Browsing by Author "Shaukat Nadia"

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    Reading Comprehension Problems of EFL Learners at secondary level: A study of Urdu Medium Schools in Swat, KPK
    (University of Management & Technology, 2018) Shaukat Nadia
    Aim of this study is to analyze the role of grammar and vocabulary knowledge in developing competence regarding reading comprehension in secondary school students of Swat, KPK. This study has also drawn a purpose to analyze the reading comprehension problems faced by students. The reading comprehension in L2 is considered very important especially in under developing countries. It is considered that the skills and traits of an individual influence his ability of reading comprehension. The factors which were considered important to determine the L2 reading comprehension of the nonnative people include: vocabulary, background knowledge, grammatical skills and comprehension skills. For this research study, 298 students of 9th and 10th grades were selected from four different schools of different tehsils of district Swat in KPK. They were taught English as their second language along with Pashto being their first one. Four types of tests were conducted which included: L2 reading comprehension tests, L2 vocabulary knowledge test, L2 grammar knowledge test and Perceptions of teachers and students regarding to L2 reading comprehension through structured questionnaires. The results suggested that the grammatical skills and vocabulary knowledge does not affect comprehension reading abilities. Comprehension itself is the most important determinant of such competence. Additionally, significant differences were found among comprehension reading performance with vocabulary knowledge and grammar knowledge of the student's. Moreover, students were perceived in troublesome situation regarding L2 reading comprehension whereas teachers found it easy. This study has implications for both academia and for practical field too.