English Reading Program Research Articles

국내 지방 대학의 영어 읽기 프로그램 평가 및 개선 연구

The current study aims to evaluate and improve a university English reading program in order to enhance students’ English reading skills. A total of 312 students and 16 professors in the program participated in the survey covering seven areas: students’ goals, the program’s strengths, student weaknesses, teaching, materials, assessment, and suggestions for improvement. Findings showed that students expressed various goals for taking reading courses. However, both students and professors agreed that the only notable strength of the program was ‘giving an opportunity to read in English.’ Students perceived that their great weaknesses in reading were lack of vocabulary and grammar, whereas professors thought their motivation to read was quite low. The two most common activities were text translation and grammar explanation. However, students preferred to learn practical expressions and English culture through reading contents. Both students and professors pointed out that current textbooks were boring and difficult. Regarding assessment, students preferred to include attendance, participation, attitude, and assignments, in addition to midterm and finals. Regarding suggestions for improvement, professors suggested teaching based on students’ proficiency levels and regular checking of instructional equipment. Based on these findings, a curriculum was created for the English reading program.

The Effects of Twin Text Instruction with Different Readability Levels on EFL Children’s Reading Comprehension

In the present study, the i-1 method is applied to young EFL learners who have a low level of English proficiency as well as reading motivation. The experiment of twin-text instruction was conducted in a community English library center, AJU Good Dream Center, in Seoul, Korea. The participants of the experiment were 13 elementary school students who enrolled in an English reading program during the winter vacation. There were 9 female students and 4 male students, and their grades ranged from 1st to 6th. The whole experiment was conducted for fourteen sessions, where each session consisted of one pretest, twelve teaching sessions with 12 pairs of text sets about the same topic in the order of ‘i-1’ level non-fiction texts to ‘i+1’ level of fiction texts, and one posttest. The findings are as follows. First, the twin-text reading instruction had positive effects on young Korean EFL learners, especially when the i-1 method was applied to expository text to pair with narrative text. Statistical analyses demonstrated that the posttest scores are higher than the pretest scores after the twin-text instruction, and the positive effects were greater for those with a lower level reading comprehension ability. Also, the students agreed that the twin-text instruction is helpful for improving their reading comprehension ability, and those with a lower level of reading comprehension ability had a more positive evaluation of the twin-text instruction. These results suggest that the i-1 method in twin-text instruction can be a good solution to reduce inequality in English education.

Extensive reading practices in the Arabian Gulf region

This study examined the English extensive reading (ER) programs across the Arabian Gulf region. It investigated the ER models and approaches adopted by different higher education institutions (HEIs) in the region, their ER practices and activities, and the challenges they encountered in implementing their ER programs. Utilizing qualitative research design with seventeen (17) cases from prominent colleges and universities in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, and Kuwait, the study found that most English ER programs in the region adopted the Graded Readers approach with the Supervised-Modified ER model and course-component integration scheme. The study further discovered that the ER programs varied in terms of duration, number of hours and sessions, target number of words, required number of books read, engagement and enrichment activities, and assessment system. Lastly, the study also found that HEIs in the region experienced challenges in sustaining meaningful, varied, and sufficient resources, changing the negative attitudes of the stakeholders toward extensive reading, providing more sufficient space for ER in English language curriculum, and building a strong culture of reading in the community as a whole. The study concludes with recommendations on how to improve English ER implementation in the Arabian Gulf region.

Developing a smarlogue type primary English reading program to prepare for the post-corona era

Developing a smarlogue type primary English reading program to prepare for the post-corona era

Theories and Research on Oral Reading Fluency: What Is Needed?

Oral reading fluency skill is considered to be the bridge to reading comprehension. However, it has been neglected in many English reading programs despite the fact that different theories (including behaviorism, information processing model theory, automaticity theory, and Ehri and McCormick’s word learning theory) have shed light on this skill. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to review theories, studies and practices relevant to this skill. This study has two aims: (1) to identify the theories underpinning oral reading strategies and (2) to identify the gap in research so far conducted on oral reading fluency. Various reading-aloud techniques and assessment methods are presented in this study. Moreover, some factors that affect students’ oral reading fluency are illustrated. Significantly, the practices that this study investigates and presents concerning teaching and assessing oral reading fluency might give an inspiration for the policymakers and curriculum designers to integrate oral reading fluency in their reading programs.

Impact of Local Culture-Based Reading Materials on Students' Skill Development and Confidence in English

This paper discusses the impact of a local culture-based longitudinal English language reading program on secondary school students’ skill development and confidence. This program named as Your Language My Culture (YLMC) was the brainchild of a team of local university researchers from secondary schools in the state of Terengganu in Malaysia. Its main objective was to help in improving English competency while instilling local culture awareness among Malaysian youth. The underlying premise was that familiarity with cultural elements (in this case local culture) would provide the schema to facilitate learning and communicating in English. Three supplementary reading modules focusing on local culture and content were developed for use among students from Forms One to Three. After three years of exposure to the local content, a survey was carried out among teachers and students to examine the impact on students’ skill development and confidence in using English language. Furthermore, focus group interviews with teachers and students were carried out concomitantly throughout the three-year period. The findings revealed an enhanced understanding regarding the manner in which the module utilization impacted the development of reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills in English amongst these students. The responses obtained from the teachers and students alike depicted the students’ skills that were sharpened, attributable mainly to their increased level of confidence.

A Study of Graded Learners’ Perception before and after Extra-Curricular English Extensive Reading Program

A Study of Graded Learners’ Perception before and after Extra-Curricular English Extensive Reading Program

Revisiting an English extensive reading program in a low “commercial” resources setting

This paper is a teacher’s critical reflection on the implementation of an Extensive Reading (ER) Program in a teaching context with low resources of commercial graded readers. The paper presents the teacher's dialogue with the ten principles for ER in designing and implementing an ER program. During this process, there are several issues related to the education system and culture as well as the availability of L2 resources. The paper firstly starts with the initial reflection on the previous practices on teaching English reading at a tertiary level to identify the problems. Next, the rationale for initiating an Extensive Reading Course is laid out. Then, samples of teaching activities implemented during the program are presented. Lastly, reflective evaluation of the program is presented with several contextual and pedagogical considerations in working at a low English “commercial” resources context.

The effects of early English reading programs utilizing multiple intelligence theory on underachieving elementary school students’ English reading proficiency

The present study aims to examine the effects of early English reading programs utilizing multiple intelligence (MI) theory on underachieving elementary school students’ English reading proficiency. For this purpose, twelve 5th grade English underachievers were selected and taught basic phonics, sight words, major words and sentences for 13 weeks. An experimental group and a control group were composed based on similar strong multiple intelligence tendency and reading abilities, but MI-based activities were given only to the experimental group. The results of the study were as follows. First, multiple intelligence tendency of elementary school students with underachievement in English was found to be biased to bodily/kinesthetic intelligence, interpersonal intelligence, visual/spatial intelligence and musical/ rhythmic intelligence. Second, the experimental group outperformed the control group regarding reading abilities. Third, in the affective domains, the students in the experimental groups showed increased interest and decreased anxiety in learning English. Based on these results, suggestions for further studies are provided.

Student enjoy to learning and broaden their horizons with language at the library in the centre of the school

The school library is one of the best environments for learning. Student loves school library and can feel inspired to learning. I designed the school library at Mesei Junior and Senior High School. It is not an ordinary one. The high ceiling, wide tables, wooden structures, earth-tone colors, and bookshelves that reach the top of the ceiling, truly gives the library a special atmosphere. There are a total of 12 million books available to the students. In addition, there are 65 different magazine titles and 3 million English books. This library also has e-books, Scholastic Bookflix and Trueflix, as the elementary schools in the United States. The school library produced all of English extensive reading program. Then the library produced a DVD that features English extensive reading. It was featured on NHK, a cable television program, and in some books. Students also borrow over 20milion title books in a year.

Engaging Students in Literature Circles: Vocational English Reading Programs

This article reports the findings of ethnographic classroom research on the deployment of literature circles in English reading classes in the vocational secondary education sector in Indonesia. Grounded in micro-interactional, thematic, and discourse analyses, empirical findings showed that the students engaged actively in text selection, role assignment, and text meaning making through sharing-and-discussion sessions. Empirical data also revealed that they could learn a wide array of lexico-grammar through discussing chosen texts with others. This group discussion activity also paves the way for sharing and discussing both content knowledge (vocational subjects) and genre and lexico-grammatical features. This suggests that literature circles could promote students’ content knowledge and language learning enrichment. Through role scaffolding by teachers and peer support, students could not only explore varied features of the language—e.g., how lexico-grammar was used in context through texts but also enrich their content knowledge. This empirical evidence supports the use of the literature circles in intensive reading programs in order to engage students in collaborative learning and to build a learning community in which teachers play a pivotal role as a guide throughout the literature circle process.

Effects of Online Reciprocal Teaching on Reading Strategies, Comprehension, Self-Efficacy, and Motivation

This study examines the effects of two types of online remedial reading interventions on the reading strategy and comprehension, motivational beliefs, and self-efficacy of 36 low-achieving students (explicit teaching before reciprocal teaching [ET-RT] vs. direct instruction [DI]). We designed a 10-unit online remedial English reading program based on the theoretical framework of the ET-RT model developed by Palincsar and associates. The study investigates the patterns of teacher modeling in both groups and interactive dialogue in the ET-RT group. Students' experiences and perceptions of reading interventions are also explored. The study reveals that implementing ET-RT significantly improved student reading comprehension and strategies and self-efficacy compared with DI. Triangulation with a survey indicated that ET-RT instruction reduced learners' anxiety about learning English and increased interest in reading. Moreover, the ET-RT learners had a better command of reading strategies than the DI learners. However, the qualitative evaluation of learner performance revealed that both groups showed moderate satisfaction and that most students accepted the interventions. ET-RT learner excerpts highlight the importance and usefulness of explicit reading strategy instruction. These findings indicate that both ET-RT and DI instruction have value. However, the finding that ET-RT outperformed DI suggests the need to reconsider the design and implementation of remedial English reading instruction.

학습전략을 활용한 초등영어 학습 부진아의 수준별 읽기 지도 효과*

This study investigates the effect of strategies-based English reading programs on reading proficiency and affective domains of underachieving elementary school students. Eight fifth-grade students were selected and assigned to either the phonics/vocabulary learning group or the vocabulary/sentence learning group for two hours a week for 16 weeks. To address the research questions, data were collected from four main sources: English reading tests, questionnaire surveys, students’ learning logs and in-depth interviews with the students. The results of the study revealed that the English reading programs had positive impact on the students’ understanding of the relationship between letters and sounds, word recognition ability, and sentence reading. As students accumulated successful reading experiences, their self-confidence, interest in reading, and class participation increased while anxiety decreased. The study also revealed that there were differences in using strategies among students in each group, with higher level students tending to use higher-dimensional strategies with more variety than less able students. In conclusion, the leveled English reading programs customized for underachievers appear to be effective in assisting underachievers in their English reading skills.

A case study of implementing extensive English reading program as a performance evaluation in high school

A case study of implementing extensive English reading program as a performance evaluation in high school

Reading Aloud as a Technique for Developing Teachers’ Awareness of English Phonology

Reading Aloud as a Technique for Developing Teachers’ Awareness of English Phonology

A Literacy Exercise: An Extracurricular Reading Program as an Intervention to Enrich Student Reading Habits in Qatar

This paper evaluates an extracurricular reading activity in Qatari schools. The paper presents a two-month extracurricular reading program designed for fourth grade students. The methodology used triangulation of the data to analyze, in detail, the students’ primary perceptions towards reading, teacher self-efficacy, teacher instructional behavior and home literacy measures. The program was implemented in four randomly selected schools. The reading program was announced to each school, and students in the four schools were asked whether they wished to enroll contingent upon receiving parental consent. There were 248 students in the treatment group (students enrolled in the English and Arabic reading program), and 176 students were recruited for the control group (not enrolled in the reading program). The main design was a randomized subjects pretest-posttest control group design and analytical split-plot analysis of variance (ANOVA) design. The findings of this study suggested that students in the reading program demonstrated greater interest in reading than those who did not enroll in the reading program, even when factoring out the effects of parents and home environments. The extracurricular program was significant to the extent that it has improved students’ reading habits. An increase in breadth and depth of such programs shall increase language literacy and numeracy in schools and can improve the school culture towards a more student-teacher interactions and engaging activities.

비영어권 이용자를 위한 공공도서관 영어독서 프로그램 사례 연구

영어는 국제적 환경에서 중요한 정보 활용의 도구로 인식되고 있어 영어독서능력도 점차 중요한 정보 활용능력으로 주목받고 있다. 이 같은 변화는 공공도서관 독서 프로그램에도 영향을 미치는 요인이 되고 있어 이 연구에서는 비영어권 이용자를 대상으로 하는 영어독서지도 프로그램의 운영 역사가 긴 미국 캘리포니아 지역의 50개 공공도서관에서 운영하는 영어독서지도 프로그램의 현황과 성공사례를 분석하여 국내 도서관이 수용할 수 있는 주요 요소와 시사점을 제시하고자 하였다. 분석결과 중 주목할 만한 사항은 공공도서관이 평생교육측면에서 성인들의 영어독서활동을 지원하여야 하는 역할을 해야 한다는 점과 가정 내에 영어독서환경을 조성할 수 있도록 지원하여 도서관 중심의 독서활동을 가정으로 확장하여 영어독서습관을 형성할 수 있도록 지원해야 한다는 것이다. 또한 모국어 독서습관이 외국어 독서활동에도 중요한 영향을 미치고 있으므로 영어독서 프로그램의 선행과정으로 모국어 독서역량을 강화해야 하는 것도 중요한 시사점이다. English is an important tool of information literacy in terms of global information sharing environment. This impacts readers advisory services of public libraries in many ways. In order to identify status of English reading programs in public libraries, this paper investigated 50 public librarries' services for non-English speakers in California, which has long history serving readers advisory services to them. As a result, it is suggested that public libraries have to play a key role to help adult users to be competent in English with English reading programs. Public libraries also need to support families to build English reading environment at home to expand reading activities in libraries. In addition, reading habit in mother tongue is also important for English reading ability, so public libraries consider to build a bridge between them to provide effective English reading programs.

The effectiveness of computer-based EFL instruction among primary school students in Israel

This paper presents an effectiveness study of a computer-based English reading program, the Waterford Early Reading Program (WERP), among first and second grade students in Israel. Students who used the program were compared to a control group only receiving English as a foreign language (EFL) instruction as part of the school curriculum. First grade students who used the software during the study period experienced significantly greater gains than control group students on all four measures of reading ability. Second grade students in the treatment group experienced greater gains than control group students on the nonsense word and phoneme segmentation measures. These results indicate that adaptive English reading software has a place in an EFL education system, especially among young students with complex linguistic backgrounds. Adaptive programs like WERP may produce better EFL results than non-adaptive programs because they are able to adjust based in part on a student’s linguistic proficiency.

Teacher beliefs regarding bilingualism in an English medium reading program

Reading classes in schools where English is the medium of instruction are increasingly servicing a linguistically diverse population; however, teacher-training for English teachers lacks a focus on bilingualism. Using the context of Singapore, this paper analyses beliefs on bilingualism of English teachers in an early intervention reading program. It is based on the results of a survey sent to 270 teachers, in-depth interviews with 5 of the surveyed teachers, and observations of their classes. In keeping with the focus of their training program most teachers believe in an immersion approach though, ironically, they also believe that L1 can aid in learning English. The more experience the teacher has the more likely she is to believe that the L1 can aid in the teaching of English. There is an overlap of beliefs regarding immersion and bilingualism. On the basis of these findings I suggest implications for teacher education programs.

공공도서관 브랜드 강화를 위한 영어장서 독서프로그램 모형 개발 연구

The changes of university entrance system which is affecting public library management and services, and current situation of private education market were analyzed for this study. It was revealed that we have several competitive forces that determine library service justification in Korean service environment(market) which has not experienced in the developed countries. The elements of private education may drive competition in the book reading service industry. Such elements effectuate serious problems and discourage library service marketing to the user. For a sustainable competitive advantage, English language collection and reading program model was developed for library marketing strategies(as applying leverage).