The Roles of Intensive and Extensive Reading Activities in Chinese EFL University Students’ Reading Comprehension Skills

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Sijing Fu
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
University Students ◽  
Explicit Instruction ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Extensive Reading ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Comprehension Skills ◽  
Intensive Reading ◽  
Reading Activities ◽  
Reading Comprehension Skills

This paper focuses on the appropriate methods for Chinese EFL university students to improve reading comprehension skills. The combination of intensive reading and extensive reading in the teaching environment is suggested in this study. Specifically, in-class reading should be composed of two parts: 1) intensive reading activities involving the explicit instruction of reading comprehension skills; 2) extensive reading activities to increase Chinese EFL university students’ background and vocabulary knowledge, which paves way for the comprehension of the text. After-class extensive reading should be composed of the reading of materials containing the repetition of new vocabulary appear in class, which could consolidate EFL learners’ reading comprehension skills they have already learnt in class.

scholarly journals Investigating the Effects of Short In-class Extensive Reading on Improving English Proficiency

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 3
Author(s):  
Mitsuko Tanaka
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
English Proficiency ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Control Group ◽  
First Year ◽  
Proficiency Tests ◽  
Extensive Reading ◽  
Comprehension Skills ◽  
Teaching Instruction ◽  
Reading Comprehension Skills

This study investigated the effects of short in-class extensive reading (ER) on English proficiency. The participants (N = 322) were first-year Japanese students at a private women’s university. The ER group (n = 160) did 20 minutes of ER once a week. The control group (n = 162) dedicated 20 minutes to a dictogloss every other week. In the remaining class time, both groups received task-based language teaching instruction. English proficiency tests were also administered at the beginning and the end of the academic year. The results of a mixed design MANOVA showed that both groups significantly improved their vocabulary and reading comprehension scores over the year but there were no differences in the gains made by the two groups. These findings suggest that short in-class ER might be effective in developing vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension skills but does not yield significantly better effects than dictogloss. 本論は授業時に短時間行う多読学習（ER）が英語熟達度の伸びに及ぼす効果を明らかにすることを目的とする。参加者は日本の私立女子大学1年生322名である。多読群（n = 160）は毎週1回20分間の多読学習を行い、統制群（n = 162）は隔週で20分間のディクトグロスを行った。多読・ディクトグロス以外の時間は両群とも同じカリキュラム（TBLT）に基づく英語学習を行った。また、学年の始めと終わりにプレイスメントテストを実施し、そのスコアを英語熟達度の伸びの指標として使用した。二元配置多変量分散分析の結果、両群とも年間を通じて読解力・語彙力を伸ばしてはいるが、両群の英語熟達度の伸びには差がないことが明らかになった。このことから、授業時に短時間行う多読学習は読解力・語彙力を伸ばすのに効果的であり得るものの、ディクトグロスよりも英語力を伸ばす効果が高いとは言えないことが示された。

scholarly journals Investigating Metacognitive Think-Aloud Strategy in Improving Saudi EFL Learners' Reading Comprehension and Attitudes

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdulaziz Ali Al-Qahtani
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Attitude Scale ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Think Aloud ◽  
Control Group Design ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Comprehension Skills ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Reading Comprehension Skills ◽  
Experimental Group

The current study's objective examines the effectiveness of using a Think-Aloud strategy in improving Saudi EFL learners' reading comprehension and attitudes towards learning. A quantitative study with a quasi-experimental design was implemented through applying two different instruments: Reading Comprehension Skills Test and Attitude Scale towards learning EFL. The study adopts a pre-post control group design where forty students were randomly assigned to either a control or an experimental group. Students of the experimental group were instructed by using metacognitive Think-Aloud strategy, whereas, the control group received traditional treatment such as skimming and scanning techniques. The findings of the study showed that the attitudes and reading comprehension skills of the experimental group improved significantly as opposed to the control group. The study gives more insight into the importance of applying a Think-Aloud strategy in teaching reading comprehension inside EFL educational context. The study also suggests recommendations for EFL teachers to increase the efficiency of applying this strategy through their teaching procedures.

The Role of Vocabulary Breadth and Depth in Reading Comprehension: A Quantitative Study of Finnish EFL Learners

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 1079
Author(s):  
Noora Harkio ◽  
Päivi Pietilä
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Vocabulary Size ◽  
Comprehension Skills ◽  
Vocabulary Depth ◽  
Positive Correlations ◽  
Matriculation Examination ◽  
Knowledge Scale ◽  
Reading Comprehension Skills

This article reports the results of a study on the relationship between second language vocabulary breadth, vocabulary depth, and reading comprehension. A special aim was to discover the role of vocabulary depth in the prediction and explanation of L2 learners’ reading comprehension. Two proficiency levels, intermediate and advanced, were compared. Vocabulary breadth was measured with the Vocabulary Size Test (Nation & Beglar, 2007), vocabulary depth with the Vocabulary Knowledge Scale (Wesche & Paribakht, 1996), and reading comprehension with a test compiled of sections from two former matriculation examination tasks. The three constructs showed strong positive correlations in both groups of subjects. However, based on the results, vocabulary breadth and depth seem to be stronger predictors of reading comprehension skills in lower levels of proficiency than on the advanced level.

A comparison of the effects of extensive and intensive reading approaches on the vocabulary development of Korean secondary EFL learners

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 113-134
Author(s):  
A Young Park ◽  
Talia Isaacs ◽  
Helen Woodfield
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Students ◽  
Vocabulary Development ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Extensive Reading ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
English As Foreign Language ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Intensive Reading

AbstractAlthough language experts have long advocated the use of Extensive Reading (ER) to enhance vocabulary acquisition, the widespread use of the more traditional Intensive Reading (IR) approach prevails in English as Foreign Language (EFL) settings. Many experimental studies have attempted to demonstrate the benefits of using ER over IR in classroom contexts; however, none have demonstrated significant differences in learning gains. This quasi-experimental study involved the measurement of partial vocabulary knowledge of specific words encountered through reading to compare the effects of ER and conventional IR instruction on EFL learners’ vocabulary knowledge development. Two intact classes of 72 Korean secondary students (36/class) received either ER or IR instructional treatments over a 12-week timespan, with pre- and post- performance differences examined by proficiency level. ANCOVA results showed that students benefited significantly more from the ER than from the IR treatment in terms of their knowledge of the meanings and uses of target words. With regard to proficiency, advanced and intermediate level learners benefited more from ER, while low level learners benefited more from IR. These findings suggest that EFL practitioners should carefully consider their learners’ proficiency level when selecting a reading approach, in order to optimize learners’ vocabulary development.

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