English Reading Comprehension Skills for International Communication: An Analysis of Difficulties in Reading Comprehension Exercises

Yuri Okunishi , Junichiro Takeno , Kosuke Fujiki , Yuichiroh Nishino

Using qualitative analysis, this study explores the causes and background of the difficulties experienced by English learners who have received English reading instruction in Japanese schools. Students were asked to read an essay on the American Civil Rights Movement from a high school textbook and describe the difficulties they experienced in terms of both language and content. Four researchers conducted a qualitative analysis of this data, identifying multiple problems in reading comprehension. While the issues were mainly related to the language aspect, such as a lack of thorough understanding of grammatical rules and an inability to properly interpret the meaning of words in certain sentences, the chief impediment could have been a lack of familiarity with the content, marked by limited background knowledge about the history and social conditions of the time. Based on the findings, the study discusses suitable educational practices for English language education in Japanese schools.

国際教育研究所紀要