Research questions

The first stage of analyzing the data involved distinguishing strategies the students took while reading the texts. An individual strategy was considered an action the student took in order to complete the task of reading. At this stage of the study, the following research questions were investigated:

1. 1a) What strategies do proficient readers of Polish (L1) and advanced readers of English (FL) use when reading texts written in their L1 and FL?

2. 1b) Do proficient readers of Polish (L1) and advanced readers of English (FL) use different strategies when reading texts written in their L1 and FL?

3. 1c) Are there any differences in the frequency with which the subjects use particular strategies when reading texts written in their L1 and FL?

4. 1d) Are there any patterns which reflect the manner in which the subjects use the strategies to construct their comprehension of the texts?

5. 1e) If so, are the patterns the same in reading both texts?

Results

Question 1a)

What strategies do proficient readers of Polish (L1) and advanced readers of English (FL) use when reading texts written in their L1 and FL?

A range of actions was identified in the protocols. Strategies were grouped and named. This resulted in the identification of four categories of strategies which, as had been inferred, represented the learners’ purpose in using particular strategies. Below are given the four categories with examples of each type of strategy (see Table III.2.).