English Reading Research Articles

Exploring the interplay of English academic reading and writing proficiency among international doctoral students

Academic English is discipline-specific and requires a high level of linguistic knowledge as well as expertise in respective fields. Therefore, doctoral students with limited exposure to academic English tend to face challenges in dealing with its demands, especially when they come from non-native English-speaking (NNES) backgrounds. At the doctoral level, research students are expected to work independently. Therefore, the ability to critically engage with academic materials written in English and the ability to write a dissertation in English at an expected standard play essential roles in successful PhD completion for students studying in international PhD programs where everything is conducted in English. This study investigates the relationship between English academic reading (EAR) and English academic writing (EAW) abilities among NNES doctoral students. We conducted a survey by employing a 1–6 Likert scale, following Dörnyei and Dewaele (2022), in the 2021–2022 academic year. A total of 255 international doctoral students studying in 65 PhD programs across Hungary voluntarily participated in the study. The students came from 49 countries and represented 48 mother tongues. The analysis revealed that students were positive about their abilities in both EAR and EAW, even though there was a significant gender difference at the p < 0.01 level. Additionally, students with the highest English proficiency level (C2) were found to be the most confident about their EAR and EAW abilities. The most junior students from 1st-year PhD programs were less confident about their abilities compared to their peers from 2nd, 3rd, 4th-year PhD programs. The analysis showed a significantly positive correlation between EAR and EAW (r = 0.792, p < 0.001). This study highlighted the inseparable role of EAR in fulfilling doctoral requirements and submitting a dissertation within a contracted PhD time framework, indicating the importance of targeted language support in facilitating academic progression within PhD programs.

ENGLISH READING MATERIALS WITH ISLAMIC MATERIALS AND VALUES AT ISLAMIC BOARDING SCHOOLS-BASED COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING

Mastery of English in the era of digital-based communication and technological advances is very important for students at Madrasah Aliyah of Darussalam Islamic Boarding School, Kepahiang, Bengkulu. Unfortunately, the students are used to memorizing grammar structures (Nahwu and Shorof) when learning Arabic, and when learning English, especially in reading skills, they are more likely to memorize and prioritize grammar than the flexibility to explore language and convey it into spoken and written language. Then, the teaching materials used by the English teacher as learning media in English subjects, especially in reading competence, tend to focus more on and burden students with grammatical patterns and do not develop students' skills in reading based on experience, the context of life, or their needs in communicating. This study aimed to assist in the implementation of the results of the development of English reading materials with Islamic materials and values for students at Islamic boarding schools based on Communicative Language Teaching to reduce the problems faced by students in learning English reading. This research used the Participatory Action Research method, which looks for something to link the research process to the process of social change. Through several stages of the activity cycle, starting with planning, implementing, observing, and reflecting, which are implemented on the subjects assisted by the students through activities planned in a participatory manner by stakeholders, teachers, and students, The results of the implementation of English teaching materials that occur can be concluded to be that students are able to identify problems in terms of the learning process, share experiences they have gained from previous learning activities, solve problems with solutions they consider strategic, slightly recognize that they need empowerment, and understand that every human being has the potential to be able to communicate in English, depending on their willingness to hone skills and improve abilities.

L2 Learners’ Perceptions of the Benefits of Authentic Material Use in Preparation for Academic IELTS Reading Comprehension Tests

Teaching materials hold a vital position in English language learning and teaching, and have gained a great deal of attention from many EFL teachers and material designers. It has been recognised that authentic materials (AMs) can be used as a potential source of material for language learning and teaching. However, there has been ongoing controversy when it comes to choosing them for reading comprehension. This study aims at investigating L2 learners’ perceptions of the benefits of AM use for reading comprehension in IELTS preparation courses at a Ho Chi Minh City-based language centre in Vietnam. Data were collected from 150 learners who completed a questionnaire. Ten of them participated in semi-structured interviews. The results indicated that L2 learners believed that the use of AMs was beneficial as it could enhance their English language, cultural awareness, learning motivation, and reading strategies. The finding-based implications are presented to teachers, learners, and material designers in an attempt to enhance the quality of English language teaching in general and the use of AMs specifically.

Digital Comics: Integrating CALL in Enhancing Students' Reading Skill at the High School Level

Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) is a learning method that uses computer technology in the language learning process. This includes the use of software, applications, and other digital resources to assist students in learning English. Digital comics are a form of comic presented in digital format, which can be accessed and read via electronic devices such as computers, tablets or smartphones. This research aims to assess the effectiveness of learning CALL with digital comics in improving English reading skills. This research involves a pre-test and post-test comparison between experimental and control groups using narrative text material. There were 60 students from class XI. A and XI. C SMA 2 Muhammadiyah Bandar Lampung in the academic year 2023/2024. The results showed a significant increase in the scores of the experimental group post-intervention, especially in the higher score range (84-100). The findings show that the CALL method with digital comics is an effective tool to improve English reading skill among high school students.

Unveiling English Reading Literacy: Insights from Senior High School Students in Chongqing, China

Unveiling English Reading Literacy: Insights from Senior High School Students in Chongqing, China

The Impact of Lexical Attrition on the English Reading Ability of Junior High School Students

This paper explores the impact of lexical attrition on the English reading ability of junior high school students. It analyzes the cognitive development characteristics of junior high school students and the factors affecting lexical attrition. The study finds that lexical attrition has a significant impact on junior high school students' English reading ability, including reduced vocabulary size, lexical semantic vagueness, and memory decline. To address these issues, the paper proposes several strategies, such as optimizing vocabulary teaching methods, strengthening the combination of reading training and vocabulary consolidation, creating a favorable English learning environment, and developing students' self-directed learning abilities. The paper concludes that effective vocabulary instruction and strategies are essential to prevent or minimize lexical attrition and improve students' English reading skills.

Teaching IELTS Reading Skills

This research describes the teaching of IELTS Reading for students. This research is library research. The analysis shows that the IELTS reading test evaluates participants' understanding of information and language, requiring them to synthesize, interpret, and respond to information. The test consists of 14 types of questions, including Choosing a Title, True False Not Given / Yes No Not Given, Matching Features, Matching Headings, Matching Paragraph Information, Matching Sentence Endings, Sentence Completion, List Selection, Multiple Choice, Short Answer, Summary Completion, Flow Chart Completion, Diagram Completion, and Table Completion. The resulting test is graded on a band scale from range from 0 (did not take the test) to 9 (proficient in English) which indicates students' understanding and ability to read in English. Understanding the types of questions on the IELTS is crucial for students to prepare for the test. However, the test requires precise abilities for success. Teachers can create lesson plans for teaching Reading IELTS to help students prepare for the test and prepare them for the test. To answer IELTS Reading questions, students need fast and accurate reading skills and the right strategy. Teaching reading skills for the IELTS test can be challenging, but several strategies can help teachers structure effective teaching. These include understanding the test format, analyzing previous questions, building academic vocabulary, teaching active reading, practicing explaining the main idea, teaching skimming and scanning techniques, managing class discussion and analysis, practicing with varied reading material, using an integrated approach, giving constructive feedback, simulating reading tests, giving homework, training students to compose an outline, and promoting flexibility in learning.

Re-Fashioning Femininity and Motherhood in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s “Zikora: A Short Story”

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is one of the postcolonial writers who has made her literary contribution by introducing Nigerian culture to her readers in English. This paper aims to present a re-fashioned postcolonial perspective on the understanding of femininity and motherhood in Nigerian culture and to demonstrate how the perception of these concepts has evolved over generations as illustrated by the mother-daughter relationship in Adichie’s “Zikora: A Short Story” (2020). “Zikora” deals with various issues directly related to the situation of Nigerian women, such as single motherhood, polygamy, sexism and the preference for male children. The article draws on African feminism to explore womanhood as an identity and to emphasise the role that contact with a foreign culture plays in women's self-determination and development as individuals. In the story, the eponymous character is a single woman whose expected child is not wanted by her father. In the final stages of labour, Zikora reflects on her mother's relationship with her father and how she had to stay in the polygamous marriage just because she did not bear her husband a son. This study also shows that “Zikora: A Short Story” is a boldly written story that draws attention to the many injustices faced by Nigerian women in a patriarchal society.

Oral Assessment Model: Assessing the Quality of Pronunciation in English Reading

When learning English, it is very important to correct the wrong pronunciation. This paper briefly introduces the speech recognition-based mispronunciation recognition algorithm and the mispronunciation recognition algorithm based on prior text. An accent recognition loss function is added to the algorithm based on prior text to improve its performance. After that, the performance of the algorithm is tested by using LibriSpeech and L2-Arctic datasets in the simulation experiment. When the number of hidden layers was 5 and the number of neurons in each hidden layer is 256, the proposed recognition algorithm performs the best. The algorithm converged faster during training, and the loss function is the smallest when it is stable. The proposed algorithm had the best recognition performance on both datasets, and the accent in L2-Arctic has little influence. The average recognition time of the proposed algorithm for the datasets is the least.

The Analysis of the Influence of Ambiguity Tolerance on the Understanding and Inspiration of English Reading

Ambiguity tolerance has a significant impact on English reading, specifically affecting students' reading styles, speed, and accuracy. Students with high ambiguity tolerance tend to adopt holistic reading strategies, achieving faster reading speeds but potentially overlooking crucial details. Conversely, those with low ambiguity tolerance prefer detailed, analytical reading methods, focusing excessively on specifics, which may lead to inefficient reading and potential deviations from the original meaning. Therefore, understanding students' actual ambiguity tolerance and taking measures to cultivate it, while guiding them towards more flexible and efficient reading styles, is crucial for enhancing their reading abilities and comprehensive literacy.

Physician Attire - Does it Matter? A Study Evaluating Patient Preferences for Attire for Family Medicine

Introduction: Historically, white coats have been the distinctive and respected dress code worn by physicians. With the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, many physicians exchanged white coats and professional attire for scrubs and personal protective equipment to feel safer and reduce the spread of infectious pathogens in clinical settings. Our aim was to investigate patient preferences in attire for family physicians in an outpatient setting following the Covid-19 pandemic. Methods: Patients from two family medicine clinics were recruited to participate in the study from June 2023 to December 2023. Surveys were distributed to volunteers who met demographic criteria: age ≥ 18 years, ability to read and speak English and not legally blind. Patients completed an anonymous survey consisting of six questions that would assess physician attire based on level of knowledge, trustworthiness, caring, approachability, comfortability, and professionalism on a 10-point scale (1=somewhat to 10=extremely). Each photo set included a male and female in one of the following attire: white coat with either business casual attire (#1) or scrubs (#2), or fleece with either business casual attire (#3) or scrubs (#4). A one-way analysis of variance was performed to compare photos sets on variable scores; means ± standard deviations were calculated. P&lt;.05 was considered significant. Results: A total of 288 patients participated in the study. Photo sets #1 (8.2±2.1) and #3 (7.7±2.4) were significantly different for approachability compared to #2 (7.6±2.5) and #4 (7.6±2.5) (p=.007). Otherwise, photo set #1 was significantly different from all other photo sets in regards to knowledge (p=.0001), trustworthiness (p=.0005), caringness (p=.0003), comfortableness (p=.002), and professionalism (p=&lt;.0001). Conclusions: Patients prefer physicians to wear a white coat with business casual attire, based on all six of our study’s domains. Continuation of this study could look at variables of gender and race and the roles they play in patient preference for physician attire.

An investigation into factors affecting students’ English reading motivation

An investigation into factors affecting students’ English reading motivation

A psychometric evaluation of an item bank for an English reading comprehension tool using Rasch analysis

This study reports the psychometric evaluation of an item bank for an Assessment for Learning (AfL) tool to assess primary school students’ reading comprehension skills. A pool of 46 primary 1 to 6 reading passages and their accompanying 522 multiple choice and short answer items were developed based on the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) assessment framework. They were field-tested at 27 schools in Singapore involving 9834 students aged between 7 and 13. Four main comprehension processes outlined in PIRLS were assessed: focusing on and retrieving explicitly stated information, making straightforward inferences, interpreting and integrating ideas and information, and evaluating and critiquing content and textual elements. Rasch analysis was employed to examine students’ item response patterns for (1) model and item fit; (2) differential item functioning (DIF) about gender and test platform used; (3) local item dependence (LID) within and amongst reading passages; and (4) distractor issues about options within the multiple-choice-type items. Results showed that the data adequately fit the unidimensional Rasch model across all test levels with good internal consistency. Psychometric issues found amongst items were primarily related to ill-functioning distractors and local dependence on items. Problematic items identified were reviewed and subsequently amended by a panel of assessment professionals for future recalibration. This psychometrically and theoretically sound item bank is envisaged to be valuable to developing comprehensive classroom AfL tools that provide information for the English reading comprehension instructional design in the Singaporean context.

The Correlation of Field Cognitive Style and Working Memory Capacity with English Reading Strategy of Second Language Learners

Understanding written text is crucial in language acquisition, and the cognitive style and working memory capacity of an individual play crucial roles in determining their level of reading comprehension. Individual differences may result in different reading strategies being employed during the reading process. Research has demonstrated that cognitive style and working memory capacity can impact language learning outcomes like vocabulary acquisition, grammar comprehension, and speaking fluency. However, there is a lack of research on how these cognitive factors relate to the reading strategies utilized by English as a second Language learners. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between Field-Independent and Field-Dependent (FI/FD) cognitive styles and working memory capacity in relation to the utilization of English reading strategies among freshmen engineering majors at BIPT. Data is gathered utilizing the theoretical model of FI/FD cognitive styles, working memory capacity and English reading strategies. The collected data includes results from the Cognitive Style Figure Test (CSFT), Reading Span Test, and a questionnaire on English reading strategies, which are then analyzed using SPSS 22.0. The findings from the thorough analysis show that there exists a notable relationship between working memory capacity and the utilization of reading strategies in relation to FI/FD cognitive styles. Students exhibiting an FI cognitive style tend to favor the implementation of cognitive and metacognitive strategies, whereas those with an FD style are inclined towards employing social/affective strategies. Additionally, disparities in the use of reading strategies are observed between students with high and low working memory capacity. Students with high working memory capacity demonstrate a higher tendency to employ cognitive strategies, metacognitive strategies, and social/emotional strategies when compared to those with low memory capacity.

Macro and Micro Factors Influencing English Reading Motivation among Pre-University Pakistani ESL Students: A Case Study

Macro and Micro Factors Influencing English Reading Motivation among Pre-University Pakistani ESL Students: A Case Study

Task-Based Supplementary Materials Design for English Learners’ Reading Skills

This study aims to design and develop supplementary materials using the Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) approach to improve students’ reading skills. The study focuses on the students’ needs analysis of the reading skills in the Comprehensive English (CE) course at one university in China. Then, the supplementary materials are designed and developed based on students’ needs. Following the ADDIE model, this study utilized Design and Development Research (DDR). The research was carried out in three phases: needs analysis, design and development, and implementation and evaluation. Sixteen first-year English education students were selected through a purposive sampling technique. By employing a qualitative approach, the research involves the design of the TBLT supplementary materials, followed by data collection through focus group interviews, classroom observations, and students’ feedback. Preliminary findings suggest that using the TBLT supplementary materials positively meets the students’ needs for reading skills, including learning objectives, teaching procedures, teaching activities, and supporting resources to the textbooks they use. However, they are unsatisfied with the formative assessment in reading instruction. This study underscores the importance of developing supplementary materials aligned with TBLT principles to promote effective English reading teaching at a university in China. Future research is needed to explore the long-term effects of TBLT implementation on students’ language development that supports successful language learning in various educational contexts.

A Study on Cultivating Students' Cultural Awareness in English Reading Teaching in Junior Middle School

This article aims to explore how to deepen students' sense of identity with the excellent traditional culture of the Chinese nation and their sensitivity and ability to identify the similarities and differences between Chinese and foreign cultures in English reading teaching, so as to cultivate students' international and cultural awareness and intercultural communication skills. This article first reviews the concepts of core literacy and cultural awareness, and analyzes the importance of cultivating cultural awareness among junior high school students during the English reading teaching stage in junior high schools. Then, combined with specific reading teaching, it focuses on efficient ways to cultivate cultural awareness in junior middle school English reading teaching. Finally, the full text is summarized and the research significance of this article is reiterated.

Impact of Using Folklore in ESL Classroom for Teaching English Reading Skills in RYK

The goal of this study was to look into the impact of using folklore in ESL classrooms to teach English reading skills. Because English is a second language in Pakistan, the researcher employed the term ESL in this study. This study used a quantitative experimental research method. The results of the pre-and post-tests showed that folklore had a positive effect on the experimental group students as their results improved. The results of the control group showed no significant difference. The questionnaire completed by teachers produced a positive response. The majority of teachers agreed that folklore can help students expand their vocabulary and read more fluently. Most teachers agreed that incorporating folklore into an educational program motivates students to read more. Overall, the research findings were positive.

Early skills that predict English reading ability: A longitudinal study of bilingual children from 5 to 10 years

Despite substantial research, the contribution of oral language skills acquired in Spanish to Spanish–English bilingual children’s acquisition of English reading skill is unclear. The current study addressed this question with data on the oral language and pre-literacy skills of 101 Spanish–English bilingual learners at 5 years of age and their English word reading (i.e., decoding) and reading comprehension skills at 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 years. Separate multilevel models using English language, Spanish language, and pre-literacy skills as predictors of these outcomes identified English phonological awareness, Spanish phonological awareness, and concepts of print knowledge as positive predictors of word reading. A final model including all these significant predictors found only Spanish phonological awareness and concept of print to be significant predictors. Significant predictors of reading comprehension in separate models were English vocabulary, Spanish phonological awareness, and concepts about print. In the final model, only English vocabulary and Spanish phonological awareness predicted English reading comprehension. These findings provide evidence that phonological awareness is a language-general skill that supports reading across languages, consistent with the common underlying proficiency model of bilingual reading development. The finding that only English vocabulary predicts English reading comprehension suggests that vocabulary knowledge is not part of a common underlying proficiency but is language specific in its value to reading ability.

DEVELOPING A SUPPLEMENTARY ENGLISH READING MATERIAL USING TASK-BASED LANGUAGE TEACHING FOR THE EIGHT GRADE STUDENTS

This study aims to develop English reading materials based on a task-based language teaching approach for the eighth-grade students of SMP Muallimat Gresik. This study was conducted to solve the problem faced by the eighth-grade students of SMP Muallimat Gresik in reading interest and how to develop reading materials for the eighth-grade students of SMP Muallimat Gresik. This research uses a research method in the form of a research and development method {R&amp;D}, this research and development design includes several stages. Need analysis, studied theories related to reading problems, the result of the needs analysis was developed into a textbook, and expert validation was conducted to determine the quality of the product again until the writer felt confident that the product could be published perfectly. The final product of this study is the textbook of Reading material which focuses on increasing students’ reading skills; this reading material is developed based on the students' needs and students’ interests.