Abstract:
In recent years more emphasis has been given to the reading skill as it is
the skill which continue with the students after leaving the school.
However a large number of teachers still teach reading using the obsolete
method of teaching i.e. getting students to read and repeat.
Therefore, the purpose of this study is to develop reading skill of the
students at secondary school, especially the first year students .
To achieve this purpose objectively the researcher studied the reading skill
in depth. So, as to find out the causes of the deterioration in the reading
skill of the first year students, to arrive at the solutions which might help
teachers of English to improve reading skill of the students.
The subjects of the study were 74 students, 40 boys and 34 girls, they were
given a questionnaire to measure their attitudes towards reading in
English.
The researcher also made classroom observation, structured interviews
with professional teachers, supervisors of English and experienced
teachers to know the causes and the solutions of the low standard in
reading skill of first year students, the study found out that the standard of
the students is very low.
The researcher attributed the deterioration of the weak students to many
factors, but the most important of which is reading transfer, students who
are weak in English make a negative transfer from L1 to L2.
The researcher recommended that, teachers must try some techniques to
develop reading standard of students, and they must vary techniques and
activities to improve the low standard of students.
They must, also catter for individual differences among the students.
