Strategies-based Chinese as a Second Language Reading Instruction: Effects and Learners’ Perceptions

Strategic reading is an important consideration in the L2 reading classroom. This study investigated the effects of a Chinese as a Second Language (CSL) strategies-based reading instruction program, in which participants were explicitly taught ten top-down reading strategies. Thirty-four students enrolled in an advanced-level Chinese class participated in this study and were randomly assigned to treatment and control conditions. This study first examined the influence of the strategies-based instruction on participants’ reading comprehension. It then studied participants’ perceptions of using reading strategies and of the strategy training program. A series of non-parametric Mann-Whitney U tests showed that the experimental group made significantly greater improvement in overall reading comprehension and in answering global-reference questions. The survey results revealed that although participants generally confirmed the positive effects of reading strategies, they did not have a strong interest in learning reading strategies, or in applying them in L1 or L2 reading contexts.