An Investigation into the Effect of Reader Response Approach on EFL Learners’ Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary Retention and Test Anxiety

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of the reader-response approach on EFL (English as foreign language) learners’ reading comprehension, retention of vocabulary and test anxiety. To achieve this goal, out of a sample of sixty EFL learners who were selected to participate in the study 52 were assigned into two groups. During the study, a reader-response approach was used as the treatment, and the quantitative data were collected through the anxiety questionnaire, reading and vocabulary tests. MANCOVA was run to compare and determine the performance of the two groups. Based on the findings, the reader-response approach in teaching English to EFL learners, does not improve the reading comprehension and vocabulary retention of EFL learners. Furthermore, no significant differences were observed in the level of vocabulary acquisition and the reading comprehension of both groups. It was also found that the reading response approach contributed to the decrease in the experimental group’s test anxiety.