Reading strategy use in mother tongue and foreign language

 SUMMARY

 EXISTING KNOWLEDGE

1. Reading Strategies in Language Learning: Previous research has established that effective reading strategies are crucial for both mother tongue (L1) and foreign language (FL) learning, aiding comprehension and critical thinking.

2. Teachers as Strategy Models: Teachers play a vital role in modeling and instructing students in reading strategies, which can significantly impact students’ literacy skills in both their L1 and FL.

3. Background Variables Influence Strategy Use: Teachers' use of reading strategies may vary depending on their educational background, teaching experience, and language proficiency, which can affect how these strategies are applied in L1 versus FL contexts.

NEW INSIGHTS FROM THIS STUDY

1. Variation in Strategy Use Between L1 and FL: The study finds that Hungarian teachers use different sets of reading strategies for mother tongue instruction compared to foreign language teaching, often emphasizing comprehension more heavily in L1 and vocabulary-building in FL.

2. Impact of Teaching Experience and Training: Teachers with more experience or specialized training in language instruction were found to employ a broader range of reading strategies in both L1 and FL classrooms, compared to less experienced or less trained peers.

3. Perception of Strategy Transferability: Some teachers expressed uncertainty about the transferability of reading strategies from L1 to FL contexts, indicating that certain strategies used in the mother tongue are not always perceived as useful or applicable in foreign language learning.

PUTTING RESEARCH INTO PRACTICE

1. Professional Development on Strategy Integration: Offer workshops and training programs to help teachers integrate effective reading strategies across both L1 and FL contexts, with a focus on the transferability of skills.

2. Differentiated Strategy Instruction: Encourage teachers to adapt their reading strategies based on the linguistic and cognitive demands of L1 and FL learning, ensuring that students benefit from targeted instruction in each language.

3. Cross-Language Collaboration: Promote collaboration among L1 and FL teachers to share effective reading strategies and explore ways to make them applicable across different languages, fostering a more holistic literacy approach.

REFERENCE: 

Article Title: Hungarian teachers’ reading strategy use  in mother tongue and foreign language analysed by background variables. Authors: Blanka Tary Journal: Hungarian Educational Research Journal Year: 2023