Using comprehension strategies for students' self-efficacy, anxiety, and proficiency in reading English as a foreign language

2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 447-458 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hung-Chang Liao ◽  
Ya-Huei Wang

We examined whether or not instructing Taiwanese students in the use of comprehension strategies when they are reading English as a foreign language, reduces their English reading anxiety and increases their English reading self-efficacy and proficiency. We used a quasiexperimental design and conducted a 15-week course. The experimental group (n = 31) received instruction in reading comprehension strategies and the control group (n = 31) received instruction by traditional teaching methods. The results show that the experimental group had less anxiety when reading English and higher proficiency than the control group. In regard to self-efficacy when reading English, the experimental group also performed better than the control group in terms of self-affirmation, perseverance, verbal persuasion, and performance overall. However, there was no statistically significant difference for learning attitude between the groups.

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (S1-May) ◽  
pp. 53-58
Author(s):  
Mohammadreza Valizadeh

This experimental study, using pretest-intervention-posttest design, investigated whether or not teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) learners to use comprehension strategies when they read English passages, decreases their English reading anxiety. The participants were 55 EFL learners in Turkey who were at lower-intermediate level based on the results of the Oxford Quick Placement Test. Data were collected via Saito, Garza, and Horwitz’s (1999)Foreign Language Reading Anxiety Scale (FLRAS). The whole treatment/control period lasted for 11 weeks during a reading course. The experimental group (n = 28) received instruction in reading comprehension strategies (i.e., previewing, scanning for details, skimming, identifying the topic and main idea, finding supporting details, making inferences, understanding the author’s purpose, making predictions, dealing with unfamiliar words, using context clues, and summarizing). The control group (n = 27) received instruction by traditional teaching methods (i.e., reading, paraphrasing, translating, and answering the exercises).The results of the Mann-Whitney U Test indicated that instruction in English reading comprehension strategies had a positive effect on EFL learners in terms of reducing their English reading anxiety.


2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (103) ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Asst. Instr. Hayder Abdulzahra Shalash

       The present study aims at investigating the effect of applying group work technique on developing non-English major students' attitude towards learning English as a foreign language .Two null hypotheses have been formulated; the first hypothesis states that there is no statistically significant difference between the experimental and control group in their attitude towards learning EFL after the experiment. The second one states that there is no statistically significant difference in (pre-post questionnaire) of the experimental group students' attitude towards learning EFL. To achieve the aim of the study, and verify its hypothesis, the researcher has applied eight week experiment. A sample of 62 students has been chosen and divided into experimental and control groups. It has been chosen randomly from the second year students in the Basic Education College/ Department of History/Academic year (2017-2018).        The attitude questionnaire for both groups was applied before and after the experiment. After processing the results statistically, it was found that there is a statistically significant difference in favor of the experimental group. Having used the t-test formula, it was found that there is statistically significant development in the experimental group students' attitude towards learning EFL, which in turn indicates that the use of GWT is more effective than the traditional method.  Conclusion and recommendations were drawn.  


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 254
Author(s):  
Ali Alsagheer A. Mohammmad ◽  
Mohammed Albahiri

Purpose: There is need to focus on extensive use of technology in teaching and learning process, since the teachers are provided with well-organized WebQuests that are beneficial for developing effective teaching skills. The study aims to investigate the extent of the effects of WebQuests on the teaching skills and performance of pre-service teachers of English at the College of Education of King Khalid University. Methodology: The study sample, which included 35 students of the general diploma in English, were divided into two groups: experimental and control. The members of the control group were supervised in the traditional way during their teaching practice, and the members of the experimental group were given WebQuests so that they could surf the internet under the guidance of their supervisor and find the information they needed about teaching skills. The teaching performance of the teachers of both groups was assessed via a teaching performance observation form. The data collected through classroom observation was analyzed using SPSS. The differences between the teachers of both the groups in terms of the teaching skills were calculated using Mann-Whitney U test. Findings: Statistically significant differences were found in the rank means of the participants of the control and the experimental groups regarding their lesson planning and teaching skills. The results were favorable for the teachers of the experimental group; however, no significant difference was found between the scores of the experimental and the control groups in terms of lesson evaluation skills. Originality: The use of WebQuests significantly enhances the teaching skills of the students of the general diploma in English.


2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 153
Author(s):  
Xiaoling Yang

This paper reviewed the literature of the previous research and questionnaire survey on reading strategy. Based on theories of psycholinguistics, a five-week experiment was carried out in order to probe into the effectiveness of strategy training. The experiment was designed to answer the following question: Can reading comprehension be improved by strategy training? Two groups of subjects from non-English majors participated in the experiment and questionnaire survey. Experimental group received training on reading strategies while control group didn’t. By comparing the results of the pretest and posttest of the two groups, the effectiveness of strategy training was examined. The results of data analysis indicated that both efficient and non-efficient readers use strategies to facilitate their reading and there was no significant difference between them with regard to strategy use in general, but some strategies were especially favored by the efficient readers and that reading competence could be improved by strategy training.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 24
Author(s):  
Mehdi Solhi Andarab

The recent improvements in technology and their integration in language learning have played a facilitating role invocabulary acquisition. Quizlet, an online teacher-/student-friendly tool, is one of the leading applications invocabulary acquisition. Along with the effectiveness of visualization in acquiring vocabulary, humor has been alsoextensively indicated to carry a significant role in language learning. With all its facilitating features, the integrationof technology, humor, and vocabulary can be achieved via Quizlet. In this study, the visual integration of humoraccompanying vocabulary on Quizlet was taken into scrutiny to see to what extent humor-integrated pictures onQuizlet account for the retention of vocabulary acquisition. With this purpose, this study examined the effect ofhumor-integrated pictures on vocabulary acquisition of 45 intermediate English as a foreign language (EFL) learnerson Quizlet. In so doing, the experimental group received a series of unknown vocabulary items for which theintegrated pictures were humorous, while the vocabulary items assigned for the control group were identical, but innon-humorous contexts. At the end, an independent samples t-test applied on the scores achieved from a posttestindicated a significant difference in scores of the control group and that of the experimental group. In fact, thelearners in the experimental group significantly outperformed their counterparts in the control group. The resultsindicated that linking vocabulary items with humorous pictures is more effective than using non-humorous context inlearning vocabulary. Apparently, as the results indicate, the significant effectiveness of technology in vocabularylearning can be boosted with the help of humorous context. The findings shed light on the importance of technologyin language learning and its linking with humor in vocabulary learning.


2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmad M Alzoubi ◽  
Mohammad F Al Qudah ◽  
Ismael Salameh Albursan ◽  
Salaheldin F Bakhiet ◽  
Adel S Abduljabbar

<p>This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of creative thinking education on enhancing creative self-efficacy and cognitive motivation. The sample consisted of 44 female students studying childhood education in the Princess Alia University College divided into two groups (experimental and control). The experimental group was taught a unit in creative thinking whereas the control group was not. Data were collected using two tools; first, a creative self-efficacy scale that included two dimensions (self-efficacy in creative thinking and creative performance) and second, a cognitive motivation scale that included three dimensions (curiosity, discovery, and questioning). Data showed significant differences between experimental and control groups in creative self-efficacy and its dimensions, and also in cognitive motivation and two of its dimensions (curiosity and discovery) in favor of the experimental group. No significant difference was found between the two groups in questioning. We recommend embedding creative thinking education in study courses.</p>


1981 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
James N. Anderson

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of using tape-recorded aural models for home practice on selected sight-reading and performance skills of sixth-grade clarinet students. The experimental design was a pretest-posttest control-group design with an additional posttest measure. It was predicted that students in the experimental group would do significantly better than students in the control group with regard to pitch reading, rhythm reading, tempo accuracy, and intonation accuracy as measured by the sight-reading and performance tests. It was also projected that students in the experimental group would complete more music exercises during the study than students in the control group. The statistical analysis indicated no significant difference between the experimental and control groups with regard to either the skills measured or the number of music exercises completed during the study. These results appear to indicate that tape-recorded aural models used in this study had no observed effect on the selected music skills.


2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manal Mohamed Khodary Mohamed

The current study investigated the usefulness of using audiobooks on developing listening comprehension among Saudi English as a Foreign Language (EFL) preparatory year students. It employed the quasi-experimental design which included two groups: an experimental group (n = 44) and a control group (n = 44). The participants were EFL preparatory year students at Arar Branch, Northern Border University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Before conducting the treatment, the experimental group and the control group were pre-tested by using the pre Listening Comprehension Test (LCT) for equivalence of listening comprehension. By the end of the treatment, the experimental group and the control group were post-tested by using the post LCT. The t-test was used to calculate the differences between the mean scores of the pre and post LCT. The results showed that a statistically significant difference between the mean scores of the experimental group and the control group on the post LCT in favor of the experimental group. The results also revealed that a statistically significant difference was found in the mean scores of the experimental group between the pre and post LCT in favor of the post LCT. Thus, it can be concluded that the audiobooks helped the experimental group develop listening comprehension as they exceeded the control group on the post LCT and they achieved a better result on the post LCT than the pre LCT.


2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamad H. Alsowat

<p><em>This study aimed at investigating the effect of Augmented Reality (AR) on college-level EFL students’ reading comprehension, self-efficacy, autonomy and attitudes. It also examined the relationships between self-efficacy, autonomy and attitudes. The sample consisted of (59) male students: an experimental group (n=30) and a control group (n=29), studying English for Academic Purposes at Taif University, Saudi Arabia. The study employed the quasi-experimental approach using a pre-post, nonequivalent control group design. A reading comprehension test, a self-efficacy scale, an autonomy scale and a questionnaire for attitudes were designed to gather the data. The findings indicated that there was a significant difference between the two groups in the reading comprehension post-test in favor of the experimental group. Also, there was a statistically significant difference between the mean score of the pre and post administration of the self-efficacy scale in favor of the post administration. Besides, there was a statistically significant difference between the mean score of the pre and post administration of the autonomy scale in favor of the post administration. The results of one-sample T Test showed that all attitudes items were statistically significant and the grand mean score was statistically significant which indicated that students had positive attitudes towards using Augmented Reality in language learning. Finally, positive significant relationships between students’ self-efficacy, autonomy and attitudes were found.</em></p>


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (S1-May) ◽  
pp. 69-73
Author(s):  
Mohammadreza Valizadeh

This experimental study, using pretest-intervention-posttest design, investigated whether or not teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) learners to use comprehension strategies when they read English passages, increases their self-efficacy in reading. The participants were 55 EFL learners in Turkey who were at lower-intermediate level based on the results of the Oxford Quick Placement Test. Data were gathered via a Reading Self-Efficacy Questionnaire. The whole treatment/control period lasted for 11 weeks during a reading course. The experimental group (n = 28) received instruction in reading comprehension strategies (i.e., previewing, scanning for details, skimming, identifying the topic and main idea, finding supporting details, making inferences, understanding the author’s purpose, making predictions, dealing with unfamiliar words, using context clues, and summarizing). The control group (n = 27) received instruction by traditional teaching methods (i.e., reading, paraphrasing, translating, and answering the exercises).The results of the Mann-Whitney U Test indicated that instruction in English reading comprehension strategies had a positive effect on EFL learners in terms of increasing their self-efficacy in reading.


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