A Comprehensive Review of Reading Challenges and Instructional Solutions for Saudi EFL Learners
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15282/Keywords:
EFL learners, Reading comprehension, Reading problems, Reading skills, Saudi ArabiaAbstract
Immense research has been done on the process of reading strategies and difficulties associated with reading in both native language and foreign language. Existing research suggests a need to investigate the hindrances that learners face in reading. This systematic literature review attempts to identify the difficulties faced by Saudi English language learners in reading and the possible solutions recommended. This study focuses on the implications of English reading which is being taught to Saudi EFL learners. This research selected 7 articles to review from an initial total of 140 Scopus indexed journal articles. The focus of the research identified the challenges that hinder the reading skill development of both learners and teachers. These issues include ineffective study materials, lexical difficulties, low levels of reading comprehension, lack of motivation, ineffective reading strategies and other related problems. Findings conclude solutions to these difficulties, such as training teachers in linguistics, using different diversified methods to teach reading, acknowledging students’ learning preferences and styles, encouraging, and motivating the students, and organizing extra classes. Overall, this exploration will become significant for teaching instructors in creating meaningful reading materials or lessons in view of the concerns and preferences of learners. This will result in the enhancement of the Arab learners’ reading skills.
References
Abdalla, F. A., & Louis, K. O. S. (2012). Arab school teachers’ knowledge, beliefs and reactions regarding stuttering. Journal of Fluency Disorders, 37(1), 54–69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfludis.2011.11.007
Ahmadi, M. R. (2017). The impact of motivation on reading comprehension. International Journal of Research in English Education, 2(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.18869/acadpub.ijree.2.1.1
Al Nooh, A. (2013). The effectiveness of reading techniques used in a Saudi Arabian secondary school classroom as perceived by students and teachers: A study of methods used in teaching English and their effectiveness. Arab World English Journal, 4(3), 331–345.
Al-Khaza'leh, B. A. (2019). Exploring language learning strategies of Saudi EFL learners at Shaqra University, Saudi Arabia. Advances in Language and Literary Studies, 10(4), 63-71.
Alarfaj, A., & Alshumaimeri, Y. (2012). The effect of a suggested training program on reading speed and comprehension of Saudi female university students. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 31, 612–628.
Alasmari, N. (2021). Is internet reciprocal teaching the remedy for Saudi EFL learners' reading difficulties during the COVID-19 Pandemic? Journal of Education and e-Learning research, 8(3), 324-332.
Alasmari, N., & Sultan, N. Y. (2021). Reading difficulties and influential factors faced by Saudi tertiary learners. The Asian ESP Journal, 17(1), 73–100.
Alharbi, A. M. (2022). Reading skills among EFL learners in Saudi Arabia: A review of challenges and solutions. World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 15(3), 204–208.
Alkhaleefah, T. A. (2017). Saudi EFL learners’ reported reading problems and strategic processing of text types: A think-aloud case study. Reading Psychology, 38(7), 687–730. https://doi.org/10.1080/02702711.2017.1339903
Alotaibi, A. M. (2022). Reading difficulties among EFL learners in Saudi Arabia [Unpublished review paper]. Department of Curriculum and Instruction, King Saud University.
Alqahtani, M. (2020). The role of vocabulary knowledge in reading comprehension among EFL learners. Arab World English Journal, 11(3), 340–356. https://doi.org/10.24093/awej/vol11no3.21
Alshumaimeri, Y. A., & Almasri, M. M. (2012). The effects of using WebQuests on reading comprehension performance of Saudi EFL students. Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology (TOJET), 11(4), 295–306.
Alshehri, M. (2014). Improving reading comprehension for Saudi students by using the reading aloud strategy [Master’s thesis, State University of New York]. SUNY Open Access Repository.
Alsubaie, M. A. A. (2014). An exploration of reading comprehension challenges in Saudi Arabian university EFL students [Doctoral dissertation, University of Exeter]. ProQuest. http://hdl.handle.net/10871/15981
Anqoudi, S. A., Gabarre, C., Gabarre, S., & Aamri, S. A. (2024). Improving EFL learners’ reading motivation with intensive reading using “ReadTheory.” International Journal of Linguistics, 15(5), 30–50. https://doi.org/10.5296/ijl.v15i5.21389
Bensalem, E. (2020). Foreign language reading anxiety in the Saudi tertiary EFL context. Reading in a Foreign Language, 32(2), 65–82.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Chow, B. W. Y., Chiu, H. T., & Wong, S. W. (2017). Anxiety in reading and listening English as a foreign language in Chinese undergraduate students. Language Teaching Research, 22(6), 719–738. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168817702159
Fitria, W. (2019). Reading interest and reading comprehension: A correlational study. Jurnal Educative: Journal of Educational Studies, 4(1), 95–107. https://doi.org/10.30983/educative.v4i1.1214
Halim, T., & Shah, S. R. A. (2021). EFL learners' perspectives towards online reading module of IELTS: A study at tertiary level. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 12(6), 942–947. https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.1206.10
Hatmanto, E. D., & Purwanti, E. (2020). Strategies in teaching and engaging the millennial generation. International Journal of Language Education and Applied Linguistics, 10(1), 82–98. https://doi.org/10.15282/ijleal.v10.3945
Ismail, S. A. A. (2015). Secondary school students' reading anxiety in a second language. English Language Teaching, 8(11), 28–41. https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v8n11p28al nooh
Khonamri, F., Azizi, N., Akimjak, A., & Kurilenko, V. (2024). The prospects of reading circles for fostering EFL learners’ motivation to read and engagement. Journal of Education Culture and Society, 15(1), 403–418. https://doi.org/10.15503/jecs2024.1.403.418
Liton, H. A. (2013). EFL teachers’ perceptions, evaluations, and expectations about English language courses as EFL in Saudi universities. International Journal of Instruction, 6(2), 19–34. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED539787.pdf
Maherzi, S. (2011). Perceptions of classroom climate and motivation to study English in Saudi Arabia: Developing a questionnaire to measure perceptions and motivation. Electronic Journal of Research in Educational Psychology, 9(24), 765–798.
Meyer, J., Fleckenstein, J., Keller, S. D., & Hübner, N. (2024). Read at home to do well at school: Informal reading predicts achievement and motivation in English as a foreign language. Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1289600
Mukhtar, H. P., Azmuddin, R. A., & Ali, Z. (2025). Effects of Pre-teaching and Contextual Guessing Strategies on Vocabulary Achievement among Saudi EFL Learners. International Journal of Language Education and Applied Linguistics, 15(2), 111-122. https://doi.org/10.15282/ijleal.v15i2.12611
Nation, I. S. P. (2022). Vocabulary and reading comprehension: Implications for language learning. Language Teaching Research, 26(5), 891–908. https://doi.org/10.1177/13621688211062687
Nezami, S. R. A. (2012). A critical study of comprehension strategies and general problems in reading skill faced by Arab EFL learners with special reference to Najran University in Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Social Sciences & Education, 2(3), 306–317.
Omar, A., & Alluqmani, S. S. (2021). A computer-based model to improve the performance of struggling EFL readers in lifelong and continuous learning programs in Saudi universities. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 17(1), 517–528. https://doi.org/10.14569/IJACSA.2021.0120444
Omar, A., Hussein, M. S. M., & Alalwi, F. S. (2021). A computer-assisted collaborative reading model to improve reading fluency of EFL learners in continuous learning programs in Saudi universities. International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications, 12(4). https://doi.org/10.14569/IJACSA.2021.0120444
Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., ... & Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, 372, n71. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71
Pourhosein, G. A., & Sabouri, N. B. (2016). How can students improve their reading comprehension skill. Journal of Studies in Education, 6(2), 229–240. https://doi.org/10.5296/jse.v6i2.9201
Ruhil Amal, A., Ainul Azmin, M. Z., Hamizah, Z., Rahmah, M., Fatin Aliana, M. R., & Daing Nafiz, D. I. (2023). Analysing tertiary students’ reading proficiency of CEFR aligned texts via online discussion forum in a Learning Management System. Asian Journal of University Education (AJUE), 19(1), 121 – 132. https://doi.org/10.24191/ajue.v19i1.21236
Ruhil Amal, A., Nur Ainil, S., Mazura, J., Anis Nadiah, C. A. R., & Farah Hani, R., (2025). The use of digital annotation tools in assisting reading English for Science and Technology academic texts among L2 learners in higher institutions. 3L: Language, Linguistics, Literature The Southeast Journal of English Language Studies, 31(1), 235-254. http://doi.org/10.17576/3L-2025-3101-16 .
Sabti, A. A., Mansor, Y. T. M. B. T., Altikriti, M. Q., Abdalhussein, H. F., & Dhari, S. S. (2016). Gender differences and foreign language
reading anxiety of high school learners in an Iraqi EFL context. International Journal of Applied Linguistics and English Literature, 5(5), 208–214. https://doi.org/10.7575/aiac.ijalel.v.5n.5p.208
Samad, I. A., Jannah, M., & Fitriani, S. S. (2017). EFL students’ strategies dealing with common difficulties in TOEFL reading comprehension section. International Journal of Language Education, 1(1), 29–36. https://doi.org/10.26858/ijole.v1i1.2868
Sharma, V. (2022). Letting the struggling Saudi EFL readers take lead: How teachers transform English language instruction. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 13(3), 533–540. https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.1303.06
Tien, C.-Y. (2017). Factors of foreign language reading anxiety in a Taiwan EFL higher education context. Journal of Applied Linguistics and Language Research, 4(8), 48–58. https://www.jallr.com/index.php/JALLR/article/view/663
Urunbaeva, J. (2025). Technology-enhanced learning (TEL) in teaching reading comprehension in EFL contexts: A scoping review. Modern American Journal of Linguistics, Education, and Pedagogy, 1(3), 201-232. https://usajournals.org/index.php/6/article/view/450
Wedell, M., & Alshumaimeri, Y. (2014). Putting out the fires: Supervisors’ experiences of introducing primary English in Saudi Arabia. System, 46, 120–130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2014.08.001
Zhang, R., & Zou, D. (2022). Vocabulary learning and reading comprehension in technology-enhanced environments: A meta-analysis. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 35(7), 1503–1528. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2020.1854316
Zhou, J. (2017). Foreign language reading anxiety in a Chinese as a foreign language context. Reading in a Foreign Language, 29, 155–177. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1144191.pdf
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 The Author(s)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
