Mapping Reading Strategy Use in Iranian EFL Learners: Toward a Context-Specific Taxonomy

Much has been done on reading strategies used by test-takers in responding to reading tasks. However, little research has concentrated on reading strategies in foreign language contexts. As a step to fill this gap, this study intended to investigate Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students’ strategy use in a reading comprehension test. To this end, sixty EFL students (30 with a high proficiency level and 30 with a low proficiency level) were selected conveniently. Drawing on introspective and retrospective verbal report, the researcher analyzed the participants’ thought processes and identified 44 reading strategies. The findings led to the development of a taxonomy of reading strategies used by Iranian EFL learners, providing insights into their reading performance and informing reading strategy-based teaching in EFL contexts. This study has implications for language teachers to incorporate strategy instruction into reading curricula as well as teacher educators and curriculum developers to develop materials that support learners’ metacognitive awareness and strategic flexibility.