Abstract
One of the major areas of interest in SLA research is the study of the ways in which expert and non-expert readers respond to L2 texts and the fundamental changes that can be brought about in their L2 reading processes through formal instruction. In line with this research tradition, the present quasi-experimental study investigated the effects of formal training in figures of speech on university EFL learners’ appreciation of an unseen literary text, Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” in the case of this study. Understanding literature requires knowledge of figures of speech.An experimental group (n=29) and a control group (n=26) of intermediate 3rd year EFL learners, studying English for a B.A. degree at Kashan University, Iran, participated in the study. The participants were first pre-tested and matched for their level of proficiency in English and their initial reading comprehension ability. In addition to the normal curriculum content, the experimental group received instruction in figures of speech through a course called "Fonun va Sana'at" (Figures of Speech). The control group did not receive this instruction. Both groups were post-tested on their ability to read a literary passage and to appreciate it.The results of t-test analysis of the resulting data revealed significant differences between the means of the two groups. The experimental group that had received instruction in figures of speech significantly outperformed the control group. The findings of the study have practical implications for material development, curriculum planning, teaching English through literature, and second language acquisition.
Highlights
Enabling second language learners to read texts in their L2 is one of the major aims of many language teaching programs
One major preoccupation of the research in this area is to find better ways of teaching the reading skill. Another aim is to explore the factors that influence success in reading and the differences that can be found between non-expert and expert readers. Another major preoccupation in the area of ESL is the way nonexpert and expert readers respond to literary texts
The instruments used for the collection of the research data included an English proficiency test, a measure of reading comprehension, instructional materials on figures of speech presented by the teacher, and a final test of literary reading
Summary
Enabling second language learners to read texts in their L2 is one of the major aims of many language teaching programs This is specially the case in EFL settings where learners do not find many opportunities to orally interact with other speakers of the foreign language. One major preoccupation of the research in this area is to find better ways of teaching the reading skill Another aim is to explore the factors that influence success in reading and the differences that can be found between non-expert and expert readers. Another major preoccupation in the area of ESL (standing here for the "Empirical Science of Literature") is the way nonexpert and expert readers respond to literary texts. The present attempt investigates the effects of formal training in figures of speech on university EFL learners’ understanding of an unseen literary text, Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream”
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