On the Use of Prediction Strategy in Korean EFL Learners’ Reading Comprehension

Abstract

Despite the widespread understanding about the facilitative role of strategy use in reading comprehension, there has been little research evidence regarding the potential contribution of the readers’ actual performance on a specific strategy, especially prediction strategies, to their reading comprehension. Moreover, although second/ foreign language readers’ strategy use may be related to their reading abilities and language proficiency in the target language, not many studies have controlled for such effects in identifying the relationship between strategy uses and reading comprehension. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between the Korean middle school EFL learners’ actual use of prediction strategy and their reading comprehension. Furthermore, it examines whether such relationships may differ as a function of their English reading abilities and proficiency. One hundred thirty three Korean EFL middle school readers’ performance on the tests of English reading comprehension, prediction abilities, vocabulary and oral comprehension abilities was analyzed. The findings not only demonstrated the positive relations prediction strategy has with reading comprehension, but also identified different predictive roles it plays in the reading comprehension of good versus poor readers.