Roghayeh Beheshti - Department of Persian Literature and Foreign Languages, Payame Noor University, Iran
Maryam Farnia - Department of Persian Literature and Foreign Languages, Payame Noor University, Iran
Masoud Saeedi - Department of Persian Literature and Foreign Languages, Payame Noor University, Iran

This study primarily intended to investigate the effect of the Scaffolded Reading Experience (SRE) strategy use on the reading comprehension of Iranian EFL learners. Besides, it aimed to examine these learners’ attitude toward using this strategy. To this end, 30 female adult learners were selected by means of a placement test from some language institutes in Qom, Iran. The research instruments were two multiple- choice comprehension tests – one as a pre-test and one as a post-test –, along with a 3-point Likert Scale format Gardner’sAttitude/Motivation Test Battery (AMTB). The questions of the pre-test were based on the intermediate level Young Women Changing the World of Select Readings (Gundersen & Lee, 2011). For the post-test, the questions were designed from The Street lawyer by Grisham. The findings indicated that the SRE has positive effects on learners’ reading comprehension. In addition, it was found that the SRE strategy helped the participants to read the story faster, find the meanings of difficult words and idioms easier, comprehend the language of the story easier, and also understand the main event and conflict better, all speaking to the benefits of using SRE-based activities. In the end, the results are discussed with reference to previous research and theoretical framework, pointing to the pedagogical implications.

Reading comprehension, Reading strategies, Scaffolding, Scaffolded Reading Experience