Improvement of EFL Students’ Academic Reading Achievement Through the Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach (CALLA)

Abstract

This mixed-methods study examined the effectiveness of the Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach (CALLA) on the improvement of EFL students' academic reading achievement. Participants were 122 Jordanian EFL undergraduate students who were divided into two groups: experimental and control groups. Data were collected using academic reading test and focus group interviews (four groups; with six students in each). While the students in the experimental group were taught using CALLA, students in the control group were taught using the conventional method of teaching. While quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS package program, qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The statistical analysis of academic reading test data revealed that students’ reading achievement increased only in the experimental group. Further, the analysis of the interviews showed that students’ overall perceptions of the effectiveness of CALLA were positive. Thus, this study has revealed the feasibility of implementing CALLA in EFL academic reading contexts.