Incorporating reading strategies for EFL undergraduate learners in Saudi Arabia: A think-aloud study

The study sample consisted of 26 EFL students from the Department of English Language and Translation at Qassim University that were divided equally by gender (13 males and 13 females). All the students were native speakers of Arabic who were majoring in English. The ages of the participants ranged from 20 to 22 years old. These students were randomly assigned to the study from a group of students who were enrolled in a Reading and Vocabulary Building Course. Afterwards, four students (two males, and two females) were purposefully selected based on their proficiency levels to participate in the reading thinking-aloud task and to answer the interview questions. <br> This study employed a think-aloud protocol design to gather verbal data on cognitive and metacognitive reading strategies used by undergraduate students enrolled in the EFL department in Qassim University. Therefore, the study is based on an explanatory design relying on the verbal protocols of the participants. A mixed-method research approach was utilized in the study as data were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Data analysis aims to explore both cognitive and metacognitive reading strategy types that the participants used while engaged in a reading task. <br> <br>