Implementing General English Reading Courses in Teaching English for Science and Technology to Promote the Reading Proficiency of Students of Electronics

Abstract

The present study was conducted in the Department of Electronics at the University of Constantine 1 to improve the reading comprehension of Master One students of Electronics of the scientific and technical texts and to overcome their reading comprehension problems, particularly the language-centred ones. It aims at answering questions about the efficiency of equipping learners with the basic discoursal elements in boosting their comprehension. To probe into the subject, three hypotheses were set: 1) if the teaching of English to Master One students of Electronics is basically readingoriented, learning will be more interesting and motivating, 2) if Master One students of Electronics are familiar enough in General English, they will easily handle and understand English for Science and Technology texts, and 3) if the teaching of reading to Master One students of Electronics focuses on equipping these learners to identify and make use of the non-technical vocabulary and the grammatical-rhetorical relationships per se, their reading comprehension will be enhanced. To check the stated hypotheses, a questionnaire, two proficiency tests, four comprehension tests together with classroom observation were used as data gathering tools within an experimental design. The data obtained offered a clear picture of the teaching/ learning situation of English at the Department of Electronics as well as the learners’ needs. The findings of the study have allowed us to see the influence of the students’ poor linguistic kn owledge on their reading comprehension achievements. Accordingly, we can say that our hypotheses have been to a large extent confirmed. The obtained results evenly highlighted the significance of the implemented course in enhancing the students’ reading performance and increasing their motivation and interest in learning English at the department of Electronics and by extension even in the other departments.