Main Idea Identification Strategies: efl readers’ Awareness and Success

AWEJ Volume4 Number.1, 2013
 

 
Main Idea Identification Strategies: EFL Readers‟ Awareness
Elashhab 
 
 
Arab World English Journal
www.awej.org
ISSN: 2229-9327
136 
enhance readers‟ reading comprehension by having teachers focus students‟ attention on both 
identifying main ideas and important supporting details in texts. This can be done by teaching 
some of the basic reading strategies, such as skimming and anticipating. It is crucially important, 
before asking teachers to incorporate strategy instruction in their classrooms, to convince them 
that students may have reading problems that must be resolved and that resolution of these 
problems is more important than teaching the meaning of specific words and concepts (Block, 
1992). This could be done by providing teachers with programs and seminars on FL reading 
strategies. The goal of these programs would be to introduce teachers to cognitive and 
metacognitive reading strategies and to convince them of their importance to students‟ ultimate 
success in reading. 
About the author:
Seham Elashhab is a professor in applied linguistics at Azzawia University in Azzawia, Libya, 
where she has been a faculty member since 1998. She received her MA from Carleton 
University, Canada and her PhD in Applied Linguistics from the University of Ottawa in 2007. 
Her research interests include L2 reading, methodology, L2 classroom activities, L2 teaching and 
learning strategies. Currently, I am a professor of Arabic Language at Interlangues in Ottawa, 
Canada. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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