scholarly journals The Influence of Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review Method Toward Reading Comprehension Ability Mediated by Working Memory

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 85
Author(s):  
Nani Restati Siregar ◽  
Muhammad Ilham ◽  
Mansyur M.
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Empirical Study ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Survey Question ◽  
Phonological Working Memory ◽  
Comprehension Ability ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Reading Comprehension Ability

Reading comprehension plays a vital role in students' academic achievement. This empirical study aims to determine the influence of survey, question, read, recite, and review (SQ3R) method on reading comprehension ability. The impact of mediation on semantic and phonological working memory toward reading comprehension ability after being given the SQ3R method. The empirical study was Quasi-experimental with untreated control group design with dependent pretest and posttest samples. The total participants are 57 students in elementary school. Thirty of the subjects were selected based on colored progressive matrices and reading comprehension measurement in equal. In this case, 15 students as treatment groups and 15 students as a control group. Backward digit span task was used to measure phonological working memory, sentence completion, responsibility for semantic working memory, and reading comprehension test for reading comprehension ability. Causal analysis technique by SPSS MACRO PROCESS was used to examine the hypothesis of the research. The results revealed that there was an influence SQ3R method toward reading comprehension ability. Semantic working memory and phonological working memory are mediate between SQ3R and reading comprehension, but the mediating effect of semantic working memory is more reliable than phonological working memory. This research indicated that the effectivity of the SQ3R method to improve reading comprehension was mediated by working memory capacity in Bajo’s children.

scholarly journals The Effects of Visualization Training Techniques on Reading Comprehension Ability of Iranian Intermediate EFL Learners

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 73
Author(s):  
Zahra Sanati
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
English Language ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Conventional Instruction ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Comprehension Ability ◽  
English Language Institute ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Experimental Group ◽  
Reading Comprehension Ability

The present study was conducted to investigate the impact of visualization on reading comprehension ability of Iranian intermediate EFL learners. To fulfill the purpose of the study, 40 out of 100 intermediate learners of an English language institute were chosen by means of administering a PET Test. Based on the results of the homogenizing test, two groups were formed, and learners were not randomly assigned to an experimental group and a control one. Then, both groups were provided with seven teaching sessions. A pretest was given to all examinees to capture the initial differences. Learners in the experimental group were taught to visualize the words using a variety of visualization strategies before, during, and after reading the text in class. However, students in the control group were provided with a conventional instruction in traditional classes like reading the text aloud, translating the text, and providing synonyms and antonyms, if it was needed. After teaching sessions, a posttest was given to students of both groups. The statistical analysis of obtained results using paired t-test and ANCOVA revealed that the participants in the experimental group outperformed the participants in the control group. The findings of this study showed that the effect of visualization as an instructional technology on Iranian EFL learners’ reading comprehension was extremely noticeable. The findings of the present study may have some theoretical and practical implications for both Iranian EFL teachers and students, as well as for curriculum designers and developers.

scholarly journals The Effect of Cultural Schemata on EFL Learners’ Reading Comprehension Ability

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiba Bensalah ◽  
Noureddine Guerroudj
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Prior Knowledge ◽  
Background Knowledge ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Comprehension Ability ◽  
Cultural Schemata ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Experimental Group ◽  
Reading Comprehension Ability

This research study aims to investigate the impact of cultural schemata on the process of reading culturally- loaded texts, and whether the use of pre-reading activities recompenses for the absence of cultural familiarity. In this regard, EFL readers bring to the text a wide range of experiences. Consequently, such diversity of prior knowledge influences their perception and interpretation of foreign language texts. Here comes the role of cultural schemata, which is indeed a very critical role. How do cultural differences in background knowledge influence student’s reading comprehension ability? To recognize the effect of cultural schemata on comprehension, it is essential first to understand the significant role that background knowledge plays in the reading process. Therefore, to carry out this research, a selection of reading comprehension tests was assigned for an experimental and a control group in a quasi-classroom experiment of first-year EFL students at Ibn Khaldoun University (Tiaret). While the experimental group was provided with pre-reading tasks to activate their background knowledge, the control group received no treatment. We collected data from 40 participants, and the results show that many EFL learners belonging to the control group display a lack of cultural schemata since their prior-knowledge is not activated, which may well impact negatively on their reading practices. By contrast, participants of the experimental group performed better in the comprehension test than those in the control group. In brief, there is a correlation between activating students’ background knowledge and the increase of reading comprehension ability.

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>

scholarly journals Reading Strategies in Persian and English Languages and Their Influence on English Reading Comprehension Ability

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (7) ◽  
pp. 159
Author(s):  
M. Rahim Bohlooli Niri
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Short Circuit ◽  
Schema Theory ◽  
English Reading ◽  
Comprehension Ability ◽  
English Reading Comprehension ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Problem Versus ◽  
Reading Comprehension Ability

<p>The purpose of the present study is to investigate the relationship between successful readers’ strategies in Persian and English languages, and the impact of instruction of such strategies on English reading comprehension ability. The present study relies on Casanave’s (1998) expanded view of schema theory, the strategy schema, Goodman’s (1971) language transfer or linguistic independent hypothesis and Clarke’s idea of short-circuit or language ceiling hypothesis in ESL or EFL. This study also aims at finding an answer to the question of reading problem versus language problem, first raised by Alderson (1984, pp. 1-27) and then followed by Carrell (1991, pp. 159-179).</p>

scholarly journals The Effect of Pre-reading Activities on Male ESL Upper-Intermediate Students’ Comprehension in a Post Basic Education School in Oman?

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 148
Author(s):  
Jamel Eddine Al Akremi
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Basic Education ◽  
Negative Attitude ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Intermediate Students ◽  
Education School ◽  
Comprehension Ability ◽  
Reading Activities ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Comprehension Tests

The study aimed at investigating the impact of pre-reading activities on male ESL upper-intermediate students’ comprehension in a post-basic education school in Oman. To this end, two reading comprehension tests and two questionnaires were administered to two groups of participants. One group served as control and the other served as experimental. Control group were assigned a reading comprehension test with follow up questions to answer. However, experimental participants were introduced to 10 minute-pre-reading activities prior to starting the test. The findings drawn from the comprehension tests revealed that experimental participants outperformed control participants. Data drawn from questionnaires showed that control group had a negative attitude to reading a text without pre-reading activities. However, experimental group had a positive attitude to reading a text after being introduced to the pre-reading activities. Although the study has shown empirically how effective the schema-based pre-reading activities were in maximizing ESL leaners’ comprehension ability, it had its limitations. It was restricted in setting and gender. It involved only two post-basic state schools. It was also restricted to male students. Second, it was limited to only two sample groups. Nevertheless, the findings of this study have confirmed preceding research on the effectiveness of the pre-reading activities and how they facilitate L2 learners’ comprehension ability of the target text. Therefore, it might be paramount for teachers and syllabus designers to incorporate pre-reading activities, which are in different forms and types, to the reading texts students read

Input Enhancement through Using Author’s Biography: The Impact on Iranian EFL Learners’ Reading Comprehension Ability across Gender

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 370
Author(s):  
Ayda Rahmani
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Proficiency Test ◽  
Control Male ◽  
Control Female ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Input Enhancement ◽  
Paired Samples ◽  
Comprehension Ability ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Reading Comprehension Ability

This study aims to investigate whether enhancing input through author’s biography affect Iranian EFL learners’ reading comprehension ability across gender or not. To answer, a proficiency test of OPT was administered to a total of 120 male and female learners. Then 60 homogenous subjects, with the same English proficiency, were selected. The 60 participants were assigned into 4 groups randomly i.e. experimental male, experimental female, control male, control female. The study includes a pre-posttest design with 4 groups. The female and male experimental groups went through the treatment and finally the four groups were given a posttest.  Finally, descriptive and inferential statistics (A paired- samples t-test and a two-way ANOVA) were applied to analyze the statistical data. The findings indicated that input enhancement through author’s biography does affect Iranian EFL learners’ reading comprehension ability and male participants outperformed female participants.

scholarly journals Do Different Instruction Modalities Matter? Exploring the Influence of Concept Mapping and Translation Strategies Instruction on the Reading Comprehension Ability of Adult EFL Learners

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 761
Author(s):  
Mehran Davaribina ◽  
Shahram Esfandiari Asl
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Concept Mapping ◽  
Strategy Instruction ◽  
Analysis Of Covariance ◽  
Strategy Training ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Translation Strategy ◽  
Comprehension Ability ◽  
Reading Comprehension Ability

The present study was an attempt to compare the effect of concept mapping strategy instruction and translation strategy instruction on the reading comprehension ability of the Iranian EFL learners. To do so, 90 EFL learners at the intermediate level studying in a language institute in Ardabil, north Iran were randomly assigned into three equal groups (concept map, translation and control).  Having taken a reading pretest, the participants in experimental groups were instructed using mentioned strategies whereas the control group learners were taught the same content with no strategies integrated. Results of analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) revealed that the participants in the experimental groups significantly outperformed the participants in the control group, suggesting that the application of concept mapping and translation strategy training can generate more positive effect on the reading comprehension ability of the learners. Also, the findings of the study indicated that the concept mapping group outperformed the translation strategy group on the reading posttest. Pedagogical implications and suggestions of the study will be discussed.

scholarly journals Effect of Elaborative Text Modification on Pre-intermediate Male and Female EFL Learners’ Reading Comprehension

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 337
Author(s):  
Shahram Esfandiari Asl ◽  
Asgar Mahmoudi
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Placement Test ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Comprehension Ability ◽  
Experimental Group ◽  
Reading Comprehension Ability

The current study was carried out to investigate whether elaborative text modification improves reading comprehension ability of pre-intermediate male and female EFL learners. To do this, 60 pre-intermediate learners were chosen based on their performance on a standard version of Longman's New Opportunities Placement Test. The participants also received a piloted version of a researcher-made reading comprehension test as the pretest to ascertain their homogeneity. The participants were then divided into two equal groups to represent the experimental and the control groups. Each group was further subdivided into male and female groups. Five reading passages in two formats (unmodified and elaborated) were administered to the participants in five weeks which was followed by a posttest. The experimental group received the elaborated texts, while the control group received the unmodified baseline texts. The results of a Two-way ANOVA indicated no significant effect for gender but there was a significant difference between the experimental and the control groups' reading comprehension. Findings of the study suggest that elaborative text modification can be a worthy option in EFL reading classes.

scholarly journals The Effect of Reflective Reading on Reading Comprehension of Iranian EFL Learners

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 267
Author(s):  
Nava Nourdad ◽  
Rasoul Asghari
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Study Groups ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Survival Skill ◽  
Comprehension Ability ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Reading Comprehension Ability

Reading comprehension as a survival skill in EFL context is included in almost all language proficiency and achievement tests. However, it seems that traditional approaches to reading comprehension instruction have not been successful at satisfying the learners’ need. Considering the advantages of reflective reading, it appeared as a probable solution to reading problem of EFL learners. Therefore, this experimental study aimed at investigating the effect of reflective reading on reading comprehension of Iranian EFL learners. To this end 49 male and female participants were selected through convenient sampling and were randomly assigned to two control and experimental groups. An English proficiency test was given to the sample to make sure about the homogeneity of the participants and equality of proficiency levels of the two groups. Later reading comprehension ability of the study groups was measured. As the ten-session treatment began the experimental group experienced reflective reading, while the control group followed conventional method of reading and answering comprehension check questions. After the treatment period, the groups’ reading comprehension ability was assessed once more. Independent samples t-tests were run to analyze the gathered data. It was found that reflective reading has positive effect on reading comprehension of Iranian EFL learners. Pedagogical implications of this finding for language teachers, learners, material developers, policy makers and researchers are discussed. 

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