Second Language Learners’ Difficulties in Reading Comprehension: A Review

Abstract

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to achieve inclusive, equitable quality education for all, with SDG 4 emphasizing its importance for individual empowerment, economic prosperity, and social advancement. Reading comprehension is a crucial language skill for students to acquire, particularly in English language learning. Despite its importance, students often encounter challenges in grasping reading materials, such as making inferences and locating main ideas, due to the lack of comprehension tactics and difficulty maintaining focus. The objective of this review is to identify difficulties in reading comprehension faced by second language learners and propose effective teaching strategies for improved reading experience. Hence, by using the PRISMA framework, this review examined journal articles on reading comprehension across the globe through four phases: identification, screening, eligibility and inclusion. Out of 100 publications, 24 were selected for further evaluation. Besides taking into consideration of The selection was based on the timeframe (between 2017 and 2024), taking into account both the inclusion and exclusion criteria.Three databases were consulted, including Google Scholar, Educational Resources Information Centre (ERIC) and Mendeley. Rather than focusing solely on identifying the difficulties of reading comprehension, this review also identifies the most effective strategies for optimal outcomes including the  explicit teaching strategies, reciprocal teaching strategy, choice theory, multi fluency strategy and multi reading strategy. Reading comprehension is crucial in educational settings, enhancing critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication. Future research should explore strategies, technology, and long-term effectiveness, as well as the impact of family engagement and home literacy contexts.