Gender Difference in Reading Strategy Use Among ESL College Students

Presenter: York Chi 戚禎祐

Instructor: Dr. Pi-Ying Hsu

Date: November 26, 2009

Poole, A. (2005). Gender Differences in

Reading Strategy Use Among ESL College

Student. Journal of College Reading and

Literature, 36, 7-20.

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Content

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Introduction1

Reflection4

Introduction

The importance of using learning strategies that we

employ to solve problems posed by second language

input and output can not be overstated.

(Brown, 2000)

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Introduction

Using reading strategy is especially critical for English

language learners.

(Anderson, 1999; Jimenez, Garcia, & Pearson, 1996; Schoonen, Hulstijn, & Bossers,1998; Sheorey & Mokhtari, 2001)

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To investigate if and how second language reading strategy use at university level differs according to gender

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Purpose

Research Question

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1Do advanced male and female ESL learners at the college level report using different academic reading strategies?

Participants

ParticipantParticipant

BB

EE

CC

DD

AA

248 ESL studentsMale:138Female:110

Taken from six university and one community college

United States Midwest and South

Average age: 23.2

Level: Advanced

Participants

Studying English the semester previous to full-time undergraduate study in their respective universities

Taking full-time academic undergraduate or graduate study in writing courses

Participants

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Instrument

Survey of Reading Strategies

(SORS)

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31

Global Reading strategies (13 items)

Problem-solving strategies (8 items)

Support strategies (9 items)

Methodology

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SurveyDuring English courses

MHigh frequency use

Moderate strategy use

Low strategy use

＞ 3.5 ＝ 2.5~3.4

＜ 2.4

Methodology

T-testsT-tests

Descriptive statisticsDescriptive statistics

To see whether or not there were differences in reading strategy use

between male and female ESL learners

To see whether or not there were differences in reading strategy use

between male and female ESL learners

Result

Males and females did not significantly differ in their overall strategy use

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ResultNone of the strategies was used with low frequency for either males or females

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Result

Neither males nor females used any of the strategy subscale categories with low frequency

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Reflection

It is worth to investigate whether or not second language

readers of other proficiencies also exhibit similar strategic

tendencies.

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Other factors might be more important than gender

differences.

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Reflection

Reflection

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The researcher did not give any details about the placement test.

The researcher did not give any details about the reading materials.

Reflection

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Page 7 showed that both males (M=3.42) and

females (M=3.42) exhibited identical means

(M= 3.46)