies?
Table 2.
Differences in Online Strategy Use by Gender
Strategy Male (n=103) Female (n=96) t p-value
(M) (M)
1. GLOB Purpose when reading 3.34 3.82 -3.04 .003＊
2. SUP Taking notes 2.62 3.18 -2.96 .003＊
3. GLOB Using prior knowledge 3.67 4.00 -2.00 .047＊
4. GLOB Previewing text before reading 3.50 3.78 -1.62 .108
5. SUP Reading aloud when text becomes difficult 2.52 3.31 -3.97 .000＊
6. GLOB Checking how text content fits purpose 2.99 3.16 -.98 .327
7. PROB Reading slowly and carefully 3.89 4.22 -2.15 .033＊
8. GLOB Noting text characteristics 3.21 3.61 -2.17 .031＊
9. PROB Try to stay focused on reading 3.87 4.01 -.86 .390
10. SUP Circle or underline information 2.44 3.18 -3.96 .000＊
11. PROB Adjusting reading rate 3.22 3.34 -.70 .488
12. GLOB Determining what to read 2.70 2.91 -1.17 .246
13. SUP Using reference materials 3.58 3.93 -1.82 .070
14. PROB Paying close attention to reading 3.87 4.00 -.78 .437
15. GLOB Using text features (e.g. tables) 3.17 3.43 -1.39 .165
16. PROB Pausing and thinking about reading 3.09 3.43 -2.02 .047＊
17. GLOB Using context clues 3.14 3.05 .47 .637
18. SUP Paraphrasing for better understanding 3.42 3.90 -3.06 .003＊
19. PROB Visualizing information read 3.06 3.06 -.02 .982
20. GLOB Using typographical aids (e.g. italics) 2.74 2.94 -1.05 .298
21. GLOB Evaluating what is read 3.05 3.22 -1.03 .302
22. SUP Going back and forth in text 3.07 3.18 -.60 .551
23. GLOB Check understanding of new information 3.47 3.71 -1.46 .147
24. GLOB Predicting or guessing text meaning 2.82 3.07 -1.40 .164
25. PROB Re-reading for better understanding 3.85 3.95 -.61 .544
26. SUP Asking oneself questions 3.10 3.26 -.98 .333
27. GLOB Confirming predictions 3.05 3.26 -1.06 .289
28. PROB Guessing meaning of unknown words 2.75 3.03 -1.50 .135
29. SUP Translating into native language 3.62 3.89 -1.39 .168
30. SUP Thinking in English and native language 3.66 3.41 1.35 .180
OVERALL MEAN 3.23 3.47 -3.05 .003＊
GLOBAL 3.14 3.38 -2.62 .009＊
SUPPORT 3.12 3.47 -3.52 .001＊ 24
PROBLEM-SOLVING 3.45 3.63 -1.93 .054

25. Contents
Discussions
25

26. Discussions
Colombian ELLs’ use of reading strategies
ELLs were moderately active
strategy users when reading
in English.
Problem-solving strategies
were used with high
frequency.
26

27. Discussions
Gender differences in reading strategy use
Females are more proficient readers.
They had studied English and read academic materials
for more than males.
27

28. Recommendations
Teaching reading strategies to ELLs using the SORS
Teachers can use SORS to assess students’ strategy use
and teach specific strategies.
SORS can be a pre-test to determine what strategies
students lack awareness of or overuse.
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29. Discussions
SORS can be a post-test to assess the effectiveness of
instruction.
SORS can be used to assess the types of strategies
learners use when they read specific genres.
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30. Contents
Conclusions
30

31. Conclusions
ELLs are moderate strategy
users overall.
English teachers can set
aside time to teach
strategies in order for their
students to become
advanced readers.
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32. Contents
Reflections
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33. Reflections
The research did not clearly propose
the purpose.
The research did not mention about
when the survey started and how long
was it.
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34. Reflections
The research did not mention about
reliability of the scale (SORS).
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35. Reflections
It may promote the reliability if the
pilot study was conducted before the
formal survey.
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36. “The most important 30
minutes of your day…
is spent reading to
yourself, your children,
or your students.”
Thanks for your listening!
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