Abstract:
Reading is indubitably an indispensable skill to master in the process of acquiring the
English language for it provides learners the exposure to the target language whilst
honing their lexicon, expression of ideas, grammatical knowledge, etc. Yet merely
answering a set of questions after spending much time translating difficult words to one’s
native language which happens in most ESL classes does not adequately facilitate reading
comprehension. Thus, this study intended to explore the effectiveness of applying active
reading strategies in ESL classrooms to enhance the reading comprehension of learners.
The objectives were to identify and implement active reading strategies in authentic ESL
classes and to explore learners’ perspectives on the use of these novel approaches. The
primary data were accumulated from 160 students from the University of Ruhuna via
group interviews, structured questionnaires, and participant observation. Secondary data
were collected from books and research articles. The acquired data were analyzed both
qualitatively and quantitatively. The researcher implemented the active reading strategies,
scanning, skimming, critical reading, predicting, inferencing, summarizing, discussing,
frontloading vocabulary, and choral reading in the ESL classroom. The respondents
confirmed the researcher’s observation that their exposure to the above reading strategies
followed by constant practice assisted them to comprehend reading materials better and
they sparked their interest to read more in English. Moreover, the majority stated that
choral reading helped them practice pronunciation while frontloading vocabulary made
them focus on the meaning of texts during reading sessions without having to focus much
on decoding the words in texts. In conclusion, active reading strategies assist to enhance
reading comprehension of learners.
