Abstract
<p>Research investigating differences between reading comprehension of electronic and paper texts has so far provided conflicting evidence. Thus, the present paper aims to examine the impact of the text source on the quality of reading comprehension of Polish intermediate learners of English. In a pre-test the participants representing a similar level of this subskill were selected and divided into two groups. In the study proper, the control group read a paper version of the text while the treatment group did it using a computer screen. Although the participants’ results were better in the case of e-texts than of p-texts, these differences were not statistically significant.</p>
Highlights
Due to the unprecedented omnipresence of computers, smartphones or, broadly speaking, hand-held devices, it is common for people to substitute paper books with their electronic counterparts
The present paper introduces a theoretical background to the problem of reading comprehension of e- and p-texts by discussing selected empirical studies devoted to that subject matter
The paper and computer tests were marked and the results were compared to assess which of the two groups performed better with regard to EFL reading comprehension
Summary
Due to the unprecedented omnipresence of computers, smartphones or, broadly speaking, hand-held devices, it is common for people to substitute paper books with their electronic counterparts. More and more reading that is taking place nowadays is not done in a traditional, that is paper way, but rather via electronic devices One of the focal and controversial issues is whether it is reading on paper or on a computer screen that is more effective (e.g., Dillon, 1992; Kong, Seo, & Zhai, 2018; Myrberg & Wiberg, 2015; Noyes & Garland, 2008; Walsch, 2016).
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