The CATESOL Journal

This paper examines differences between first- and second-language reading strategies as well as differences between English as a Second Language (ESL) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) reading strategies. Two versions of the Survey of Reading Strategies (SORS) (Sheorey and Mokhtari, 2001) were distributed to 396 learners of English. Two hundred sixty of the learners were studying EFL at the Centro Cultural Costarricense Norteamericano (CCCN) in San José, Costa Rica. The remaining 136 were studying in an ESL environment at the English Language Center (ELC) at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. The first version of the SORS asked the respondents to answer the questions based on their use of metacognitive reading strategies in their L1. The second version asked them to respond to the questions based on their use of metacognitive reading strategies in their L2. Participants also completed a background questionnaire. Similarities and differences between learners’ use of reading strategies in their first and second languages as well as similarities and differences between the instructional environments are addressed. The results of this study provide helpful insights for teachers of reading to improve classroom instruction.