Reading Comprehension Difficulties in German Among Nigerian Undergraduate Students: A Case Study of University of Lagos

This study examines reading comprehension difficulties encountered by Nigerian undergraduate students studying German at the University of Lagos, Akoka, in Lagos State within the South West geopolitical zone. Reading comprehension in a foreign language is a complex skill that requires the simultaneous deployment of vocabulary, grammatical knowledge, and textual inference strategies. Research in Nigerian contexts suggests that many students struggle with advanced German texts despite satisfactory performance in grammar-based assessments. The study employs a case study design and collects data from 100 second-year German language students using a standardised German reading comprehension test and a self-report questionnaire on reading strategies. Classroom observations were also conducted over a four-week period. Findings reveal that limited vocabulary breadth, insufficient background knowledge of German cultural contexts, and overreliance on word-for-word translation are the primary sources of comprehension difficulty. Students demonstrated stronger performance on explicitly stated information than on inferential comprehension tasks. The study recommends the introduction of explicit reading strategy instruction, vocabulary enrichment activities, and the use of authentic German texts that are contextually accessible to Nigerian readers. Curriculum developers are urged to review the range and level of reading materials currently in use. Keywords: reading comprehension, German language, University of Lagos, undergraduate students, reading strategies.