Die artikel stel dit ten doel om verbande te ondersoek tussen die leesgedrag van ’n aantal eerstejaarstudente aan die Universiteit van Pretoria en hulle taal- en akademiese geletterdheidsvaardighede. Die studente is getoets as risikostudente op grond van hulle swak taalvaardigheid. Verskeie aspekte van hulle leesgedrag word ondersoek, soos die studente se ervaring van lees as skoolaktiwiteit. Daar word ondersoek ingestel na moontlike veranderende leesgewoontes in ’n tegnologiese era deur onder meer te probeer bepaal of studente gedrukte media vir elektroniese media verruil het, watter spesifieke leesgedrag studente openbaar, hoe lees as ’n ontspanningsaktiwiteit onder studente daarna uitsien, sowel as die vlak van leesfrekwensie onder studente oor ’n breë spektrum gedrukte en elektroniese media heen. Laastens word die gebruik van tegnologiese hulpmiddele en sosiale netwerke ook onder die loep geneem. Die bevinding is dat studente met lae taalvaardigheid leesgedrag openbaar wat nie hulle taalvaardigheid of hulle akademiese leesgedrag sal verbeter nie.
The purpose of this article is to investigate relationships between the reading habits of a group of first-year students at the University of Pretoria, and their language and academic literacy skills. The students were tested as students who are at risk on account of their poor language proficiency. Various aspects of their reading habits are examined, such as the students’ experience of reading as a school activity. Furthermore, possible changes in reading habits in a technological era are investigated by determining whether students have exchanged printed media for electronic media, which specific reading behaviours students reveal, how reading as an activity of relaxation is approached amongst students, as well as the level of reading frequency amongst students over a broad spectrum of print and electronic media. Lastly, the article touches on students’ use of technological resources and social networks. The findings show that the reading habits of students with a poor language proficiency are such that they will not improve either their language proficiency or their academic reading habits.
