Measuring Factors Affecting EFL Learners’ Reading Comprehension at Undergraduate Level: A Survey

The importance of reading for a language learner is enormous. Reading benefits a language learner in many ways from developing vocabulary to enhance overall language competence. Unfortunately, EFL learners encounter a lot of difficulties during reading that prevent them from developing their reading skills and eventually negatively affect their overall language learning process. The goal of the present study was to evaluate the factors that affect EFL learners' reading comprehension at undergraduate level. By using a Likert-scale survey sheet, the study conducted a survey among 298 undergraduate students at Bangladesh Agricultural University and found that many factors are responsible for EFL learners' poor reading comprehension at undergraduate level. Among them, some factors are very intensely affect the learners' reading comprehension while some affect moderately and some have comparatively less effect. By assessing the factors that affect the learners' reading comprehension, the study basically attempted to make the learners aware of those factors they face in reading, so that, they can overcome them, improve their reading skill, and become proficient readers.