Factors Affecting ESL Reading Comprehension of Malaysian Secondary School Students

Abstract

The ultimate goal of teaching reading is to enable the readers to understand what they have read. It is often the case that good readers have good vocabularies. They are able to understand and use the words correctly. This research was motivated by concern over the factors that affect reading comprehension among Form Two students in SMK Green Road Kuching, Sarawak. It was aimed at analyzing factors such as lack of interest, motivation, previous knowledge and vocabulary knowledge which could affect student’s reading comprehension when reading and comprehending the text. Data were collected through the use of questionnaires which involved 30 students who were randomly selected as sample for this study. Percentages and frequencies were used to analyze the data collected. The findings revealed that the factors studied affected student’s reading comprehension. An implication of the study is that teachers need to identify reading strategies that could help improve ESL students’ reading comprehension of texts read.