Reading Digital Texts vs. Reading Printed Texts: Which One Is More Effective in Iranian EFL Context?

Melisa Nur Asima Sidabutar,Sayed M Ismail,Soolmaz Nourabadi,Asaad Jassaim Shanan,Biju Theruvil Sayed,Ismail Suardi Wekke,Judith Soledad Yangali Vicente,Julia Teves Quispe,Ehsan Namaziandost

doi:10.1155/2022/7188266

Abstract

Considering the development of technology in the current era, the present research aimed at investigating the effects of reading digital texts vs. reading printed texts on developing Iranian intermediate EFL learners’ reading comprehension. To this end, the Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT) was administered to 93 language learners, and 60 of them whose level was intermediate were selected. Then, they were assigned to two groups: one CG and one EG. After grouping the participants, a reading pretest was administered to gauge the participants’ reading comprehension before conducting the treatment. After that, ten digital texts in the format of PDF with their audio files were instructed to the EG. On the other hand, the same texts were taught to the CG in a printed format. After teaching all texts, a reading posttest was administered to both groups to measure the effects of the treatment on their reading comprehension. The gained data were analyzed using paired samples and independent samples t-tests. The findings illustrated that both digital and printed texts helped the participants to improve their reading comprehension, but digital texts were more effective than printed ones. In other words, the EG participants trained by the digital texts outflanked the CG participants taught through the printed texts. The implications of this study can inspire both English teachers and learners to use digital texts in their teaching and learning.

Highlights

For a variety of reasons, fluency in reading is a must for all EFL students
E Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT) at their university was used to establish their level of English ability as intermediate students. e respondents were placed into two groups, one for the EG and the other for the CG
E findings indicated that both the digital and printed texts helped the participants develop their reading skills, but the digital texts were more effective. e results statistically showed that the EG did better than the CG on the posttest

Summary

Introduction

For a variety of reasons, fluency in reading is a must for all EFL students. EFL students learn English in a non-English-speaking setting. Reading would be the greatest way to compensate for the lack of information through their regular interactions. According to Anderson, Jeong, and Mullis (and many others), reading substantially impacts one’s personal and intellectual growth, subsequent education, work performance, career advancement, and the capacity to change. E ability to read is a stepping stone to more excellent proficiency in other areas of language study [1]. It exposes students to a wide range of helpful sentence forms frequently. It helps students to improve their vocabulary by studying the most often used and relevant terms in context. Students learn how to communicate thoughts via words and utilize punctuation and so on through reading.

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Conclusion