Examining the Correlation Between Reading Strategies use and Reading Comprehension Ability of Ninth Grade Oromiffa Language Learners

ABSTRACT

The main purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between reading strategies use and reading comprehension skills among ninth-grade students who speak Oromiffa and learn Amharic as a second language. The study followed a correlational research design as it examined the relationship between variables. Using a simple random sampling method, ninth-grade students who are learning Amharic as a second language in the Oromia Special Zone of the Oromia Region participated in the study. A reading strategy questionnaire and a reading comprehension test were used to collect information from these study participants. The data collected from the participants through these two data collection tools were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods. Based on the results obtained from the data analysis, the research questions that ask about the level of reading skills and reading comprehension skills of ninth-grade students show that the students reading skills and reading comprehension skills are at an intermediate level. Examination revealed a significant positive correlation between students use of reading strategies and their reading comprehension skills. Finally, this study is limited to the performance of 9th-grade students who are proficient in the Oromiffa language and learning Amharic as a second language. Therefore, it would be good if studies were conducted on other second languages, oral languages, and other grade levels to make comprehensive conclusions about the relationship between the reading strategies use and reading comprehension skills.

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