Generally, when readers have comprehension problems while reading, they tend to use some strategies to overcome those obstacles. Different learners may have different ways to deal with comprehension problems, either intentionally or unconsciously. As a consequence, the term “reading strategy” has been defined in a number of ways.
There is, yet, no consensus among researchers as to its precise definition, as it is difficult to differentiate reading strategies from other processes, such as thinking, studying or motivational strategies; and also to determine whether strategies are global or specific (Paris, Wasik, & Turner, 1991). For example, Paris, Lipton, and Wixon (1983) refer to reading strategies as deliberate cognitive steps that learners consciously follow in order to assist in the acquisition of new information. Additionally, Garner (1987) defines reading strategies as an action or series of actions employed in order to construct meaning. Likewise, Abbott (2008) views reading strategies as the mental operations readers choose to employ in order to make sense of what they read. In a more profound view, Anderson (2003) interestingly remarks that reading strategies are both observable and unobservable processes. He explains that, on the one hand, reading strategies can be conscious actions that learners take to improve their language learning such as note taking and writing down key words; on the other hand, they can refer to mental process, which cannot be directly observed, such as the use of one’s background knowledge or prediction skills to construct an understanding of the text.