A Study on the Impact of Mall (Mobile Assisted Language Learning) On EFL Learners’ Reading Comprehension (Published)
Technological developments with the adoption of mobile multimedia devices and applications have translated into huge opportunities for English as a foreign language (EFL). Consequently, this study probes the impact of Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL) on EFL learners’ reading comprehension. The population of this study was intermediate female EFL students (15-20 years old) at English Language institutes located in Kerman, district 2. A Cambridge Placement Test (CPT) was used to have almost homogenous groups. After administrating the CPT, 40 students who were randomly and equally assigned to the experimental and control groups (20 students in each group) were selected as the sample of this study. To see the impact of MALL on EFL learners’ reading comprehension, reading comprehension test (EnglishForEveryone.org graded English Worksheets) in form of multiple choice and some open ended questions was used as a pre – test and post – test to assess the participants’ reading comprehension in both control and experimental group. The result revealed that EFL learners favor reading comprehension via mobile phones due to the convenience facilitated by the portability and accessibility of the mobile phones.
Keywords: EFL Learners’, MALL, Reading Comprehension
A Literature Review of Task-Based Language Teaching In College Reading Comprehension – Exploration of Tasks Design to Foster Reading Strategies (Published)
In this study, the writer has conducted a literature review of task-based language teaching in reading comprehension under the framework of the sociocultural theory. The core concepts of sociocultural theory: the zone of proximal development (ZPD) theory, and the scaffolding theory are introduced to justify task-based approach in the reading instruction. Then, the task design are discussed with the Ellis`s task design criteria and reading strategies to show that tasks as the media can be viewed as scaffoldings to promote learners` ZPD.
Keywords: Reading Comprehension, Reading strategies, Sociocultural Theory., Task-Based Language Teaching
Content Schema, an Indispensable Part of L2 Reading Comprehension: A Review (Published)
This paper aims to explore and raise awareness of the significance of content schema as an essential component of language acquisition, principally illustrating its potent value in L2 reading comprehension. All good readers have enhanced schematic knowledge that helps them in comprehending not only texts, but lexis plus contextual information without difficulty. Activating students’ schemata helps them to become metacognitive, however, the role and importance of schemata in language acquisition has fairly remained a derelict aspect with regards to second language learning and teaching; this study therefore seeks to highlight the same for facilitating a much needed understanding required to devise and put into practice an easily adaptable way of learning and instructing possibly in L2 reading. The study may possibly pave the way for further research in the area.
Keywords: Content Schema, Contexts, Culture, Linguistic, Reading Comprehension, Schema
Effects of Task-Based Instruction on Reading Comprehension of Turkish Efl Learners (Published)
This action research paper aims to investigate the effects of task based instruction on reading comprehension and new vocabulary learning in Turkish EFL setting. Participants of the study are preparatory school students in one of the private universities in İstanbul, Turkey. They were placed into classes according to results of English proficiency exam that they took at the beginning of the semester. Among already assigned 55 beginner classes, two beginner groups whose quizzes and midterm results are quite similar were chosen and they became experimental and control group for this study. In the first step, mean scores of reading part of the ELAT exam, which is a kind of final exam and administered twice in a semester, were taken. This was accepted as a pre-test. In the second step, in a 2-hour reading lesson, experimental group received task-based instruction while control group went on their traditional reading lesson. After the lessons, both groups were given comprehension and vocabulary questions. After 2-week interval, both groups received a recall-test to check the long term effect of task-based instruction on new words that were learned in the lesson. The findings of the study revealed that both groups showed an improvement with instruction however there is a significant difference between the mean scores of experimental group and control group in post-test in terms of comprehension. Experimental group was more successful in post-test. Moreover, results of recall test showed that task-based instruction has a positive effect on vocabulary learning, as well.
Keywords: Reading Comprehension, Task-Based Teaching, Vocabulary Knowledge
The Effect of Motivation on Developing EFL Learners’ Reading Comprehension Skills (Published)
This study is set up to examine how motivation affects on comprehending English texts. It concentrates on reading comprehension mainly because reading is the important one of the four skills in English as foreign language (EFL). The participants are university teachers of English language and undergraduate English language students at Blue Nile University in Sudan. The researcher used the descriptive analytical approach because it is suitable for such studies. The data of this study collected by means of questionnaire and tests. This study leads to the findings that there are: motivational techniques improve the EFL intrinsic motivation to read, motivation and attitudes affect on EFL learners’ reading comprehension skills, and different techniques of teaching reading comprehension are helpful in comprehending English texts. Finally the researcher recommends that reading strategies should be taught to EFL students and using games, elements of fun and humors in the classroom motivate students to read and understand.
Keywords: EFL Learners’, Motivation, Reading Comprehension
A Study on the Impact of MALL (Mobile Assisted Language Learning) on EFL learners’ Reading comprehension (Published)
Technological developments with the adoption of mobile multimedia devices and applications have translated into huge opportunities for English as a foreign language (EFL). Consequently, this study probes the impact of Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL) on EFL learners’ reading comprehension. The population of this study was intermediate female EFL students (15-20 years old) at English Language institutes located in Kerman, district 2. A Cambridge Placement Test (CPT) was used to have almost homogenous groups. After administrating the CPT, 40 students who were randomly and equally assigned to the experimental and control groups (20 students in each group) were selected as the sample of this study. To see the impact of MALL on EFL learners’ reading comprehension, reading comprehension test (EnglishForEveryone.org graded English Worksheets) in form of multiple choice and some open ended questions was used as a pre – test and post – test to assess the participants’ reading comprehension in both control and experimental group. The result revealed that EFL learners favor reading comprehension via mobile phones due to the convenience facilitated by the portability and accessibility of the mobile phones.
Keywords: EFL Learners’, MALL, Reading Comprehension
EFFECTS OF TASK-BASED INSTRUCTION ON READING COMPREHENSION OF TURKISH EFL LEARNERS (Published)
This action research paper aims to investigate the effects of task based instruction on reading comprehension and new vocabulary learning in Turkish EFL setting. Participants of the study are preparatory school students in one of the private universities in İstanbul, Turkey. They were placed into classes according to results of English proficiency exam that they took at the beginning of the semester. Among already assigned 55 beginner classes, two beginner groups whose quizzes and midterm results are quite similar were chosen and they became experimental and control group for this study. In the first step, mean scores of reading part of the ELAT exam, which is a kind of final exam and administered twice in a semester, were taken. This was accepted as a pre-test. In the second step, in a 2-hour reading lesson, experimental group received task-based instruction while control group went on their traditional reading lesson. After the lessons, both groups were given comprehension and vocabulary questions. After 2-week interval, both groups received a recall-test to check the long term effect of task-based instruction on new words that were learned in the lesson.The findings of the study revealed that both groups showed an improvement with instruction however there is a significant difference between the mean scores of experimental group and control group in post-test in terms of comprehension. Experimental group was more successful in post-test. Moreover, results of recall test showed that task-based instruction has a positive effect on vocabulary learning, as well.
Keywords: Reading Comprehension, Task-Based Teaching, Vocabulary Knowledge