How Strategies Used in L2 Affects Reading and Comprehension Among International Students in a Classroom Set Up

How strategies used in L2 affects reading and comprehension among international students in a classroom set up.
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Introduction
Reading has been defined as a complex process that incorporates the interaction between cognitive and psychological at different levels to make sense and meaning of a text. The process of reading requires readers to utilize all the available information to them to decipher texts. This information includes linguistic knowledge, any prior information about the information that is in the text, and clear understanding of cognitive and metacognitive strategies in reading. First languages and second languages affect how a reader comprehends a text and their ability to derive meaningful information from a particular text.
Because readers are not exposed to same language resources, cultural and social background about a phenomenon in a text, reading process thus become a very challenging affair for readers of the second language. L1 readers enjoy a high level of proficiency because they benefit from the contexts of the texts due to their cultural exposure to the language. The level of competence in L2, reader's background knowledge of the content and cultural familiarity with issues in the text all affects the reader's ability to comprehend the second language. Efficient readers use different strategies for different texts thus lowering the time they take to understand a phenomenon of interest in the book. This is one of the distinguishing factors between proficient readers and their low reader's counterparts.
Development in cognitive psychology has influenced most research into learning strategies. One of the ways learners of a second language use to read is glossing. It helps in comprehension during reading and also improves vocabulary. According to Ku, & Ho (2010), use of glossing and other strategies increases learners' ability to read L2 languages. In the same study, (Ku, & Ho (2010) found that there was a positive effect on reading strategies like glossing on reading and comprehension of the second language. Readers of foreign language use like predicting, creating expectation before reading, identification of texts and microstructure, background knowledge and context signaling cues to enhance comprehension (Kern, 1989).
The various studies conducted on glossing have not thoroughly examined the effects of the reading strategy of the second language on reading and comprehension. The purpose of this research is to determine therefore to consider the role played by reading strategies used by international students to aid reading and comprehension.
The organization of this paper takes the resulting shape. The paper will address the role played by reading strategies in reading and comprehension by reviewing recent studies on the aspects of reading strategies on comprehension of the second language. Using the literature review, the paper will discuss that there is a need for further research to help understand further the nature of the role played by reading strategies in reading and comprehending in learning a second language. The study will formulate research question based on the literature review, and the previous findings will be reviewed and critiqued. The paper will discuss research methodology used in answering the questions posed. The research will finalize by recognizing the implication of this proposed research in teaching reading in a classroom context.
Literature review
Reading, therefore, involve the text, the reader and the interaction between the reader and the text (Koda, 2005). Literary skills in distinct languages also stem from shared cognitive domains. Reading and comprehension is a holistic process that takes into consideration metacognitive, cognitive, affective and social dimension. Reading is very dynamic and takes into account a lot of factors which include reader's background, reading contexts, reader's strategy and personal factors all come into play and in influences comprehension (Wilkinson & Son, 2011).
Various researchers on the second language have studied reading strategies used by different international students. Numerous students use both deliberate and unconscious strategies to augment text comprehension. This strategy is essential and makes reading easy. L2 readers who utilize different strategies stand a chance of successful reading and understanding. Successful readers of foreign languages owe their success to the efficient use of strategies, even though there is little research on the kind of strategies used.
The difference between skilled readers and non-skilled readers is determined by the combination of reader's awareness of various reading strategies and the actual usage of these strategies. Depending on their goals, reading tasks and ability to process reading strategies, successful readers use and combine strategies to suit their needs (Grabe, 2009). Recent studies have failed to pinpoint the specific strategies used by successful readers, but rather they combine a variety of the strategies and use them effectively (Grabe, 2009. Other than the actual implementation of the reading strategies, researchers have been buoyed by the recognition of the critical role that reading strategy awareness in the role of reading process to focus studies on a language's perceived use of reading strategies and learning ability used by learners.
In some study for instances, researchers have studied the relation between what strategies learners chose and the how they rated themselves in terms of reading ability ((Alhaqbani & Riazi, 2012). Others also studied reading ability using comprehension test (Madhumathi & Ghosh, 2012). Conversely other studies have failed to link reading strategies with reading ability. These studies used comprehension tests and failed to make any significant correlation between reading strategies and reading ability (Alsamadani, 2009).
Other research on second language relation to reading strategy also shows that strategies can be taught and different levels and that if they are used correctly can increase comprehension. The studies argue that issuing reading and comprehension instruction should incorporate strategy instruction. (Grabe, 2009). To provide the most instruction possible in integrating strategies into language curriculum, stakeholders should take cognizant of individual learning difference on how learners employed various strategies.
This means taking consideration some of the most salient individual factors like learning aptitude, culture, age, gender, dynamic variables and other demographic variables that are available (Ehrman, Leaver, & Oxford, 2003). The manner and the way in which a student learn a new language are determined by the learning styles of particular students. Therefore, second language instruction must take consideration of these learning styles ((Ehrman, Leaver, & Oxford, 2003).
When discussing education, it is imperative to define style, which can be described as a habitual pattern of a specific way of doing something that are repeatedly done over a period or that are consistent with many areas (Grabe, 2009). Attitudes and behaviors which determine how an individual learn can then be said to be individuals learning style; this style, however, must be relatively constant to a person.
Learning styles differs greatly from learning strategies. Learning strategies refers to correct behaviors that a person learns and harness over a period in order to deal tasks and situations (Grabe, 2009). According to Ehrman, Leaver, & Oxford (2003), the level of consciousness in learning differentiate between style and strategy. The strategy is all about the choices and alternatives an individual chooses to use while style on the hand happens unconsciously with an individual's awareness.
Some second language researchers have stated that individuals are learning style influences the choice of particular strategy uses and that it also affects c comprehension (Li & Qin, 2006). The studies further cement the argument that learning styles can be used to determine the reading strategy employed by a particular individual. On the other hand, there are very few empirical studies that have been carried out to determine how reading strategy relate to the use of style ((Li & Qin, 2006).
In a study of English learners at the university level, the researcher noted that use of pragmatist and reflective styles had an influence on the frequency of strategy used in l...