V ABSTRACT This study investigates the effects of integrating reading strategy training into the English Foundation Course in Thammasat University, Thailand. The study aims to explore if reading strategy training has effects on students' reading proficiency. Sixty first-year students were split up equally into an experimental and a control group in which two different teaching approaches: firstly, strategy training and secondly, text-based training were applied during eight reading sessions throughout one academic term. Results of pre- and post-tests were used to compare the effects of both types of teaching approaches. In addition, strategy questionnaires, think- aloud verbal reports and reading logs were collected before and after the instruction periods in order to compare the use of reading strategies between the experimental and control groups as well as two groups of high- and low-scoring readers.
Results of post-tests and questionnaires suggested that the experimental group made significant improvements. After data from think-aloud protocols and reading logs were analysed, categorisations of reading strategies were proposed. Data based on think-aloud verbal reports and reading logs also indicated that the students in the experimental group used reading strategies at a higher rate in comparison with the control group. However, after differences in mean score over time between the two groups were compared, data showed a marginal decline in the frequency of strategy use in the experimental group. This may suggest that the students in the experimental group were more selective in choosing more appropriate reading strategies to be used and, therefore, this group needed to utilise fewer strategies in their reading. Distinctive patterns of strategy use between high- and low-scoring readers could be seen. Implications drawn from these findings suggest that reading strategy training can be successfully integrated into a real classroom setting and yield positive results in improving students' reading capacity in ESL/EFL contexts.