Reading EAP: Investigating high proficiency L2 university students' strategy use through reading blogs

•Novice, high-proficiency L2 students' reading strategies were investigated.•Reading blogs were kept by students during a five-week course.•Students reflected on reading but did not amend strategy use accordingly.•Connecting reading to task was the most common strategy reported by students.•Pedagogical implications for reading blogs are discussed.

This study investigates the reading strategies used by academically novice, but high proficiency L2 students of English enrolled in a teacher education programme at a major Swedish university. Data were obtained from personal reading blogs kept by the students as they undertook course reading at home. An analysis revealed that students employed various reading strategies; however, there was limited evidence to suggest that students employed these strategies routinely. The most common strategy reported was connecting to short-term writing task. While students reported reflecting on their reading, they did not appear to amend unsuccessful strategy use, or re-use successful strategies. The study reveals the difficulties and limitations of high proficiency L2 students who lack experience of reading academic literature in English, and discusses pedagogical implications for reading blogs.