Abstract
While integrating visual features can be among the most important characteristics of English language textbooks, reviewing the current locally-produced English for Specific Purposes (ESP) ones reveals that they lack such a feature. Enjoying a rich theoretical background including Paivio’s dual coding theory as well as Sert’s educational semiotics, this research was done to investigate the probable effectiveness of using pictorial context in ESP reading comprehension ability of Iranian university students whose syllabus mostly focuses on this skill. To do so, this study was conducted on two groups of Iranian students majoring physics. Before the treatment, pretest was performed in both groups. The students in the experimental group were taught through passages furnished with different kinds of pictures while the ones in the control group were taught through the same passages without the pictorial context. At the end of the treatment which took twenty two sessions of two hours during twelve weeks, the posttest was administered to both groups. At the end, drawing on t-test at the significance level of 0.05, the students’ performance was compared. The results revealed that there was a significant difference between the mean score of the two groups. Thus, it was concluded that using pictorial context improves the ESP reading comprehension of students.
Highlights
English for specific purposes (ESP) as a growing trend in the framework of English language teaching (ELT)
Enjoying a rich theoretical background including Paivio’s dual coding theory as well as Sert’s educational semiotics, this research was done to investigate the probable effectiveness of using pictorial context in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) reading comprehension ability of Iranian university students whose syllabus mostly focuses on this skill
As Anglin, et al (2004) assert with the proliferation of illustrations in instructional materials, it becomes increasingly important to investigate their effects on student learning. Encountering these findings and suggestions as well as referring to this fact that there is not a great deal of discussion based on experimental studies of this issue in the literature of ESP, this study was undertaken through action research to provide an answer to the following research question: Does pictorial context have any effect on reading comprehension ability of Iranian university students majoring physics?
Summary
English for specific purposes (ESP) as a growing trend in the framework of English language teaching (ELT) In Dudley-Evans and St John’s (1998) words, this role is more prominent in situations where English is a foreign language (EFL) and naturally the ESP classroom may be almost the only source of English in exposing learners to the language. In this regard, as Erfani, et al (2011) write, the essential position of reading comprehension in EFL settings has turned this skill to the most important one needed for learners’ success in a way that it is often known as the main goal of English language learning in such contexts and undoubtedly ESP as a trend in ELT is not an exception to this rule. Conceiving the inadequacy of the current strategies in current ESP textbooks such as the necessity of integrating the efficient techniques in reading comprehension as well as understanding the role and importance of visual features as the most important characteristics of obtaining face validity, the researcher in this paper attempts to report the results of an explanatory action research of integrating pictorial context in ESP reading books as a probable efficient tool in enhancing the reading comprehension ability of students majoring physics in Damghan university, Iran
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