Exploring Reading Strategies and Difficulties among Bangladeshi Undergraduates

Abstract

Reading being one of the four skills has to be mastered properly to be a successful language learner. In an ESL (English as a Second Language) context, particularly in Bangladesh, the newly admitted University students who are from Bangla medium background, often find it difficult to understand English textbooks especially when they are in the Department of English. For most of the students, reading everything in English, decoding the words, understanding the deeper meanings becomes quite difficult and leads them to anxiety. This paper aims to identify the types of difficulties the English Department Undergraduates encounter during reading and also points out the kinds of strategies they implement to prevail over the problems.