Reading Interest Strength and Vocabulary Acquisition of EFL Learners: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between reading interest strength and vocabulary acquisition in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners through a systematic review and meta-analysis of eleven relevant studies conducted over the last decade, from 2010 to 2020. This study attended by the guidelines of PRISMA. Several stages conducted, such as; identifying the problem, collecting the data, screening, assessing the data, and extracting the data. The data was gathered from peer-reviewed journal articles indexed in databases such as Google Scholar, DOAJ, and Science Direct. Jamovi 1.6.7 was applied to analyze the data. This study aimed to report findings of a meta-analysis assessing correlation among reading interest and vocabulary acquisition. The result obtained was a relatively high relation in reading interest and vocabulary acquisition with pooled correlation = .485 (95% CI = .120 to - .850). The workings between variables were positive, which meant the students read more and increased vocabulary acquisition. Reading lots of text could improve students' vocabulary acquisition. The reading interest strength could develop vocabulary acquisition for EFL learners.