Effective Reading Comprehension in EFL Contexts: Individual and Collaborative Concept Mapping Strategies

Zahra Riahi,Natasha Pourdana

doi:10.7575/aiac.alls.v.8n.1p.51

Zahra Riahi, Natasha Pourdana

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.7575/aiac.alls.v.8n.1p.51

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Abstract

The present study attempted to investigate the possible impacts of Individual Concept Mapping (ICM) and Collaborative Concept Mapping (CCM) strategies on Iranian EFL learners' reading comprehension. For this purpose, 90 pre-intermediate female language learners ranged between 12 to 17 years of age were selected to randomly assign into ICM, CCM and Control groups in this study. After taking Key English Test (KET), the ICM and CCM groups received EFL reading materials presented and practiced with ICM and CCM strategies, respectively, while the Control group received only conventional instructions to reading comprehension. After conducting the treatment, all participants took a Concept Mapping post-test constructed by the researchers. The hypothetical assumptions in this study were in favor of ICM and CCM strategies to improve the Iranian EFL learners’ reading comprehension. Statistics supported the outperformance of the ICM and CCM groups comparing to Control group who received convention PPP teaching techniques on Concept Mapping post-test. However, the superiority of neither strategies was statistically proved so that no meaningful difference between the reading comprehension of the ICM and CCM groups were detected. Therefore, the researchers failed to determine which strategy caused a better or higher impact. Some pedagogical implications and recommended topics for further research were provided to the motivated researchers.

Highlights

Reading is perhaps the most important language skill in our modern life
The scores of individual concept mapping (ICM), concept mapping (CCM) and Control groups on Key English Test (KET) as the pre-test were descriptively analyzed for measures of range, mean, standard deviation and skewness
While all groups performed on KET, CCM group outperformed on the concept mapping with a higher mean score and better standard deviation index

Summary

Introduction

Reading is perhaps the most important language skill in our modern life. It helps people to learn new knowledge and experience the world everywhere at any time. Bunner believed (2002) that reading comprehension is the capability to interact with words and ideas on the page in order to understand what the writer has to write. It includes meaningful interpretation of written language. Reading involves re-creating the experience and thought of the writer, making images produced by the printed letters, and increasing one’s vocabulary. It needs organizing and retaining ideas and impressions gained from the printed page”. In addition to the complexity of reading in a foreign language context, its process is so far more cognitively demanding that the language learners need to coordinate their attention, perception, memory, and comprehension

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