Exploring struggling readers of English as a second language’s experiences in the Malaysian primary classroom

Abstract

Children are stakeholders in education, yet the young students’ voices pertinent to their learning experience with ESL reading, have been under-studied. Therefore this study aimed to explore the way struggling readers engaged with their English as a second language (henceforth ESL) reading. This study adopts a qualitative approach and data analysis was performed inductively involving co-construction of meaning between the participants’ expressions and the researcher’s own understanding. This paper discusses two themes discovered in the study which were “challenges” and “perceptions on classroom learning experiences”. The study revealed that all students had difficulties in reading English and perceived themselves as non-readers as well as had particular preferences on teaching methods of the teacher. The findings suggest that the Ministry of Education needs to assist educators to deal with the particular needs of young students and set attainable goals for the students to achieve in their ESL reading to boost their self-confidence.