An Experimental Application of the Interactive Reading Approach with ICT Tools to Improve Struggling Readers’ Comprehension Skills during English for Law Classes

Introduction: The current research project subsumes a vibrant analysis of the convoluted essence of reading comprehension, with the aim of exploring the diverse deficits learners encounter to assimilate texts in law in the English language at the Faculty of Law and Political Sciences, University of Bejaia, Algeria. Then, it attempts to find possible remedial solutions for a particular subset of foreign language learners, law students, to whom tasks on legal English pose dreadful pitfalls.

Methods: We have employed the experimental method, using an analytic, quantitative approach.

Results: The study has revealed the effectiveness of an interactive reading approach using computer-based instruction in addressing learners’ difficulties in comprehending legal English texts, particularly in groups five and six (the experimental groups). The technique has appreciably affected how much time our applicants need to comprehend texts on legal English and how much they understand.

Discussion: The experiment has examined the impact of computer-assisted instruction on comprehension rate, micro, and macro skills. The essence of the technique’s noteworthy influence involves adopting the interactive reading approach, timed readings, integrating ICT devices, taxonomies of various types of questions that engage both bottom-up and top-down abilities, and maintaining regularity. This confirms the two hypotheses that address the primary issue of this investigation.

Limitations: Learners’ language interference between French and English has allowed for the transfer of reading strategies and skills, potentially impacting their processing of texts and biasing the outcome of this inquiry.

Conclusions: This research study advocates the integration of ICT devices in teaching English for law texts to university students. Moreover, it highlights the need to shift from the Ptolemaic view of reading comprehension, which focuses on comprehension levels and neglects readers’ reading rate.