A strategic teaching-based proposal for reading comprehension in language teaching

Propuesta linguodidáctica para la comprensión de lectura basada en la enseñanza estratégica

Abstract

This article deals with the explicit teaching of reading strategies aimed at developing metacognitive skills in students to improve their performance in reading comprehension. Our proposal is based on “strategic teaching”, which in turn is based on metacognition, the aim of which is to train more competent readers who are able to regulate their own cognitive process. Our research was conducted at the School of Foreign Languages of the University of Havana, specifically in French Language classes. Our original hypothesis was that strategic teaching would give the students the tools to acquire not only metalinguistic knowledge, but also of the self-regulation process, making it easier for them to gain control over the comprehension activity. This strategy was implemented by means of a monographic case study that showed that the explicit teaching of reading strategies makes the activity of comprehension easier and improves student performance.