scholarly journals The Effect of Topic Familiarity on Improving EFL Saudi Female Students` Reading Comprehension: تأثير النص المألوف لقطع القراءة في تطوير فهم الطالبات السعوديات الدارسات للغة الإنجليزية كلغة أجنبية

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Afaf Ayed Alrowaithy
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Topic Familiarity ◽  
Arithmetic Average ◽  
Paired Samples ◽  
Assessment Design ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Potential Impact ◽  
Saudi Female Students

This study investigates the effect of topic familiarity on the reading comprehension performance of Saudi EFL students. Forty EFL Saudi female students on second year high school performed two tests: familiar versus unfamiliar topics in a multiple-choice format reading comprehension test each have 10 points with four texts two familiar and two unfamiliar texts. Quantitative analysis was undertaken in this study as a T test applied for both paired samples. The descriptive statistics shows that the arithmetic averages the students` performance on familiar topic larger than the arithmetic average on unfamiliar topic. The analytical statistics that identified the differences between both arithmetic averages shows that the differences among the students' performance on familiar and unfamiliar topic were large and have statistical significance in favor of their performance on familiar topic. Further replication of similar studies is necessary to determine the potential impact of topic familiarity on reading instructions and assessment design.

scholarly journals The Effect of Peer-Collaborative Dialogue on Saudi EFL Students’ Reading Comprehension in Synchronous Computer-Mediated Communication

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ghada Al-Mutrafi
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Computer Mediated Communication ◽  
Female Students ◽  
T Test ◽  
Collaborative Dialogue ◽  
Mediated Communication ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Reading Activities ◽  
Experimental Group

This study investigated the effect of peer collaborative dialogue carried out in the text-based synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) on the reading comprehension of EFL female students. Additionally, the study elicited EFL students’ attitudes toward dyadic collaborative their discussions in SCMC during reading comprehension activities. The sample of the study comprised 36 Saudi EFL female students at Shaqra University. They were divided into two groups: an experimental group consisting of 18 students, forming nine pairs, to perform reading activities dialogically in Moodle and a control group of 18 students to perform reading activities individually in classrooms. The researcher used pre-post reading comprehension tests and a scale of SCMC-based dialogical collaborative reading attitudes. as research instruments to collect data. Data were analyzed using means and standard deviation, an independent sample t-test, a paired sample t-test, an Analysis of Variance test (ANOVA) and a one sample t-test. The findings revealed that there was a statistically significant improvement in the post-test average scores of the experimental group, which indicated the effectiveness of text-based dyadic collaborative dialogue on reading comprehension. Additionally, compared to other reading skills, making inferences skill was revealed to be the skill most affected by dyadic dialogues in SCMC. Besides, the participants exhibited positive attitudes toward their collaborative dialogues with peers in SCMC to foster their reading comprehension. Finally, pedagogical implementations and recommendations for future studies were suggested to explore the area of SCMC-based collaborative dialogue on language learning

The Effect of the Reciprocal Teaching Model on Developing Jordanian Students' Reading Comprehension at Mutah University

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 69
Author(s):  
Mohammad Yousef Ahmad AlSaraireh ◽  
Ku Mohd Nabil Ku Hamid
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Reciprocal Teaching ◽  
Control Group ◽  
First Year ◽  
Teaching Model ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Paired Samples ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Experimental Group

The aim of this study is to examine the impact of using the reciprocal teaching model on Jordanians’ first year students at Mutah University in the academic year 2015/2016. 176 participants took part and were arbitrarily selected and divided into two gender mixed groups; the experimental group which was exposed to the reciprocal teaching model (RT), and the control group which was taught using the traditional method (TM). A total of fourteen  independent sample T-tests and paired samples T-tests were used for the purpose of comparing and analysing the scores of the pre-tests and the post-tests, and with the intention to pinpoint the effect of using RT as well as to measure the extent of such effect on the development of the students’ reading comprehension skills. Through the analysis of the results and in line with the two questions of this study, it has emerged that the use of the RT model has a positive effect on the first year students’ reading comprehension achievement in the experimental group; a fact that is reflected in the significant statistical difference when compared to the reading comprehension achievement of the students from the control group taught using the TM. It has also emerged that although the male students’ scores are better than the scores attained by the female students, the use of the RT remains of great benefits for both; male and female students. 

scholarly journals Can Topic Familiarity Override Language Proficiency in Reading Comprehension?

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 496 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soheil Mahmoudi ◽  
Asgar Mahmoudi
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Placement Test ◽  
Topic Familiarity ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Catch Up ◽  
Level Of Difficulty ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Topical Knowledge

The present study investigated the impact of topical knowledge and language proficiency on the reading comprehension of Iranian EFL students. The Oxford Placement Test (OPT) was used at the beginning of the study to divide the students into two groups of low and high proficiency. Both the high and low proficiency students later read two texts of almost the same level of difficulty but different in terms of their familiarity to the students. The obtained results indicated that topic familiarity cannot override language proficiency in reading comprehension; that is, low-proficiency students could not catch up with high-proficiency students even in familiar topics.

scholarly journals Attitudes of Saudi EFL students toward American and British accents

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alenezy, Eiman Nassar
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Rating Scales ◽  
Subsequent Development ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Indirect Methods ◽  
The Unconscious ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Saudi Female Students ◽  
Materials Used

This study aimed to examine the attitudes of 63 Saudi female students who study English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in Saudi Arabia toward British and American accents. Methods used in this study was Verbal Guise Technique (VGT), a subsequent development of Matched Guise Technique (MGT). These were indirect methods of measuring participants’ attitudes toward different groups. The materials used in the present study required a set of two studies using the same British and American stimulus recordings – the first to identify a set of relevant traits for the rating scales and the second to collect actual ratings on those scales. Thus, the results showed a preference for British accent and female speakers, particularly in terms of status, despite participants’ inability to distinguish British and American accents consciously.  This suggests that conscious ability to distinguish speakers’ dialects and identify their nationalities is not a necessary precondition to having different (unconscious) perceptions of those speakers.  The bases of the unconscious perceptions found in this thesis remain a mystery.

Employing Personal Reading Logs through Short Stories to Enhance Students’ L2 Reading Comprehension Achievement

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Eliyas Sulaiman Mohandas ◽  
Nik Mastura Nik Ismail Azlan ◽  
Salwa Othman ◽  
Muhammad Aizat Azhari
Keyword(s):  
Short Stories ◽  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
P Value ◽  
L2 Reading ◽  
Reading Score ◽  
Paired Samples ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Post Test ◽  
The Mean ◽  
L2 Reading Comprehension

This study aims to investigate whether the use of six selected short stories throughout the duration of a 14-week course could enhance students’ reading comprehension achievement at the end of the semester. Out of the six short stories read, three were chosen as in-class assignments known as ‘Personal Reading Logs’ (hereafter, PRLs). One group of semester two Diploma students taking a reading skills course was selected through a convenience sampling method. A pre-test was conducted by having the students answer a past semester reading quiz of which the results would then be compared to their post-test (final reading exam) results. A paired samples t-test revealed no significant difference in the reading scores of the pre-test and the post-test, t (17) = -.265, p > .05. Since the p-value was bigger than 0.05, this indicated that the mean reading score of the post-test (M = 50.556) was not significantly higher than the mean reading score of the pre-test (M = 49.722). Therefore, the null hypothesis which stated that there was no difference in the mean score of the pre-test and post-test was retained. Overall, the result refuted the findings of other studies promoting the effectiveness of using short stories to enhance L2 reading comprehension achievement.

scholarly journals Tetracycline-Resistant Bacteria Selected from Water and Zebrafish after Antibiotic Exposure

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 3218
Author(s):  
Ana Rita Almeida ◽  
Marta Tacão ◽  
Joana Soares ◽  
Inês Domingues ◽  
Isabel Henriques
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Recovery Period ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance Genes ◽  
Antibiotic Use ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant ◽  
Potential Impact ◽  
Susceptibility Profiles ◽  
Selection Of ◽  
Significant Mortality

The emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens due to worldwide antibiotic use is raising concern in several settings, including aquaculture. In this work, the selection of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) was evaluated after exposure of zebrafish to oxytetracycline (OTC) for two months, followed by a recovery period. The selection of ARB in water and fish was determined using selective media. The abundance of tetA genes was estimated through qPCR. Higher prevalence of ARB was measured in all samples exposed to the antibiotic when compared to control samples, although statistical significance was only achieved five days after exposure. Isolates recovered from samples exposed to the antibiotic were affiliated with Pseudomonas and Stenotrophomonas. Various antibiotic susceptibility profiles were detected and 37% of the isolates displayed multidrug resistance (MDR). The selection of the tetA gene was confirmed by qPCR at the highest OTC concentration tested. Two MDR isolates, tested using zebrafish embryos, caused significant mortality, indicating a potential impact on fish health and survival. Overall, our work highlights the potential impact of antibiotic contamination in the selection of potential pathogenic ARB and ARGS.

scholarly journals Applying Sight Translation as a Means to Enhance Reading Ability of Iranian EFL Students

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 153
Author(s):  
Moslem Fatollahi
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Reading Instruction ◽  
Reading Ability ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Comprehension Ability ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Iranian Context ◽  
Reading Comprehension Ability

<p>Sight translation is the oral translation of a written text and is a mixture of translation and interpreting. Sight translation is a widely-used activity in translation training programs. Yet, this mode of translation has rarely been applied as a reading instruction technique in Iranian EFL instruction context in spite of the growing interest in using sight translation in language teaching and learning. This study aims at investigating the effect of sight translation on the reading comprehension ability of Iranian undergraduate EFL students. This is a quasi-experimental study involving treatment. To this end, four reading comprehension classes involving 70 learners were divided into two groups, with the experimental one receiving reading instruction with sight translation exercises and the control group receiving reading instruction without sight translation exercises. The posttest results revealed that the experimental group performing sight translation exercises in classroom outperformed the control group who had not engaged in sight translation. This study has implications for ELT instructors and learners in an Iranian context as they can use sight translation exercises as an effective technique for improving the reading comprehension ability of their learners.</p>

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document