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 The effects of vocabulary pre-teaching and pre-questioning on intermediate Iranian EFL learners’ reading comprehension ability

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 94-103
Author(s):  
Somayyeh Mousavian ◽  
Hossein Siahpoosh
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Reading Strategies ◽  
Schema Theory ◽  
Reading Strategy ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Comprehension Ability ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Experimental Group ◽  
Reading Comprehension Ability

Reading comprehension is a key issue in learning English as a foreign language, and it is critical that teachers utilize pre-reading strategies in reading classes in order to help students enhance their comprehension. The present study investigated the effectiveness of two pre-reading strategies of pre-questioning and vocabulary pre-teaching on EFL students’ performance in reading comprehension. A group of 60 students participated in this study. An experimental design was used, with 20 students being assigned to the first experimental group that received one pre-reading strategy (vocabulary pre-teaching), while the second experimental group which also consisted 20 students received another pre-reading strategy (pre-questioning) and the remaining 20 students received the traditional method. Students in the groups were asked first to perform the pre-reading strategy, read a passage, and then answer comprehension questions. Results indicated that there were statistically significant differences between the groups. The experimental groups got better results than the control group. Comparison of the two experimental groups, moreover, showed that the vocabulary pre-teaching group outperformed the pre-questioning group.   Key words: EFL teaching, Pre-reading strategies, Pre-questioning, Reading comprehension, Schema theory, Vocabulary pre-teaching

scholarly journals The Effect of Higher Order Thinking Skill Instruction on EFL Reading Ability

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nava Nourdad ◽  
Sanam Masoudi ◽  
Parisa Rahimali
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Reading Ability ◽  
Higher Order Thinking ◽  
Study Groups ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Comprehension Ability ◽  
Reading Comprehension Ability

This quantitative and quasi-experimental study dealt with the effect of the teaching higher order thinking (HOT) on the reading comprehension ability of foreign language learners. Since reading ability plays a crucial role in learners’ education, it is language teachers’ mission to be aware of the useful and beneficial strategies to improve their students’ reading comprehension ability. Considering the fruitful results of applying HOT skills in education, the present study was conducted to investigate the effect of their instruction on students’ reading comprehension ability. To achieve the objectives of the study, a group of 236 male and female university students majoring in various fields but all taking General English course was selected by convenience sampling. They were randomly assigned into two groups of control and experimental. PET test was applied to homogenize the participants of the two study groups. The study followed pre-test, treatment, post-test design. While the experimental group followed a nine-session treatment on strategies of HOT, the control group was instructed through conventional method determined by the course book. The results of independent samples t-test revealed the positive effect of teaching HOT skills on improving reading comprehension ability of adult EFL learners. Pedagogical implications of these findings for language learners, language teachers, course book developers, and educational policy makers are discussed.

scholarly journals The Effect of Flipped Model of Instruction on EFL Learners’ Reading Comprehension: Learners’ Attitudes in Focus

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 95 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehrnoosh Karimi ◽  
Raouf Hamzavi
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Comprehension Test ◽  
Comprehension Ability ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Students Attitudes ◽  
Age Range ◽  
Experimental Group ◽  
Reading Comprehension Ability

The present study aimed at investigating the effect of flipped model of instruction on EFL learners’ reading comprehension ability. Moreover, this study aimed at identifying EFL students’ attitudes toward flipped model of instruction. To this end, 60 EFL learners studying at an accredited private language institute in Isfahan were first conveniently sampled and were homogenized through a sample of PET. 50 EFL learners within age range of 19 to 25 were selected for the study and equally assigned into two groups-experimental and group. A researcher-made reading comprehension test was given to the participants as the pretest of the study. The experimental group received flipped model of instruction, whereas the control group received traditional model of instruction. At the end of the study, the researcher-made reading comprehension test was administered to the two groups of the study as their posttest. Moreover, in order to identify the EFL students’ attitude towards the flipped model of instruction, the participants were asked to complete a questionnaire on flipped model of instruction developed primarily by Elfatah and Ahmed (2016). The results of ANCOVA revealed that flipped model of instruction had a significant positive effect on the reading comprehension ability of EFL students. Moreover, the results of frequency analyses indicated that EFL students in the experimental group had positive attitude towards attitude flipped model of instruction and agreed that it was helpful to them in many ways. The results and implications of the study are discussed in more detail in the paper. 

Examining Mindset and Grit in Concurrent and Future Reading Comprehension: A Twin Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly M. Martinez ◽  
LaTasha R Holden ◽  
Sara Ann Hart ◽  
Jeanette Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Reading Ability ◽  
Preliminary Test ◽  
Cognitive Factors ◽  
Potential Intervention ◽  
Comprehension Ability ◽  
Twin Method ◽  
Positive Correlations ◽  
Ability Measure ◽  
Reading Comprehension Ability

Non-cognitive factors have gained attention in recent years as potential intervention targets for academic achievement improvement in students. Two notable facets, intelligence mindset and grit, have been of particular interest. Both have been shown to consistently improve educational outcomes, although little work has focused on reading ability. We used a correlational and twin method design to preliminary test if mindset and grit could be potential intervention targets to increase reading ability. As such, we examined the relation between both grit and mindset on current, future, and change in reading comprehension ability in a twin sample. We used data from 422 twin pairs (171 monozygotic pairs, 251 dizygotic pairs) drawn from the Florida Twin Project on Reading, Behavior and Environment (Taylor et al., 2019). Twins were on average 13 years old when the questionnaire and first reading ability measure were collected, and on average 15 years old when the second reading ability measure was collected. Weak and moderate positive correlations were found between both mindset and grit with each reading ability score and neither were significantly related to change in reading ability. Twin modeling suggested little to no common genetic or environmental influences between mindset and grit to reading ability. In total, our results do not lend support to the notion of mindset or grit being a mechanism of change for reading ability.

scholarly journals Improving Students' Reading Comprehension of Report Text with KWL Strategy

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-36
Author(s):  
Nudiya Afiya Farha ◽  
Rohani Rohani
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Eleventh Graders ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Sample Test ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Significant Achievement ◽  
Experimental Group ◽  
Report Text

ABSTRACT This research was carried out to know the effectiveness of implementing KWL strategy to improve students’ reading comprehension of report text and to know whether there is a significant achievement difference between students who were taught with KWL strategy and those who were not. The instrument used was a multiple choice reading comprehension test. Seventy two eleventh graders of SMA Negeri 1 Bae Kudus were selected as the sample. They were divided equally into experimental and control group. The data collection involved pre-test, treatments, and post-test. The result of the implementation of KWL strategy in the experimental group improved the students’ participation, motivation, and interest during teaching and learning process. In addition, the results of pre-test and post-test showed that mean score of the experimental group had a higher increase from 74.58 to 90.97 than the control group (from 72.77 to 87.77). However, the Independent Sample Test showed there was no significant achievement difference between the students who were taught with KWL strategy and those who were not. (1.80) was higher than.  Keywords: Quasi-experimental; KWL strategy; reading comprehension; report text

scholarly journals A Qualitative Study of Reading Comprehension: An Insight from Pakistani Context Bridging the Needs of Engineering Students

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 85
Author(s):  
Mansoor Ahmed Channa ◽  
Zaimuariffudin Shukri Nordin ◽  
Insaf Ali Simming ◽  
Ali Asgher Chandio
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Reading Ability ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Comprehension Instruction ◽  
Reading Comprehension Instruction ◽  
Comprehension Ability ◽  
Reading Comprehension Ability

<p>This study aimed to investigate the teachers’ opinions in terms of reading comprehension instruction to the engineering students for bridging their difficulties in reading academic text in communication subject. The study was conducted in the four engineering departments of one university in Pakistan. Semi-structured interviews of 10 teachers were used as a qualitative instrument to collect data for this study to know the needs of engineering students in terms of reading comprehension. The data was analyzed through NVivo version 8 for interpretation of the results. This study provided the most promising findings to develop reading ability among engineering students. The findings revealed that teachers should use rereading text, text scanning, and text skimming strategies to develop reading comprehension ability of engineering students.</p>

Study on Word Association Knowledge and Reading Ability

2011 ◽  
Vol 109 ◽  
pp. 699-702
Author(s):  
Ting Mao
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
English Learners ◽  
Reading Ability ◽  
Word Association ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
First Language ◽  
New Words ◽  
Comprehension Ability ◽  
Vocabulary Word ◽  
Reading Comprehension Ability

Improving reading comprehension ability has always been a big concern for the English learners. It is also one of the most important parameters to measure one’s English level. Research has found that many factors may influence the learners’ reading comprehension ability. In this paper one aspect of vocabulary, word association knowledge, has been proved to facilitate reading comprehension. Through Pearson Correlation and one-eay ANOVA analysis the authors found that word association knowledge had a significant influence on reading comprehension. New words cannot make any sense to the learner until they have been integrated into other knowledge that the learner has already acquired. The vocabulary students have already acquired is something like an associative network which is closely related to their prior experience of first language acquisition and their knowledge of the world. Therefore, both the width and depth of vocabulary should be integrated into English teaching.

The Efficacy of Novel Pre-activity Tasks on Macroskills: The Case of Group Discussion on Reading Comprehension

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 794
Author(s):  
Hooshang Khoshsima ◽  
Mahboobeh Khosravani
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Reading Ability ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Main Concern ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Spss Software ◽  
Experimental Group

The main concern of most researchers in the field of second and foreign language teaching is lessening the problems and eliminating the hinders on the way of learning a language. The importance of reading skill in the process of teaching and learning different languages is undeniable for everyone. The main aim of this study was to examine the effects of group discussion strategy as a pre- activity task on reading ability. To this aim, 27 Iranian EFL learners, who were at the same level –intermediate- studying at Shokuh and Safir Institutes, Birjand, Iran were chosen. Two groups- one control and one experimental group- were studied. In control group the conventional method was used in teaching reading, while in experimental group, group discussion pre-activity task was administered. Both groups met the same level -Intermediate. At the end, the obtained data of the tests was analyzed by SPSS software. According to the obtained data, it can be strongly concluded that group discussion has no significant effect on reading comprehension. This study can help teachers and syllabus designers in choosing and applying an effective pre-activity task which really help the learners in reading classes.

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