Assessment of English Oral Reading Fluency Rates for Grade seven English Second Language Learners in Tanzania

Sadiki Moshi Feruzi

doi:10.24127/pj.v10i2.4270

Abstract

This study aimed at assessing reading rates for learners in grade seven English second language (ESL) in Morogoro region, Tanzania. A total of 220 participants were randomly selected and assigned two grade appropriate English texts to read so as determine their reading rates. Fluency scale test was used to assess pupils’ reading fluency rates and the data was statistically analysed using SPSS software. It was necessary to asses pupils’ reading rates in the study context because there are no established fluency rate norms set for grade seven pupils in the country. In this case the current study serves as a reference for improvement. Results show that grade seven pupils in Morogoro region had an average reading fluency rate of 101words per minute (WPM) for fiction text and 95WPM for non-fiction text. The difference in the two texts can be due to the length of words and difficulty level in non-fiction text against fiction text. The scored rate is below the adopted benchmarks which implies that these pupils are at risk in reading fluency, consequently, calling for immediate interventions.

Highlights

Tanzania is a home of language diversity comprising about 164 ethnic groups speaking different languages (Languages of Tanzania Project, 2009)
This study focused on determining English language oral reading fluency rates for grade seven pupils
Since the fluence benchmarks established by Hasbrouck & Tindal, (2006) and adopted by the national oral reading fluency rates for grade seven are 128CWPM,136WCPM and 150WCPM through fall, winter and spring, the current study applied fluency score of 128WCPM to 150WCPM to judge whether grade seven pupils in Tanzania in Morogoro region attain that defined fluency benchmarks nor underperform

Summary

Introduction

Tanzania is a home of language diversity comprising about 164 ethnic groups speaking different languages (Languages of Tanzania Project, 2009). As argued by Legére (2007) that this difference is probably due to the fact that many languages in the country may be part of dialect continuum. Most of these languages belong to one of the major linguistic categories called Bantu, it becomes difficulty to draw a straightforward line between one language and another because many of them are quite similar. There are Africans and Asians who speak different mother tongues, European and Arabs as well as other nationalities from different linguistic background live harmoniously in the country using Kiswahili as a lingua franca

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Conclusion