A study of the reading performance of first-year ESL students at the Border Technikon

Abstract

This study focuses on the ongoing debate about the relationship between language proficiency and academic achievement. More specifically, it focuses on the strength of the relationship between the academic performance of previously disadvantaged students in South Africa and their reading proficiency in English, which is the language of instruction used at most South African tertiary institutions. This study attempts to answer three questions: 1) How does the reading performance of first-year ESL students at the Border Technikon compare with the national average obtained by senior secondary school pupils over all population groups? 2) Are the marks obtained by these students in their respective courses related to their reading performance? 3) Do students show any improvement in reading performance after attending the reading laboratory for six months? The sample group consisted of 156 first-year ESL students at the Border Technikon. It was found that the English reading proficiency of almost 50% of these students was below the national average obtained by senior secondary school pupils over all population groups. A correlation of the students' reading performance levels with their first-year academic results revealed that a positive, statistically significant relationship existed between reading performance and academic achievement. However, the relationship was modest. The study also found that students did not show any improvement in reading proficiency after attending the reading laboratory for six months. Recommendations for improvement are made.