Are Good Readers Good Writers?

Abstract

This paper raises the questions whether good readers are good writers. Regarding the importance of reading and writing as basic literacy skills, a lot of research has been carried out in order to make learning these skills easy and successful. Being able to use English in a globalized world can not only enable users of English to compete locally or nationally, but also to seek better opportunities within the International community. Although research has recognized the need for developing effective reading and writing skills, researchers affirm that language learners, especially ESL and EFL,still face different difficulties in reading or writing.Hence, this study investigates the relation between reading and writing among high school EFL learners in Morocco. A correlation test has been used to compare the performance of high school students in both the reading and writing tests. The results of this comparison are used to test the research hypothesis, which hypothesizes that there is no significant difference between the participants reading and wring abilities. The findings of this study support other studies which highlight the strong link between the learners' abilities to write and read in English. The results strongly suggest that reading and writing be integrated in Moroccan classes (both in the teaching and learning process; at the level of classroom activities and tasks, textbooks, syllabus, testing, and training). Future research, based on the limitations of the current study and on the gaps in literature, should be directed towards a deep analysis of the interactive nature between reading and writing so as to put forward practical tips for successful integrative language teaching and learning.