The Tertiary Academic Reading Experience: Case Studies of First Year Pacific Students

Abstract

This study investigated the tertiary academic reading experiences of three students of Pacific descent. It involved a review of relevant international and local literature, followed by an investigation of the general academic reading habits, skills and strategies currently employed by the Pacific students, and their ability to perform the specific academic reading task of 'reading to summarise'. Using mainly qualitative case study methodology, it explores the influence of participants' cultural, linguistic and literacy backgrounds on their current academic reading experience. The study contributes to the field of research on ESL academic reading by establishing a number of themes regarding the Pacific students' academic reading habits, strategies and skills, and by discussing the implications of these themes for the design of effective literacy support and development for Pacific tertiary students.