Abstract
This research focuses on learners’ reading comprehension when practicing reading
aloud. Based on beginner-level Japanese EFL readers’ learning experiences, we examine
how they increase their English reading comprehension skills as well as what is required
to improve their abilities. Two university students who were non-English majors recorded
their experiences in journals during the practice, after which they filled out a
questionnaire and took part in an interview. We qualitatively analyzed the data by
employing a case study approach, verifying the learners’ actual changes through pre- and
post- reading comprehension tests. Through their experiences, one participant felt that
she had improved on her chunk recognition and comprehension, while the other did not
notice any changes. The differences between the two participants concerned their
approach toward practicing reading. The participant who experienced improvement
understood sentence structures previously unknown to her and attempted to work on them
as she read. The results suggest that, when it comes to autonomous reading practices, the
recognition of syntactic structures can lead to better understanding and acquisition.
