IMPROVING POLITICAL SCIENCES STUDENTS’ READING COMPREHENSION OF ENGLISH TEXTS

Karima Ladjel

DOI Number
10.22190/JTESAP1704755L
First page
755
Last page
770

Abstract


Teaching English for specific purposes involves teachers to find appropriate approaches, methods, and techniques to be used to address their students’ needs and problems. Along this line of thought, the present investigation aims at exploring the problems encountered by Algerian political sciences students when reading English texts in their field of study. For this purpose, a case study including 50 master’s student from the department of political sciences; University of M’sila (Algeria) was undertaken. Various research instruments were used to cross-check gathered data (two questionnaires, the think-aloud procedure, and a reading comprehension test). Qualitative and quantitative analyses of data revealed a low reading comprehension proficiency attributed to lack of linguistic, strategic, and discourse competences.  Accordingly, the broad lines of an English course that would suit the needs of political sciences students were drawn. This course would focus on developing students’ linguistic, strategic, and discourse competences to be used not only in reading different English political texts, but also in the other skills. The C.B.A was proposed as an appropriate instructional model used to develop the different skills and competences. Summing up, the learner’s needs analysis reached a detailed description of language skills, functions, forms, and teaching materials which in turn led to a course design.  The tailor made course exposes students to different authentic English political texts and activities which in turn help students to develop general and specific language skills, functions, forms, and strategies required in their specific educational purposes.

Keywords

Reading comprehension, English for Specific Purposes, Linguistic competence, strategic competence, discourse competence, Competency-based approach

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