Enhancing EFL Reading Comprehension Through Evidence-Based Instructional Strategies

Reading comprehension is a major instructional priority in English as a foreign language (EFL) education, yet strategy recommendations often overlook differences in research design and classroom context. This critical narrative review synthesizes 25 scholarly sources to examine instructional approaches supported by intervention studies, meta-analyses, observational research, and reading theory. The analysis considers explicit cognitive and metacognitive strategy instruction, collaborative dialogue, vocabulary and grammatical foundations, extensive reading, formative assessment, and digital source evaluation. Available L2 intervention evidence supports strategically guided teaching, whereas correlational evidence identifies linguistic resources that must be considered without establishing causal instructional effects. Research on extensive reading supports sustained reading opportunities, and classroom studies highlight the importance of scaffolded implementation and independent transfer. The review develops an evidence-to-practice cycle that connects diagnostic assessment, targeted modelling, collaborative interpretation, independent application, and follow-up evaluation. It concludes that effective EFL reading instruction should combine linguistic accessibility with purposeful strategy teaching and extended reading practice. Generalization remains conditional on learner proficiency, text demands, instructional fidelity, and the outcome measures used.