TheEffectofParaphrasingStrategyTrainingontheReading.doc

The Effect of Paraphrasing Strategy Training on the Reading Comprehension of College Students at the Undergraduate Level Alireza Karbalaei Fatemeh Azimi Amoli Department of English Language, Islamic Azad University, Safashahr Branch, Safashahr, Iran Bio data Alireza Karbalaeiis an EFL teacher and a PhDgraduate in ELT. His main research interests lie in reading strategies, affective variables, language acquisition and learning, TEFL, and TESL. He has published several articles and books mostly in the field of TEFL. Fatemeh Azimi Amoli got her MA in TEFL in Bandarabbas Azad University. Her main interests lie in vocabulary strategies, second language acquisition, and TEFL. She is teaching English at the undergraduate level in different universities in Iran. Abstract Metacognitive strategy instruction is currently garnering much attention as an effective means of enhancing reading comprehension. This study examined the effect of Paraphrasing Strategy Intervention, based on the model proposed by Schumaker, Denton, and Deshler (1984). A sample of 63 students majoring in English was selected from three colleges in India.The effect of this instruction was measured by the students‘ performance in reading comprehension. Based on a proficiency test, students were grouped into high and low levels, considered to be another independent variable in addition to gender. Findings indicate that intervention or explicit instruction was effective in improving Indian ESL students reading comprehension. There was no statistically significant difference between low and high groups after instruction. The results of this study indicate that there was no interaction between gender and learners performance in reading comprehension but suggest that college students can be instructed to improve their reading through the development of their paraphrasing skills. Key words: Reading Strategies, Paraphrasing Strategies, Reading Comprehension, Reading Strategies Training, ESL. Introductio