Students Difficulties’ Effects on Academic Reading

(A Study at Basic Reading English Language and Culture Students of University Widya Dharma Pontianak)

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the reading problems that affect students' academic achievement. Reading is one of the most common ways to acquire knowledge. Reading comprehension is a skill that can help students in learning process. In fact, many students in basic reading classes have difficulties with reading comprehension. This study uses a descriptive qualitative method, with 67 students from the morning and evening Basic Reading class of the English Language and Culture Study Program participating through purposive sampling. The data collected by administering the questionnaires were then analyzed to determine the types of problems that the students had in reading comprehension. The questionnaires were used to collect data, which was then examined descriptively to determine the types of reading comprehension challenges experienced by students. According to the findings, the most difficult reading tasks for students are distinguishing between main ideas and supporting details, determining the main idea between paragraphs, identifying the topic of texts from other cultures, relating topic and background knowledge, understanding vocabulary, and interpreting the text. Based on these findings, a variety of reading strategies should be implemented to identify and address these barriers to reading comprehension.