Leitura e compreensão de textos em língua inglesa : o papel do conhecimento prévio sobre o assunto

Abstract

The objective of this research was to analyze the role of background knowledge in the process of reading comprehension of English texts used in the College Entrance Exams entitled Programa Alternativo de Ingresso ao Ensino Superior (PAIES). We assumed that the activation of background knowledge in reading classes can, in fact, influence reading comprehension of the texts used in PAIES. The research includes the regular classroom teacher and two groups of 37 students each named as group A and group B The groups were selected after a reading exercise and a self-evaluation of their reading performance based on the European document named Quadro Europeu Comum de Referência para as Línguas (2001). With the data obtained we decided to develop different pre-knowledge activities before participants of group B read the texts. Such activities were elaborated by the researcher, who, acted as a participant observer. Group A read the same texts in English, however without developing the pre-reading activities which were developed with the other group. Data were collected through an informative questionnaire, self-evaluation on their reading skills, interview and reading activities. This study was based mainly on theoretical studies by Kleiman (2004), Leffa (1996) and Smith (1989). After analyzing the data we could note that the participants of group B believe, that, although background knowledge on a given subject is important when reading and understanding texts in English Language, problems related to the lexicon seem to hinder sense apprehension. In other words, in the students' view lexical knowledge is more important for reading comprehension. However, in spite of the students view regarding the role of the background knowledge, the results indicates that this knowledge has positively influenced their reading skills, although it was not possible to evidence a much more expressive statistical result of group B in comparison to group A . We can infer that the underlying reading model that seems to guide the teaching of this activity in the investigated context, more specifically when it has to do with the participants of group B , is reflected through classroom linear reading practices that aim at apprehending the sense of the text by means of understanding word by word. Such reading conception ingrained in the students´ mind might have influenced the research results.