(294)EFFECT OF TEACHING CRITICAL READING SKILLS ON THESTUDENTS READING COMPREHENSION

摘要

Research shows that reading, in recent decades, has been considered as the most important skill infirst and second/foreign language learning and teaching context. A noticeable number of studies havebeen conducted on reading in EFL/ESL contexts and the models they proposed range from reading asa product, to reading as a process, to a combination of both. The teacher`s role is to transfer theknowledge to students step by step;;the students` role is to receive the knowledge through predeterminedstages (Richards & Renandya, 2002). But critical literacy goes beyond the traditionaldefinitions and views of reading and as opposed to receiving predetermined readings of texts,introduces reading as critical understanding of texts and an act of reading word/world as a means tosocial transformation (Freire, 1986). According to critical literacy proponents, EFL/ESL studentsshould reflect on the text critically and act upon them, as the consequence of their knowing, totransform themselves and their worlds. Critical literacy, which sees language interwined with literacyas key mechanisms for social reconstruction, is aimed at liberating students, developing them ascritical thinkers, giving them critical voice and chances for self – expression, raising theirconsciousness and making them aware of their presence in the world (Freire, 1986).This qualitative study, employing a naturalistic, interpretive research method, investigates how readingwords/worlds and critical understanding of texts may provide learners with an opportunity to transformthemelves and their immediate social environments. The data consisted of written formal interview,oral interview, questionnaire, researcher observation from a group of university studnt (22) majoring inEnglish teaching in a university situated in Tehran. The collected data were qualitatively analyzed.Results from the interpretation of data revealed that passing one term in critical reading course led tochanges in the students. This study attempted to reveal that how teaching critical reading skills to thestudents may increase their comprehension of a text. Also their critical understanding andcomprehension of a text was followed by changes that they experienced in all aspects of their lives: intheir literacy activities in other courses, in their beliefs and attitudes, in their social lives, and in theirrelationships with others.