Major Difficulties Faced by Foreign Language Learners in Reading

Abstract

In recent years, most of foreign language learners are suffering in their learning from the lack of engagement and lack of interest and motivation in dealing with the topics.This is due to the ignorance of the importance of reading in EFL Classes. This research work attempts to discover the major reading difficulties that foreign language learners' may encounter in reading. It aims to show and explore the causes beyond the reading difficulties.Thus, this study will examine that students reading difficulties are due to several causes such as: The role of the teacher, the unfamiliarity with the topics, the type of the language, lack of attention, lack of learning materials, low self-confidence, and lack of motivation, the ignorance of the reading purposes and other factors which cause the foreign language reading difficulties. Therefore, the appropriate research method is the descriptive one in which we describe the major reading difficulties that foreign language learners may face. Data were collected through a sequence of questionnaires that administered for both teachers and students of the Department of Foregin languages section of English at Mohamed Khider University of Biskra which contained of thirteen teachers and sixty learners of first year LMD students. Completely, the results obtained in this present research demonstrates that students reading difficulties are differing from one students to another it depends on students background knowledge in learning. Moreover, the results discovered that the role of the teacher, the unfamiliarity with the topics and the type of language are the main reading difficulties that first year LMD student's may face in reading. In the light of the results that we obtained from the questionnaire, we suggest some recommendations for both teachers and students in an attempt to help learners resolve their reading difficulties, since students reading difficulties can be treated through bridging the gap between teachers and their students by giving much attention to reading ability.Furthermore,students can pass through their reading difficulties by passing to their psychological factors such as: fearing and law self- confidence.