Exploring Challenges and Strategies of Teaching Reading Online in EFL Context

Abstract

This research sought to shed more light on the reading instruction methods used at SMP 10 November Sidoarjo and SMP Progressif Bumi Sholawat during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study employed the descriptive qualitative method for its research design. The 2 English instructors at SMP 10 November Sidoarjo and SMP Progressif Bumi Sholawat  were chosen by the researcher as  respondents. The English  instructors were interviewed by the researcher using WA concerning the challenges and strategies they employed in teaching reading online.  The results of this study showed that the English teachers encounter challenges such as poor participation in reading class which is caused by their poor understanding of reading texts which is particularly caused by lack of vocabulary mastery, difficulty in controlling students’ participation, poor emotional bound and students boredom. Meanwhile teachers’ strategies in their teaching reading online are encouraging students to search for difficult vocabulary online, discussing their problem through WA, finding resources for better comprehension, finding the main idea in each paragraph. This study further suggests that the teachers encourage students to try to solve reading problems more independently and work collaboratively.