EFL Reading Research Articles

Motivation, Strategy Use, and Comprehension in Foreign Language Reading: The Case of Saudi EFL Learners at the Preparatory Year

This study explored the relationships among reading motivation, reading strategy use and, reading comprehension in EFL reading. A cohort of 308 male and female EFL students at the preparatory year of an emerging Saudi university completed a reading motivation questionnaire, a reading strategy questionnaire, and a reading comprehension test. Independent samples t-test results revealed that students with high reading motivation (extrinsic, intrinsic, and efficacy) used three reading strategy categories (pre, while, and post-reading strategies) more frequently than students with moderate reading motivation. Similarly, students with high reading motivation were found to have better reading comprehension. Reading strategy use was also found to induce significant differences in students’ reading comprehension. Results of multiple regression revealed that extrinsic motivation was the best predictor of students’ reading strategy use and reading comprehension. Of all strategy categories, while-reading strategies were the best predictor of students’ reading comprehension. Of all motivation and strategy factors, while-reading strategies, reading efficacy and extrinsic motivation significantly predicted reading comprehension, with while-reading strategies being the strongest predictor. Implications for reading instruction and suggestions for further research are offered.

Using Adaptive Feedback in an ESP Course for Developing University Students’ EFL Listening and Reading Comprehension Skills

Using Adaptive Feedback in an ESP Course for Developing University Students’ EFL Listening and Reading Comprehension Skills

The Feasibility of Critical Literacy Practices in an EFL Reading Class

This research aims to explain how critical literacy was practiced in an EFL reading class. In this reading class, students read and responded to a short story about bullying and friendship entitled Egghead. The data were generated from the classroom’s observations and interactions and students’ artifacts during the reading class. This research thoroughly examined 1) how critical literacy was employed in the reading classroom and 2) students’ engagement in the class. Using the four dimensions of critical literacy by Lewison et al. (2002), this research has figured out that critical literacy practices in the reading class are feasible to raise students’ awareness. Two significant findings are emphasized in this research. First is the positive outcomes during classroom discussions. Second, this approach can create an atmosphere that can motivate students’ enthusiasm and enjoyment. Both findings show that employing critical literacy allows students to verbalize their thoughts and opinions of their worldview, raising their awareness and understanding of social issues. However, as a role model, the teacher must engage students in a meaningful discussion while selecting and considering appropriate reading materials.

Korean High School Students' L1 Summary Writing as a Predictor of EFL Reading Comprehension

This study examines the role of the L1 summarization task as a predictor of English reading comprehension for Korean EFL high school students. Participants were given two different types of reading passages, along with five multiple-choice question items and one summarization task item for each passage. A rubric for summary writing was constructed for the purpose of the study and examined on its reliability and use. Correlation analysis between reading comprehension and summary writing reported a moderate to high correlation. A simple linear regression analysis of the test results indicates that L1 summary writing can be a predictor of Korean EFL learners' English reading comprehension. Despite the findings in this study, the survey results inquiring about the participants' views on summarization tasks suggest the difficulties and limitations of implementing summarization tasks in high-stakes assessments.

Types of Reading Anxiety in Association to Reading Strategy at Junior High School Setting

This research determines the association between three dimensions of reading anxiety and reading strategy. It uses a quantitative approach of correlational design. 146 eighth-graders students in junior high school were involved as the sample. Two kinds of questionnaires were applied to obtain the research data. The EFL Reading Anxiety Scale (EFLRAI) was used to find out the students’ reading anxiety, and the Language Learning Strategy Questionnaire (LLSQ) was utilized to acquire the students’ responses related to their learning strategy. The research data were analyzed using descriptive testing to acquire the mean score and Pearson Correlation Product Moment to gain the correlation score. This study reveals that there was a high level of the top-down, the bottom-up, classroom, and the overall reading anxiety, while the students applied a moderate level of reading strategy. The result of the correlation testing revealed that top-down and bottom-up reading anxieties gained a low relationship on reading strategy. However, classroom reading anxiety had a low correlation on reading strategy. In addition, all reading anxieties separately and simultaneously have a positive relationship towards reading strategy, in which classroom reading anxiety obtains the highest relationship on reading strategy with a score of correlation was 0.207. This study contributes to aid the teacher in recognizing the students’ reading anxiety that must be reduced to gain better reading strategies.

Developing Needs Analysis of Critical Literacy Models for Teaching EFL Reading Class

Critical literacy models have been integrated into learning process in the English-speaking countries such as Australia, New Zealand, America, England, and some Europian countriea. As matter of fact, the critical literacy model used particularly for teaching reading classess is rarely found, especially the model which fits with the characteristics of EFL students. This study aims to explore the needs analysis development of critical literacy model for teaching reading in EFL reading class. This research adapted the Four D model which consists of four steps; defining, designing, developing, and disseminating. The results revealed the following. First, in defining, the researcher conducted preliminary study in English Language Education Study Program in three universities in Yogyakarta which was meant to analyze the students’ problems in the real setting. Second, the researcher created the prototype of the needs analysis in accordance with the results of the preliminary study. Third, the researcher validated the needs analysis to the two experts and conducted field testing to evaluate the validity of the questionnaire. The results of the needs analysis validation process show that the questionnaire is feasible (87.5 %) to assess the students’ needs of critical literacy model. Furthermore, in order to evaluate the practicality of the questionnaire, the researcher conducted a preliminary field testing to 27 students of English Language Education Study Program in a private university in Yogyakarta. In conclusion, the results of the needs analysis become the basis to develop a critical literacy model which is used for teaching EFL reading classes.

Investigating Reading Strategies Used by Teachers at the Departments of English, Universities of Duhok and Nawroz

This paper aims at investigating the employment of reading strategies at the Departments of English, Universities of Duhok and Nawroz by the EFL teachers in their EFL classes. In order achieve the aims of the study and answer its questions a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire adopted from Oxford et al, (2004) was given to 10 EFL teachers; 6 females and 4 males, from the departments of English at the colleges of Languages and Basic Education at University of Duhok and Nawroz university . The questionnaire consists of 40 reading items grouped into three categories of (pre-reading stage, while-reading stage, and after-reading stage) that cover all the possible reading strategies used in EFL classes. The study has found out that all of the teachers are well aware of the reading strategies. However, the Global Reading strategies are preferred by teachers over the Support-reading strategies and Problem-solving strategies. Moreover, the participant teachers believe that all the reading strategies are important to be used in EFL reading classes. Finally, there were no statistically significant difference in gender between the teachers regarding their use of the reading strategies included in the study.

THE EFFECTS OF QUESTIONING AS PRE-READING ACTIVITY ON EFL GRADE 12 STUDENTS’ CRITICAL THINKING IN READING CLASSES IN KIEN GIANG, VIETNAM

<p>Research has indicated that questioning is used as an interactive way to engage students in learning English as a foreign or second language. In particular, rooted in Socratic philosophy, this strategy involves students in thinking and communicating ideas and knowledge to others for effective learning. However, teacher questioning in English classroom context in higher education in Viet Nam has not received much attention. Moreover, classroom questioning and teachers’ perceptions of this instructional practice facilitating students’ critical thinking in English major classes remained scarce. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effects of questioning as pre-reading activity on students’ critical thinking in EFL reading classes. The participants in this study were 80 grade 12 students of the two classes at a high school, in Kien Giang province. Data collection in this study includes pre-tests, post-tests, questionnaires, and interviews. The findings from this study indicate that the implementation of questioning as a pre-reading activity by students in the experimental group yielded positive effects on students’ critical thinking in reading classes. Pedagogical implications for teachers and school administrators are made.<strong> </strong></p><p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0059/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

The Implementation of KWL Chart Strategy to Improve Worldwide EFL Learners’ Reading Comprehension Skills

There is a dire need for worldwide second language educators to sustainably invoke more interactive, favorable, and meaningful reading learning enterprises in which EFL learners are strongly willing to channel more effortful actions to hone their reading comprehension skills to the utmost development. KWL chart strategy can be one of the appropriate solutions to fulfill this reading learning demand by which EFL learners can activate their prior knowledge in harmony with the reading texts they are going to read, monitor their reading comprehension towards particular reading topics intensively, and profoundly evaluate their newly-acquired knowledge obtained through various passages. This present small-scale library study aimed to investigate the extent the KWL chart strategy can improve globalized EFL learners’ reading comprehension skills. 20 prior findings obtained from the KWL chart strategy in reading studies were thematically analyzed to yield more comprehensible and credible research results for the betterment of EFL reading learning enterprises nationwide. After analyzing those previous findings, two main research themes were generated namely: (1) KWL chart strategy transforms EFL learners into more spirited readers and (2) KWL chart strategy exceptionally escalates EFL learners’ reading proficiency level. In the end, it can be fairly concluded that the effective deployment of the KWL strategy not merely resulted in the significant enhancement of EFL learners’ reading comprehension skills but also their reading endeavor and knowledge. Keyword: KWL chart strategy, reading comprehension skills, EFL learners, library study, thematic analysis

The Art of Questioning in Online Learning: Effective Questioning Strategies in EFL Reading Class

The advent of online learning has made it necessary for educators to develop new teaching strategies, particularly in the area of questioning techniques. This study aimed to explore the types of questioning strategies employed by teachers during online reading classes and identify the factors that contribute to the frequent use of a specific approach. The study used observation checklists and interview guidelines based on Bloom's taxonomy and Wragg and Brown's questioning strategies to gather data from second-year English language students enrolled in an online reading class. The research findings revealed that to engage students, evaluate their comprehension, and ensure alignment with the textbook material the teacher primarily utilized "Understand" and "Analyze" questions, along with directed, distributed, responded, and sequenced strategies. The teacher also utilized Zoom's chat box feature to ask questions and enable students to provide direct answers. The results of this study demonstrate the importance of effective questioning techniques in online learning environments. The teacher's use of a variety of questioning strategies had a positive impact on the students' ability to acquire knowledge, demonstrating that a diverse range of strategies can help students achieve deeper levels of understanding. The research findings have important implications for the education sector as it provides insights into effective teaching strategies that can help promote student engagement and enhance their learning outcomes.

Exploring the Effects of Concept Mapping on Undergraduate Students’ EFL Reading Comprehension in China

Reading is a fundamental life-long learning tool to achieve personal and professional success, and it has been attached with great importance in China. However, despite the significance of reading comprehension, EFL undergraduate students in China face challenges when reading in English language. It is essential for both teachers and researchers to explore effective teaching techniques to teach reading. In this regard, concept mapping can serve as a specific form of teaching and learning technique for reading instruction. The present study employed a quasi-experiment to investigate the effects of concept mapping on the EFL reading comprehension of undergraduate students in China. The study spanned 32 instructional sessions, and the effects on knowledge retention were measured two weeks after the experiment. The participants included 135 second-year undergraduate students from three intact EFL classes at a university in China. The findings revealed that the use of concept mapping technique was effective in improving students’ reading comprehension. Moreover, the combined use of concept mapping with conventional method was more effective than fully using concept mapping in promoting students’ reading comprehension and knowledge retention. The study gives pedagogical and policy implications for teachers, syllabus designers, curriculum developers, and other stakeholders.

The Impact of the Blended Learning Approach on Sustainable EFL Learning in an Egyptian Context

The blended learning approach (BLA) is a popular trend in higher education because it combines the merits of traditional, face-to-face (FTF) learning, and online learning. This research aims to investigate the effect of implementing the BLA via eLearning on Egyptian undergraduates’ EFL reading and writing achievement compared to their peers’ achievement who only received FTF instruction. The study is qu-asi-experimental. A total of 55 freshmen at a private university in Egypt were divided into two experi-mental (study) groups and one control (FTF) group. Students had a reading and writing pre-test before the treatment, and after the treatment, they took a post-test and completed a survey about their satis-faction with the BLA. The results were analyzed using the T-test, post-hoc test, and one-way ANOVA. The study groups outperformed the control group in the post-tests, showing improvement in vocabulary acquisition and usage of language mechanics. Both groups perceived BLA as convenient; they were sati-sfied with options for eLearning and valued interaction with their peers and instructor. Results revealed that students’ attitudes toward technology, work load, and accessibility to stable connections could affect their satisfaction with BLA. Improving digital infrastructure and enhancing learners’ interaction in the BL environment are recommended to cater for students’ communicative needs that are required for sustainability educational goals.

Use of Translated Saudi Folk Narratives to Improve Reading and Speaking Skills of Saudi EFL Learners

The present study aims to explore how the use of translated Saudi folk narratives could help improve Saudi EFL learners' reading and speaking skills. (41) EFL elementary-level students from Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University were selected for this study to identify and assess the influences of the translated Saudi folk stories in enhancing the reading and speaking skills of Saudi EFL learners. An experiential teaching method using selected translated Saudi stories into English was adopted. The preliminary findings in the pre-intervention stage have shown that the students were neither motivated to read the content nor speak in English as the students encountered some kind of difficulties in comprehending the translated stories. The post-intervention results demonstrated that the students were motivated to read the Arabic stories in English. It also showed that the students were engaged to speak about Saudi / Arabic oral stories and culture. The effect of using Saudi-translated stories was observed in improving the reading and speaking skills of EFL Saudi learners. Thus, the study concludes that it is essential to use the translated Arabic folk stories as supplementary teaching material in the EFL reading and speaking classes. It also suggests that we need to translate Saudi folk stories into English for the benefit of Arabic and non-Arabic readers and speakers.

Dr. Heba Elsayed Abdelsalam Elghotmy :Using Some Neurolinguistics Programming Pillars-Based Activities to Develop Faculty of Education Students’ EFL Listening and Reading Skills

Dr. Heba Elsayed Abdelsalam Elghotmy :Using Some Neurolinguistics Programming Pillars-Based Activities to Develop Faculty of Education Students’ EFL Listening and Reading Skills

Rania Sanad Sobhi AbdelAziz: Using Project –based learning to Develop EFL Reading Comprehension Critical Skills for preparatory stage pupils

Rania Sanad Sobhi AbdelAziz: Using Project –based learning to Develop EFL Reading Comprehension Critical Skills for preparatory stage pupils

Hala Ezzat Gabr : Utilizing The THIEVES Strategy to Develop EFL Reading Comprehension Among Faculty of Education Students.

Hala Ezzat Gabr : Utilizing The THIEVES Strategy to Develop EFL Reading Comprehension Among Faculty of Education Students.

Using a DDL Based Program to Develop EFL Reading Comprehension Skills and Spatial Thinking among Geography College of Education Freshmen

Using a DDL Based Program to Develop EFL Reading Comprehension Skills and Spatial Thinking among Geography College of Education Freshmen

Importance of Metacognitive Strategies in Enhancing Reading Comprehension Skills

Although research on second language learning strategies has traditionally been focused on L2 learning strategies, recent studies have shifted their attention to language learners' metacognition. Despite improvements in L2 educational practices, more research needs to be conducted on learners' metacognition while reading in EFL contexts. This article examined effective teaching strategies for EFL reading comprehension. During reading comprehension teaching, metacognitive strategies are emphasized primarily to enable students to reflect on their mental processes occurring before, during, and after reading. Through the use of metacognitive strategies, reading comprehension, and performance are enhanced. This study examined metacognitive strategies as tools for successful reading and related tasks. It aimed at determining how different metacognitive reading strategies are used by non-native English speakers at Bluefield State University (BSU). This research was conducted using a survey design. A sample of 34 students was randomly selected for the study. For the purpose of determining the metacognitive reading strategies of students, a metacognitive reading questionnaire was administered to them. The survey data were transferred to a computer, and Microsoft Excel was used to calculate the percentage and frequency. According to the research results, students regularly use metacognitive strategies before, during, and after reading. While reading, students pay attention to important parts of the text and evaluate both the text and their understanding of it. The research indicates that metacognitive strategies are effective at improving the metacognitive comprehension skills of EFL learners. Furthermore, metacognitive awareness contributes to an increase in self-efficacy among learners. As a result, they become high achievers in EFL.

LISTENING TO STUDENTS’ VOICES ON TRANSLATION RELATED EXERCISES IN EFL CLASSES

The use of students’ L1 in the EFL class has always been a controversial decision to take. Opponents of the GTM method to foreign language teaching have strongly been against making use of students’ mother tongue in any form stressing that it shall be harmful to students and detrimental to learning. Based on different considerations, it is argued that it will be a total waste of students’ L2 learning time when using L1. However, the last two decades have witnessed a strong wave of research which highlighted the importance of investing L1 in foreign language classes, especially with beginners. This paper aimed at discovering students’ attitudes towards including translation-related exercises as a form of L1 in reading classes in Moroccan middle schools where L1 is officially banned. To accomplish this, 63 students had the chance to experience translation-based exercises then they were invited to complete a questionnaire. Results generally revealed that learners appreciated the exercises and are very positive about including them in EFL reading classes

The relationships between reading mindsets, reading engagement, and reading comprehension performance in the Saudi EFL context

This study determines the relationship between reading mindsets and reading comprehension performance with the use of reading engagement as a mediating variable. It drew on Dweck’s (1999) mindset theory and employed a correlational research design to collect data from 567 EFL undergraduate students majoring in English in three public universities in Saudi Arabia. The data collection was conducted by distributing two questionnaires and administering a reading comprehension test. The collected data were analyzed using a two-phase structural equation modeling approach (i.e., measurement and structural models). The results indicated that there was a significant correlation between a growth reading mindset and reading engagement. Nevertheless, a significant yet negative correlation was revealed between a fixed reading mindset and reading engagement. Moreover, there was a significant and positive correlation between reading engagement and reading comprehension performance. Lastly, the findings showed that reading engagement served as a mediating variable in determining the correlation between reading mindsets and reading comprehension performance. The relevance of the current study stems from the dearth of research on reading mindsets. Also, previous studies have not focused on exploring the correlation between mindsets and performance in the EFL context. Therefore, the current study is expected to benefit EFL readers, instructors, and policymakers.