Modified collaborative strategic reading with visual support: Experimental evidence from low-proficiency EFL undergraduates

English is required in Indonesian higher education, yet foreign language readers find academic texts difficult, and many low-English-proficient students have foreign language anxiety. This study examined the impact of modified collaborative strategic reading integrated with visual-syntactic text formatting on foreign language reading comprehension and reading anxiety among Indonesian university students. Using a non-equivalent control group design, 101 first-year students were assigned to an experimental group receiving the combined intervention or a control group receiving conventional instruction over eight weeks. Data were collected through a standardized reading comprehension test and the Foreign Language Reading Anxiety Scale. Statistical results showed that the experimental group achieved significantly higher reading comprehension scores, with the strongest improvements in identifying main ideas, locating detailed information, interpreting references, and recognizing authorial purpose, and moderate gains in inference and vocabulary. Test resulst also indicated a significant reduction in reading anxiety for the experimental group. Qualitative findings revealed that collaborative strategy use enhanced comprehension monitoring, awareness of text structure, and learner confidence, while visual-syntactic formatting reduced cognitive load by clarifying complex sentence structures. Overall, the integrated approach effectively supported lower-proficiency English as a Foreign Language readers and provides a scalable model for improving academic literacy in higher education.