EXPLORING READING SKILLS’ INSTRUCTION IN COMPULSORY ENGLISH COURSE – A CASE STUDY OF PUBLIC COLLEGE

The present study explores the reading instruction at grade- XII at a public college in Karachi to capture the reading instruction practices in compulsory English course. Using case study method involving interviews with teachers followed by observations of their reading classes an in-depth study was planned that attempted to give a holistic picture of the reading instructional practices. The teachers’ classroom practices were also interpreted in the light of the analyzed curriculum and text book being followed. The findings indicate a missed opportunity since no meaningful outcomes can be envisaged as a result of the conventional, content based and examination oriented classroom pedagogy adopted by teachers in their reading classes. The interview and classroom observation data contradicted indicating the teachers’ claims differed drastically from their actual classroom practices. This study reconfirms earlier studies and suggests several policy and pedagogical implications for education department, college administrators, English language teachers and teacher educators.