FAILURE OF ACHIEVEMENT IN DEVELOPING THE READING SKILL IN ‘Comet’ TEXTBOOK. A Case Study of Third Year Secondary School Pupils in Biskra

Abstract

This work intends to conduct a research on the factors leading to the failure in developing the reading in ‘Comet’ textbook for the third year secondary school pupils. We intend to reach some objectives which we have set once the theme of this research became clearer. Firstly, we want through this research to diagnose the factors which lead our pupils to fail to understand and be receptive to the proposed texts in ‘Comet’. Secondly, we want to identify the potential benefits of reading to the speakers of English as a foreign language. Thirdly, we want to recognize how L1 reading strategies can help or hinder the learning of English. Finally, we want to sensitize the teaching and learning communities to the importance of reading to reach communicative proficiency, and eventually propose some solutions and recommendations to help overcome this frustrating situation. The main results of this research are: both teachers and pupils have developed a negative attitude vis-à-vis the reading texts suggested in ‘Comet’. The level of the reading texts does not match that of the pupils’. ‘Comet’ is not visually appealing to the audience. The typology and themes proposed in ‘Comet’ are in breach with the socio-cultural code in the Algerian context. The objectives set by the writing team and the material designed to fulfill these objectives are not compatible.