A Comparison of Reading Strategies Among Spanish Speaking University Students in Different Programs of English for Specific Purposes Based on An Indeterminate Likert Scale

Abstract

This study examines the relationships of reading strategies among different English for Specific Purposes (ESP) programs. Ninety-seven students in four ESP programs in Ecuador were surveyed regarding their reading strategies. The results found that there were not significant differences among the four strategies. These findings were discussed regarding whether differences in reading strategies could potentially influence teaching effectiveness, learning outcomes, and English language applications. The survey was administered to a random sample obtained from four Ecuadorian universities for 97 ESP students. For the survey, we applied an Indeterminate Likert Scale. Unlike the classic Likert Scale, the indeterminate variant asks the respondent to express a degree of measurement regarding their opinions for each of the elements of satisfaction, dissatisfaction, and neutrality. This allows capturing the opinion of the interviewee in the most reliable way possible, obtaining more accuracy than in the crisp Likert Scale. These data were statistically processed with the help of a Chi-square test for contingency tables.