Abstract
This paper is a study of the reading trends and perceptions of Muslim Malaysian undergraduate students towards Islamic English websites as pedagogical materials in English language classrooms. Data was collected through a set of questionnaires to 180 students from the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) and Universiti Sultan ZainalAbidin (UniSZA). The findings revealed that the students were self-motivated to read the materials to gain spiritual knowledge and to use the knowledge to deal with personal challenges. It also shows that the students recommend that the materials are used for pedagogical purposes in the learning of the English language. The study proposed that texts that bring enjoyment, inspiration, spiritual knowledge and personal development are used as reading materials in English lessons for Muslim students. This would enhance the motivation to read more whilst improving the proficiency of the English language.
Highlights
A Malaysian Reading Profile Survey conducted in Malaysia in 2010 revealed that Malaysians above the age of ten read an average of eight to twelve books a year (National Library of Malaysia, 2010)
The results show that the highest mean is 4.44 which is for the item “more Muslims should read the websites” and “more should be done to publicise Islamic English websites in Malaysian universities”
This study posed the following research questions: (1) What are the reading trends of English Islamic websites amongst Malaysian Muslim youths? (2) What are the Malaysian youths’ perceptions towards the trends of reading English Islamic websites? and (3) What are their perception of having the English language be taught using materials from the English Islamic websites?
Summary
A Malaysian Reading Profile Survey conducted in Malaysia in 2010 revealed that Malaysians above the age of ten read an average of eight to twelve books a year (National Library of Malaysia, 2010). The study indicates that 93% of the Malaysians are literate, the reading habits of Malaysians are still considerably low (Imran Ariff, 2010). Adding to this is the fact that Senu (2002, as cited in Imran Ariff, 2010) found that Malaysians only spend an average of RM50 yearly per family on books. A study conducted by Zurina (2013) on Malaysian secondary school students showed low reading interests in the English language reading materials. Malaysians as a whole do not read for pleasure, nor pursue it as a hobby
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