Gool, SulaimanGao, LiDept. of Linguistics, Language and CommunicationFaculty of Arts2013-10-012024-03-272009/10/142009/10/142013-10-012024-03-272007https://hdl.handle.net/10566/9901Masters of ArtSince economic reform started in China in 1978, the educational objectives for English language teaching have undergone many changes. In secondary school, reading and writing abilities have become increasingly important, not only in assisting students to study and work in English language contexts, but also in setting up the foundation for further English learning at university level. Thus, new materials have been devised and new teaching methods have been used. However, in practice, the English reading skills of many learners do not seem to have improved and learners have difficulty in achieving the syllabus goals set for reading. This study investigated the factors which influence the development of reading skills by learners in one Grade 10 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) class in Taiyuan, a city in China.enEnglish languageStudy and teachingSecond language acquisitionThesisUniversity of the Western Cape