GRAMMAR-MEDIATED READING COMPREHENSION: EFL LEARNERS’ PERSPECTIVES, STRATEGIES AND TEXTUAL CHALLENGES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52657/js.v12i2.3604Keywords:
EFL Reading Comprehension, Grammatical Knowledge, Reading Strategies, Syntactic Awareness, Textual ChallengesAbstract
This descriptive qualitative study explored how grammatical knowledge supported reading comprehension among 31 third-semester Indonesian EFL students. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, think-aloud protocols, and written reflection journals, and then analyzed thematically. Findings showed that grammar functioned as a meaning-decoding resource and supported reading confidence. Learners employed syntactic segmentation, grammatical inferencing, structural re-parsing, and proficiency-related strategy shifts. Complex embedded clauses, passive constructions, and combined grammar–vocabulary gaps were the main barriers to comprehension. The findings suggest integrating declarative and procedural grammar knowledge into meaningful reading instruction across different proficiency levels.
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