Focus: The study investigated the reading strategies employed by Arabic L1 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners at three reading ability levels: high, medium, and low.
Purpose and Scope: The aim was to identify the strategies used by Arabic L1 EFL learners and to determine if different ability readers employ strategies differently.
Methodology: Thirty college-level EFL students took the reading section of the TOEFL to determine their reading abilities. Two participants from each ability level were then randomly selected to engage in think-aloud protocols and retrospective reports, followed by interviews for further insights.
Key Findings: Ten reading strategies were identified for high ability readers, ten for medium ability readers, and two for low ability readers. The findings support that each reading ability level employs these strategies differently and apparently for different purposes.
Conclusions: The use of reading strategies accompanies reading levels above low ability. As reading ability increases and word recognition improves, readers have more cognitive capacity to employ reading strategies. High ability readers used strategies to evaluate and reconstruct their existing knowledge, while medium ability readers used strategies primarily to aid comprehension. Low ability readers were limited by word recognition issues and did not employ many strategies. The study suggests that vocabulary building and automatization of word recognition are essential before effective strategy instruction can occur.