The Impact of Extensive Reading Programs on the Pronunciation Accuracy of EFL Learners at Basic Levels

Abstract

This experimental study aimed to investigate the effect of extensive reading on the pronunciation ability of EFL learners at basic levels. The proposed hypothesis predicted that the use of an extensive reading program, such as Uninterrupted Sustained Silent Reading (USSR), Drop Everything and Read (DEAR), or the Book Flood Approach, while nurturing a lifelong reading habit, leads to fossilization of incorrect pronunciations at basic levels. To this end,100 EFL students attending English language courses at Azad University of Kermanshah were selected using convenient sampling. Pretests were administered before the application of experimental and control treatments. The equivalence of the groups was provided by random assignment of subjects to experimental and control treatments. Also a post test was administered after the treatment. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used for data analyses. The mean test scores of both groups was subjected to the test of statistical significance which was a t-test. Based on the use of descriptive and inferential statistics, it was concluded that the use of extensive reading programs leads to the fossilization of incorrect pronunciations at basic levels among EFL learners.