“Google and me together can read anything.” Online reading strategies to develop hypertext comprehension in ESL readers

Abstract

If we are to build in our students, literacy skills relevant for the 21 st century, reading classrooms need to take into account the changing nature of texts that our students are required to read in real-world contexts (Alexander & The Disciplined Reading and Learning Research Laboratory, 2012). This paper exhorts ESL teachers to use online texts or hypertexts, in addition to print textbooks, in the reading classroom. The use of hypertexts can increase the literacy participation of students by making reading authentic, and ensuring literacy skills they acquire more meaningful and productive (Coiro, Killi, & Castek, 2017). In the reading classroom where this research was located, it was observed that readers who scored low on reading comprehension tests based on print texts demonstrated higher levels of comprehension while performing on tests based on hypertexts.  The study was conducted to identify the reading strategies used by these readers.  It was found that ESL readers were able to overcome deficits in their prior knowledge (topic familiarity) and/or language proficiency by using specific reading and navigating strategies.  This paper proposes that strategy training in the use of newer reading and navigating strategies might help develop online reading comprehension expertise and build independent reading habits in ESL readers.