English Reading Skills Research Articles

Teachers’ perspective on tackling the problem of poor reading skills in students of English at secondary schools of Kohat, Pakistan

Reading skill has been observed to be underdeveloped in secondary school students. To address this issue and locate the responsible factor, the stance of the teachers is of no less importance. Unfortunately, while framing educational policies, the policymakers depended less on the input of the teachers, who are well-versed in such problems. To address the under-developed English reading skill from the teachers’ perspective, a sample of twenty secondary-level teachers was chosen from the population of teachers of English in public and government schools of Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, which were affiliated with the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Islamabad. Forty-six items related to professional, environmental, instructional, and assessment categories were set in the questionnaire and answered on a Likert scale. The researchers concluded that the stunted growth of students’ reading skills in English could be attributed to the lack of emphasis on the reading skill in the teachers' training programs, teachers’ ignorance about the habit of regression, avoidance of teaching about techniques like previewing and reading in chunks, low participation in professional training, the emphasis over on-spot correction, and lack of knowledge and resources for arranging proper lighting for learners’ reading.

Didactic functionality of discourse markers in teaching reading in English

This article is aimed at considering the potential of such a mechanism of text coherence as discourse markers, which can be used in teaching reading in English. The authors raise the problem of the necessity in finding effective methods for teaching reading in a foreign language to improve students reading literacy. The article is aimed at identifying and describing the linguodidactic technique promoting the development of reading skills in English with the help of discourse units. By applying typologization method supported by the contextual analysis the authors consider discourse markers in English academic articles and make an attempt to develop the extended functional classification of these units. Academic articles written in English were chosen as the material for the first part of the study due to the high-level structure of this genre, in which the mechanisms of cohesion and coherence are widely applied. Then, the authors are trying to involve B. Grabes visual schemes to illustrate discourse markers functional potential. These schemes are supplemented by the a modelling method to create various types of exercises that contribute to the development of reading skills in English with the help of discourse units. The results are characterized by novelty, since up till now discourse markers in teaching a foreign language have been applied for learning activities while the in the present paper the authors offer to consider them as a learning tool, namely a tool for speech skills development. The results obtained can be applied in teaching reading in English in secondary and high school.

The Effects of Mobile Blended Active Language Learning on the English Critical Reading Skills of High School Students in Thailand

Due to the tumultuous COVID-19 pandemic, the use of advanced technology in language education is currently on the rise, with English education being no exception. Simultaneously, the advancement and expansion of technology provide English as a foreign language students with multiple channels and opportunities to reinforce the four skills of English (reading, writing, speaking, and listening) to varying degrees both inside and outside the classroom. While previous studies have highlighted the feasibility and sustainability of blended learning in facilitating English skills, few studies have investigated the impact of mobile blended active language learning (MBALL) on promoting the English critical reading skills of Thai high school students. In hopes of filling this gap, the present study used both quantitative and qualitative methodologies to investigate the effects of MBALL on improving Thai high school students' English critical reading skills and their opinions on the use of MBALL. Pre- and post-tests were used to compare the students' critical reading scores before and after the MBALL implementation. A questionnaire was used to determine the students’ opinions on the use of MBALL, and individual semi-structured interviews were employed to obtain more-detailed information. The results of the tests revealed that the Thai high school students' English critical reading skills had improved after implementation of the MBALL curriculum. Furthermore, the findings of the questionnaire and interviews suggested that the Thai high school students were enthusiastic about the use of MBALL.

THERA APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT TO IMPROVE READING SKILLS AND THE CHARACTER OF LOVE LOCAL CULTURE

The purpose of this research and development THERA application is to improve English reading skills and introducing local culture for character building THERA application is designed for smartphones with android specifications. Specifications THERA application requires 32.62 MB of storage space and 340 KB of data. THERA application can be used both online and offline. This research was conducted at SMA Negeri 1 Blora class X MIPA with 108 students. This study measures the validity, practicality, and effectiveness of THERA educational game learning media to improve reading skills and enhance the character of loving local culture. The Research and Development method used is the Sugiyono and Dick & Carey development model. The flow of the research development model is: potential and problems, collection, product development, validation, revision, product testing, product revision and usage testing. The application has been validated by material experts and media experts and shows excellent results. Likewise, the results of using applications for learning English through tests also increased significantly. Students' attitudes towards local culture are measured using indicators of interest, loyalty, concern and appreciation. The results have increased significantly. It can be concluded that the THERA application in learning English improves reading skills and character of love for local culture. This is in accordance with the characteristics of students who like games.

Improving English Reading Skills Comprehension Through SQ4R Methode for Class X Senior High School In MAN 1 Mandailing Natal

This study aims to obtain data on improving English reading comprehension skills through the SQ4R method for class X students. The research subjects were students in class X.in the second semester of the 2020/2021 academic year. This research was carried out using the Kemmis and Mc. Taggart carried out with the stages of planning, implementation, observation, and reflection. The results of the study using the SQ4R method showed that the data obtained from the evaluation test of reading comprehension of students who scored 75 in the first cycle was 55.55% and in the second cycle it was 83.33%. While the monitoring of teacher and student activities in the first cycle of the first meeting was 55% and the second meeting was 70%, while the second cycle of the first meeting was 85% and the second meeting was 90%. Thus, reading comprehension using the SQ4R method can improve students' reading comprehension skills in class X

The Impact of Using Creative Drama Techniques on the 8th Graders’ English Reading Skills Achievement

The Impact of Using Creative Drama Techniques on the 8th Graders’ English Reading Skills Achievement

The Role of Tablets in Improving Students' English Reading Skill

The aim of this study is to identify the role of tablets in improving students’ English reading skill within classrooms. To achieve that, I use a mixed method that includes qualitative and quantitative tools such as Interview, survey, observation, and reports. The sample consists of 17 students at grade 7 who read for 55 minutes per day, five times a week. The study argue that teachers should maximize their efforts to find support in order to help them show the required progress. Therefore, I suggest tablet integration into their learning as the idea to initiate as a tool for enhancing their reading skills. The study reaches several results, the most important of which are: first, all students with a learning difficulty or disability should have access to technological means to help them improve their skills. Second, school administrators should support teachers to conduct more studies on their students and encourage them to integrate technology.

Epeolatry: The Practice of Language Learning Strategies in Reading among Lower Secondary School Students

Learning approaches utilised by the learners of a second language to ease their learning process may vary in each individual. Reading skills are crucial in a language classroom which comprises five requisite components namely phonemic phonics, awareness, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension. Each component is crucial to muster effective reading instruction. Nonetheless, discrepancies in executing the language learning strategies may result in multiple issues in reading achievement. Limited studies were conducted in regards to language learning strategies in reading in the English classrooms previously. Henceforth, the researchers conducted a study to investigate the archetypal language learning methods used by Kuala Lumpur lower secondary school students when reading in English. To collect data, 40 lower secondary students were given an updated version of the Strategies Inventory for Language Learning questionnaire. The results yielded that the students use all of the categories of language learning strategies. The study also disclosed that metacognitive strategies is the prominent language learning strategy among lower secondary school students and these students engaged less in affective strategies. Thus, utilising relevant language learning strategies in reading in English may promote the successful reading skills in English. In this way, teachers are able to apply strategic-based instruction to enhance the reading skills in English among lower secondary school students.

Need Analysis for English Reading Teaching Materials in Vocational School Based on Digital Applications

This study aims to determine the need for English reading teaching materials for Vocational High School students majoring in Fashion Design, and to determine the need for English reading skills in the world of work. Data were obtained from questionnaires and interviews. The subjects studied were students of SMK Rahmatutoyibah Gunung Kaler, grade X majoring in Fashion Design, and grade X English teaching materials for SMK. This research was conducted with a mixed-method design. The data were collected through questionnaires and structured interviews. This questionnaire is based on the SMK English learning curriculum. The results of this study indicate that Vocational High School students majoring in fashion need teaching materials that are by their majors, namely reading materials related to the fashion department as well as material that introduces a lot of the industrial world and can support the field they are engaged in. Furthermore, Grade X Vocational School students majoring in Fashion Design need English reading learning media to encourage easy understanding of English reading material, namely media in the form of interesting and contemporary digital applications. Furthermore, the need for the world of work for their English reading skills requires skilled workers who have good English reading skills, which include the ability to read manual books, the ability to read company regulations, the ability to read travel documents, the ability to read English messages, the ability to reading notes, the ability to read e-mails, the ability to read employment contracts, and the ability to read cooperation agreements.

Empowering The Efl/EslClassThrough E-mail Activities

This paper analyses the effect of using e-mail-based activities on EFL learning processes for developing writing and reading skills and enhancing metacognitive strategies. Our goal is to determine whether there is improvement in these skills and whether there is a change in their attitudes, beliefs, and motivation towards learning. Nowadays, there is a growing interest and motivation in using these activities for complementing the content of regular courses but, the questions are" will students enhance their learning through them? Will they become more autonomous and responsible for their learning process? Little research has been conducted to verify whether the use of these computers – based resources affect English learning positively. Therefore, we are currently carrying out a research on the systematic use of E-mail services in the EFL c1assroom to determine whether there is a significant improvement in the development of the writing and reading skills in English and whether there is a change in their attitudes, beliefs, and motivation towards learning.

Effective Strategies for Improving Primary School Students’ English Reading Skills from the Perspective of Core Literacy

Primary education, guided by the cultivation of disciplinary core literacy, places a greater emphasis on students’ autonomy and is committed to promoting students’ all-round development. English reading is one of the main ways for students to acquire English knowledge. Although it is a fundamental learning point in English teaching, it poses challenges to English teaching in primary schools. This paper makes a detailed analysis of the current state of English reading education for primary school students from the perspective of core literacy, and then proposes effective strategies for improving students’ English reading skills.

Effect of Online Learning Using Quizizz Application to Improve English Reading Skills of Higher Education Students

In this current era of technology, the use of online-based learning media that suits the needs of students can improve their learning skills, so teachers need to know the media criteria that must be applied to attract students' learning interests and those materials can be well received by students. Quizizz is one of those quiz-shaped and 4.0-based apps which is already popular among higher education. Quizizz can be used to train reading skills, especially students in English because in the application many features allow students to enhance their reading interest. The purpose of this study is that researchers will identify the influence of the Quizizz application on students' reading ability. The method used in this study was experimental. The instrument used is a test sheet. For data collection techniques conducted is to conduct a pre-test at the beginning of learning and a post-test at the end of learning, so that it can be seen the influence of the application of Quizizz application, in this case, improve students' English reading skills.

A machine learning enabled affective E-learning system model

The purpose of this study is to propose an e-learning system model for learning content personalisation based on students’ emotions. The proposed system collects learners’ brainwaves using a portable Electroencephalogram and processes them via a supervised machine learning algorithm, named K-nearest neighbours (KNN), to recognise real-time emotional status. Besides, it uses a reinforcement learning approach to analyse the learners’ emotional states and automatically recommend the best-fitted content that keeps the students in a positive mood. The performance of the proposed system is evaluated in two forms: 1) the system performance and 2) student engagement, satisfaction, and learning. A convenience sampling method is used to select 30 students from the pollution of 281 PartII-undergraduate students who study computer science during the 2020-21 academic year at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China. The selected students are divided into homogenous control and experimental groups for learning English listening and reading skills. According to the machine learning results, the trained KNN recognises the emotional states with an accuracy of 74.3%, the precision of 70.8%, and recall of 69.3%. In addition, the results of the t-Test demonstrate that the proposed e-learning system model has no significant impact on learners’ learning and engagement but enhances the student’s satisfaction compared to traditional e-learning systems (p < 0.05).

THE NEED FOR TEACHING ENGLISH READING SKILLS TO FIRST YEAR STUDENTS OF HIGHER EDUCATIONS

Reading involves critical ability. While learning a foreign language one should know how to read and understand the texts and the discussions. The skill to read and interpret texts and discourses is important since learning English brings us into contact with written texts. Teaching reading skills is of utmost importance for students of higher education. Reading skill improves not only the knowledge of language but also it use for academic purposes. Reading comprehension is very necessary for training students of higher education for it enable the teacher to judge the competence of the students. In this paper I will focus only on using passages of reading comprehension to test the development of reading skills. Testing students for reading skills is largely diachronic activity, i.e., that is, testing their reading abilities across time. I conducted my research work with first year students in Samarkand and I used the manual which is designed for teaching reading skills alongside with other skills such as listening, speaking and writing.

MODERN ENGLISH BLOGS AS A HELPFUL TOOL TO ENHANCE STUDENTS’ READING SKILLS

The article is devoted to the problem of using modern English text blogs for educational purposes to improve language skills of high school students. Being a special communicative genre within the framework of Internet discourse, a blog attracts modern high school students who spend much time communicating online, so it seems relevant to refer to the use of text blogs in English language teaching to enhance students’ foreign language skills. The classroom research, aimed to be described in the article, has been conducted in order to identify how the use of the Internet blogs influences the development of students’ reading skills in English. The methods used include context analysis of modern authentic Internet text blogs, observation, tests, experimental studying, etc. The results prove different educational possibilities of modern English text blogs. Various blog types, their educational functions and typical linguistic features of a blog, grammatical and lexical ones, are demonstrated in detail as well. It is stated that text blogs not only develop different reading skills and strategies, but also help students to extend their vocabulary and to prepare for exams in English. Students become participants of a real foreign language communication in a virtual communicative environment created with the help of blogs.

Left and Right Arcuate Fasciculi Are Uniquely Related to Word Reading Skills in Chinese-English Bilingual Children.

Whether reading in different writing systems recruits language-unique or language-universal neural processes is a long-standing debate. Many studies have shown the left arcuate fasciculus (AF) to be involved in phonological and reading processes. In contrast, little is known about the role of the right AF in reading, but some have suggested that it may play a role in visual spatial aspects of reading or the prosodic components of language. The right AF may be more important for reading in Chinese due to its logographic and tonal properties, but this hypothesis has yet to be tested. We recruited a group of Chinese-English bilingual children (8.2 to 12.0 years old) to explore the common and unique relation of reading skill in English and Chinese to fractional anisotropy (FA) in the bilateral AF. We found that both English and Chinese reading skills were positively correlated with FA in the rostral part of the left AF-direct segment. Additionally, English reading skill was positively correlated with FA in the caudal part of the left AF-direct segment, which was also positively correlated with phonological awareness. In contrast, Chinese reading skill was positively correlated with FA in certain segments of the right AF, which was positively correlated with visual spatial ability, but not tone discrimination ability. Our results suggest that there are language universal substrates of reading across languages, but that certain left AF nodes support phonological mechanisms important for reading in English, whereas certain right AF nodes support visual spatial mechanisms important for reading in Chinese.

CLIL implemented and scaffolded in an EFL higher education context: Engineering research methodology course

The increasing global and local demands to improve English proficiency have been a burgeoning challenge across the entire paradigm and domains. Specifically, in academia, the ability to read English research articles is of paramount importance. Meanwhile, Content Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) implementation has been recognized to be a successful teaching approach. This study aims to estimate the CLIL impact on enhancing the students’ English research article reading skills, enlarging their vocabulary repertoire, and boosting the students’ and instructors’ satisfaction. The focus of the study is on a “research methodology” course for engineering students in Thailand. Throughout CLIL, the language teachers and engineering teachers closely collaborated, designing course materials and developing language activities. To assess research article reading skills and vocabulary knowledge, two sets of similar pretests/posttests were administered. Then, to assess the students’ level of CLIL satisfaction, questionnaires were completed, and two separate focus group discussion sessions were conducted with the students and teachers. Test score analysis yielded a significantly enhanced output in both the content subject and English vocabulary knowledge. Additionally, questionnaire and focus group discussion data analysis indicated that both the students and teachers had positive attitudes toward CLIL instruction. Taken together, this study demonstrates that to achieve full optimization of CLIL benefits, scaffolding needs to be supplemented to accommodate individual learning contexts.

The Use of Blended Learning in Teaching Reading

The advancement of technology, communication, and data, particularly the internet, has attracted the attention of Indonesian educators who want to use it as a source of positive learning media to support the teaching and learning process. This study aims to know the advantages of the use of Blended learning in English teaching reading skills. This literature study reviews some papers in studying the use of Blended learning and its advantages. The findings of this study showed blended learning provides many sources for the teacher and students to get the reading materials. Due to the multi-sources in blended learning, it helps the students to develop their daily reading activity. Blended Learning can make students become active learners because the students can get other additional information from the internet during online learning it is effective to make the students enjoy the learning process and do not feel bored with the monotonous learning situation. And also, the virtual class has easy access anywhere and anytime in different places at the same time and also makes it easier for teachers to create archives in digital form. The findings of this study are expected to provide teachers with information about using Blended Learning as an approach in teaching-learning activities that will benefit both students and teachers in facilitating the teaching-learning process of reading.

Developing Reading Skills Through Green Curriculum Implementation as an Instructional Model

This paper aims to investigate the implication of implementing green curriculum as an instructional model to increase English reading skills of the third semester students of Animal Feed Technology study program of Livestock department in the State Polytechnic of Agriculture Kupang (Politani) – NTT province. Additionally, students’ perception on the application of green curriculum in increasing their reading skills also measured. For this purpose, the mixed method research design was applied as a mean to explore the information about students’ knowledge and skills on English reading text before and after the application of green curriculum learning innovation. There were two groups of students: the experimental group (was facilitated using green curriculum teaching approach) and the control group (received conventional teaching strategy). The study reveals that, the students who received the application of green curriculum as learning innovation achieved better reading skills than those who did not receive any application of such teaching innovation. They also agreed that green curriculum application increased, supported and encouraged their competence in reading English text.

ENHANCING READING COMPETENCE THROUGH THE BRAILLE SYSTEM FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE: A PRELIMINARY STUDY

This paper addresses the issue of the development of the English language reading skills and subskills using the Braille System as the fundamental tool for visually impaired people. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the use of the Braille System and the reading skill competence. This research was applied to 21 pupils with different blindness conditions and from 10 to 32 years old who belong to the Special Education School “Julius Dophner” in the city of Ambato, Ecuador. This preliminary study was carried out using a quasi-experimental design, where pre-tests and post-tests were applied during a three-week period. Pupils took active part in the reading of the different primers at the beginning and after the treatment process. A t-test was used to examine the hypothesis. The results revealed that the improvement in the English language reading for specific information subskill through the Braille system was meaningful. Additional testing should be done to validate the scores obtained by visually impaired students with the use of this tool. Pupils showed a positive and very enthusiastic attitude about the learning process of the English language through this tool with which they are familiar.