This study investigated the importance of reading in English for EFL Foundation Programme students at a private college university in Oman. It discussed the students’ attitudes towards reading in English and their knowledge of reading comprehension strategies. The instruments used included a short questionnaire and a reading achievement test. They were handed to sixteen mixed-age and gender students from level one and sixteen mixed-age and gender students from level two. The findings of the study instruments’ data showed that gender and English language proficiency had no statistically significant effect on the level of knowledge of reading comprehension strategies in English. They also revealed that age had no statistically significant effect on attitudes towards reading in English.Moreover, they showed no statistically significant correlation between the knowledge of reading comprehension strategies and attitudes toward reading in English. Although there were positive reading attitudes, students showed weak knowledge of reading comprehension strategies. The study recommends that EFL teachers develop their students’ knowledge of reading comprehension strategies.
Keywords: EFL Omani foundation programme, Students’ Attitudes, comprehension strategies, knowledge of reading, reading in English
