Reading Engagement and the Reader in the Foreign Language Classroom: Students' Perceptions on Assessment Methods

Abstract

Despite the fact that Foreign Language (FL) literature is considered to be an important element in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) lessons, it is not part of the majority of classrooms (Bloemert et al. 2016). In most Spanish high-schools, FL literature is introduced by means of mandatory readers: these are often not worked on in the lessons and students are asked to read them on their own and take an exam. Taking into account that assessment methods have a direct influence on students’ level of engagement, reading motivation and learning achievement (Guthrie & Wigfield, 2000; Gujbels & Dochy, 2006; van der Watering et al. 2008), this study analyses the perceptions of 52 students in their first year of upper-secondary education on two different assessment methods during two different terms. In the first term, the reader was used in the classroom and students were asked to do an individual assignment at the end. In the second term, students read the reader on their own and took an exam. The data were gathered by means of a students’ questionnaire and systematic classroom observation. Overall, results show a preference towards the individual assignment in terms of reading engagement and a ‘deep learning’ approach to the reading experience.