Investigating Reading Deficiencies in Students: A Case Study of Girls’ Secondary School, Ikenegbu, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria

Reading, as a basic communication skill, should be acquired by every second language (L2) learner of English to enable the learner fully integrate into the present technological and scientific age. This study investigates the reading deficiencies in students of Girls’ Secondary School Ikenegbu, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria. The objectives are to identify students’ reading faults and speed, and proffer solutions to them. Three research questions guide the study, one of which is to what extent do reading faults hinder the L2 reader of English? The theoretical framework is based on the Psycholinguistic Theory of Reading. The findings are that though there are reading faults identified, over 80% of the students are able to overcome their challenges. The study recommends, among others, that adequate and consistent reading comprehension exercises be regularly administered to help students overcome the challenges