Factors Affecting Reading for Pleasure Practices in Community Libraries in Thailand

<p>Studies have identified that reading for pleasure (RfP) has a positive influence on reading behaviour and is more important for academic success than family socioeconomic status (SES) (OECD, 2010). RfP can play a significant role in promoting literacy development, and reading behaviour in areas of low SES. In Thailand, however, RfP is a contested reading concept because reading is traditionally associated with academic purposes. To investigate the current status of RfP in Thailand and the role played by community libraries (CLs) in its promotion, a study was undertaken in the largest and most economically disadvantaged part of Thailand, the Northeast region, or Isan. This research lies within the social constructivism paradigm and uses an applied multiple case study design. The study has two objectives: 1) to identify the factors affecting RfP reading promotion practice in CLs in Isan, and 2) to determine how these factors affect RfP reading promotion practice in CLs in Isan. Data were collected in eight CLs by 1) semi-structured interviews, 2) observations during library visits and library activity attendance, and 3) documentary analysis conducted on documentary sources. Qualitative data were analysed by open coding using NVivo11. The generation of a preliminary set of codes was deductively derived from literature and the research framework which was based on 1) Krashen’s Free Voluntary Reading (FVR), and 2) Asselin & Doiron’s Ecological Framework for Community Library Developments. Four theoretical categories were derived from the iterative inductive data analysis and the deductive literature review: 1) Thai Reading Context, 2) Thai Cultural and Social Factors, 3) Isan Socioeconomic Influences, and 4) CL Factors. They were used to write case reports on four types of CL: 1) CLs established by an expert organization, 2) CLs under the Office of the Non-Formal and Informal Education (ONIE), 3) CLs established by health promotors, and 4) CLs established by individuals. This was followed by cross-case analysis derived from combining, comparing or contrasting the findings from each case, providing a higher level of interpretation showing in four themes: Theme A. Provision of Book Access in Disadvantaged Areas; Theme B. Literacy Development Support; Theme C. Provision of an Inclusive, Safe Atmosphere; and Theme D. Active Roles of Key Individuals in RfP.</p>

Factors Affecting Reading for Pleasure Practices in Community Libraries in Thailand

<p>Studies have identified that reading for pleasure (RfP) has a positive influence on reading behaviour and is more important for academic success than family socioeconomic status (SES) (OECD, 2010). RfP can play a significant role in promoting literacy development, and reading behaviour in areas of low SES. In Thailand, however, RfP is a contested reading concept because reading is traditionally associated with academic purposes. To investigate the current status of RfP in Thailand and the role played by community libraries (CLs) in its promotion, a study was undertaken in the largest and most economically disadvantaged part of Thailand, the Northeast region, or Isan. This research lies within the social constructivism paradigm and uses an applied multiple case study design. The study has two objectives: 1) to identify the factors affecting RfP reading promotion practice in CLs in Isan, and 2) to determine how these factors affect RfP reading promotion practice in CLs in Isan. Data were collected in eight CLs by 1) semi-structured interviews, 2) observations during library visits and library activity attendance, and 3) documentary analysis conducted on documentary sources. Qualitative data were analysed by open coding using NVivo11. The generation of a preliminary set of codes was deductively derived from literature and the research framework which was based on 1) Krashen’s Free Voluntary Reading (FVR), and 2) Asselin & Doiron’s Ecological Framework for Community Library Developments. Four theoretical categories were derived from the iterative inductive data analysis and the deductive literature review: 1) Thai Reading Context, 2) Thai Cultural and Social Factors, 3) Isan Socioeconomic Influences, and 4) CL Factors. They were used to write case reports on four types of CL: 1) CLs established by an expert organization, 2) CLs under the Office of the Non-Formal and Informal Education (ONIE), 3) CLs established by health promotors, and 4) CLs established by individuals. This was followed by cross-case analysis derived from combining, comparing or contrasting the findings from each case, providing a higher level of interpretation showing in four themes: Theme A. Provision of Book Access in Disadvantaged Areas; Theme B. Literacy Development Support; Theme C. Provision of an Inclusive, Safe Atmosphere; and Theme D. Active Roles of Key Individuals in RfP.</p>

Korero Pukapuka, Talking Books: Reading in Reo Māori in the Long Nineteenth Century

<p>The introduction of reading to New Zealand by missionaries in 1815 was a catalyst for enormous change in how Māori communicated and recorded information. Reading was quickly adopted by Māori, who learned in mission schools initially, and increasingly taught each other, both in formal educational contexts and informally in village settings across the country. Missionaries were concerned to promote reading as a means of communicating the Christian gospel, and much of the early material available to Māori readers in reo Māori was ecclesiastical or scriptural works. However, in 1842 the colonial government established the first reo Māori newspaper, the first of around forty titles which were produced over the period 1842-1932 by government, church and philanthropist, and Māori groups. Alongside news, speeches and other items, the niupepa included a wide range of texts that broadened the genres available in reo significantly. Many reports exist of Māori reading and writing in to the niupepa. Māori reading was, however, often carried out in conjunction with traditions of Māori debate and oral communication, which proved to be pragmatic approaches to the reading context of Māori in nineteenth century New Zealand. Government-controlled niupepa in particular used translated texts, both in niupepa and bound separately, as a means of disseminating information on a ‘civilised’ life and urging Māori to take up European behaviours. Other niupepa, however, in particular the Anglican-Māori Te Pipiwharauroa, He Kupu Whakamarama and Te Toa Takitini and the Kotahitanga niupepa Te Puke ki Hikurangi, promoted reading as a means by which Māori could inform themselves, entertain themselves, and connect with other cultures. Rather than being subsumed by Pākehā culture, these niupepa writers aimed to enrich their lives as Māori by incorporating elements of what they read in the paper. Translated texts, reo Māori versions of originals from other languages, were certainly part of this change, with readers reporting their reflections on the text and its application in their lives. Although responses were varied to reading, with many Māori both reading and lacking interest in reading at the end of the long nineteenth century, a well-developed reading culture in te reo existed in New Zealand, Although reading was not engaged in by the whole population, it was, in many cases, highly respected and a part of daily and official life.</p>

Korero Pukapuka, Talking Books: Reading in Reo Māori in the Long Nineteenth Century

<p>The introduction of reading to New Zealand by missionaries in 1815 was a catalyst for enormous change in how Māori communicated and recorded information. Reading was quickly adopted by Māori, who learned in mission schools initially, and increasingly taught each other, both in formal educational contexts and informally in village settings across the country. Missionaries were concerned to promote reading as a means of communicating the Christian gospel, and much of the early material available to Māori readers in reo Māori was ecclesiastical or scriptural works. However, in 1842 the colonial government established the first reo Māori newspaper, the first of around forty titles which were produced over the period 1842-1932 by government, church and philanthropist, and Māori groups. Alongside news, speeches and other items, the niupepa included a wide range of texts that broadened the genres available in reo significantly. Many reports exist of Māori reading and writing in to the niupepa. Māori reading was, however, often carried out in conjunction with traditions of Māori debate and oral communication, which proved to be pragmatic approaches to the reading context of Māori in nineteenth century New Zealand. Government-controlled niupepa in particular used translated texts, both in niupepa and bound separately, as a means of disseminating information on a ‘civilised’ life and urging Māori to take up European behaviours. Other niupepa, however, in particular the Anglican-Māori Te Pipiwharauroa, He Kupu Whakamarama and Te Toa Takitini and the Kotahitanga niupepa Te Puke ki Hikurangi, promoted reading as a means by which Māori could inform themselves, entertain themselves, and connect with other cultures. Rather than being subsumed by Pākehā culture, these niupepa writers aimed to enrich their lives as Māori by incorporating elements of what they read in the paper. Translated texts, reo Māori versions of originals from other languages, were certainly part of this change, with readers reporting their reflections on the text and its application in their lives. Although responses were varied to reading, with many Māori both reading and lacking interest in reading at the end of the long nineteenth century, a well-developed reading culture in te reo existed in New Zealand, Although reading was not engaged in by the whole population, it was, in many cases, highly respected and a part of daily and official life.</p>

Augmented Reality for Supporting Adult-child Shared Reading

Augmented reality (AR) stories offer a new opportunity for parents and teachers at libraries and schools to explore electronic stories. Embedded with multimedia design, AR allows diverse paths of exploration in the story contexts for shared story-reading experiences among parents and children. In this study, parents in the reading community (a library and a school) were provided with AR guided support and a skill-building activity. Observations and in-depth interviews were conducted to collect qualitative data. Inductive analysis was used to summarize the findings. Results of the study were summarized in the following themes: Prior adult-child reading experiences; Novelty with AR reading; Parents’ scaffolding for using AR; Interactive reflective thinking from AR reading; Positive responses from learning of shared reading; and Parents’ suggestions and concerns. It was observed that the AR reflective reading approach encouraged parents to play an active role in guided reading. Children and parents were positive about their active participation in the AR-mediated exploratory reading context. With the AR guided support and skill-building activity, parents applied the scaffolded-reading skills in the AR reading intervention. The AR-mediated reading approach is promising and open to more dynamic design of interactive features.

Short Vowels and Context Effects: The Case of English Speakers Reading Arabic

The present study examines the impact of both short vowels and context on adult native English speakers&rsquo; reading accuracy of Arabic orthography. To this end, two groups of adult Arabic learners with different proficiency levels were recruited: 30 second-year, and 30 third-year learners. Subjects were instructed to read 50 isolated words, 20 sentences and 10 paragraphs in two different reading conditions: vocalized and unvocalized. Findings demonstrated a significant positive influence of both short vowels and context on second-year learners&rsquo; word recognition of the target stimuli. That is, second year Arabic learners had better accuracy when reading vocalized texts compared to unvocalized ones and were significantly more accurate at reading paragraphs and sentences than isolated words. However, third-year students&rsquo; reading accuracy was only significantly affected by the reading context.

L2 Expository Text Reading Instruction: A Graphic Organiser-Based Methodology

A mixed method research design was employed to investigate the effects of using graphic organizers (GOs) to facilitate expository text comprehension in a college EFL reading context. Participants were two intact groups (n = 21, n = 31) of 1st year Japanese engineering undergraduates. Over a six-week study period, treatment group practiced using teacher-generated mapping templates when reading. Control group completed text-based comprehension questions. Treatment effects were examined by pre-and post-testing, to examine if using GOs transferred into quantitative improvements in learner comprehension. Treatment group also completed a survey on the efficacy of GO-based reading in improving reading confidence, understanding of rhetorical structure/organization, motivation and interest. Results showed there was high variability in both group’s scores on both tests. Although control group scored significantly higher on both (p < .05) tests, relative gains in the treatment group were significantly higher in non-parametric analysis. Survey responses indicated that using GOs had a positive effect in several areas.

The Affordances of Digital Social Reading for EFL Learners

The goal of this study is to illustrate the affordances mediated by digital socio-literacy practices of university-level EFL learners engaging in collaborative reading of texts from an ecological perspective. For this purpose, a total of 38 first-year undergraduate students taking a compulsory EFL course in Turkey participated in the research. Data collected from learners' digital annotations on a digital annotation tool (DAT) and reflective papers were qualitatively analyzed. As a result, the construct of affordance was operationalized in an EFL digital social reading context through indicators derived from learners' annotations. The findings based on student-reported data showed that digital collaborative reading practices had contextual, social, and linguistic affordances for EFL learners. Following the discussion of the findings, the study invites future research to examine L2 learners' practices in a DAT-mediated environment in relation to affordances for specific language areas such as grammar and writing.

Investigation of Vocabulary Learning Strategies to Identify Word Meanings for Saudi EFL Students in Reading Context

This study attempted to answer the following research questions related to the various vocabulary discovery strategies which are used by Saudi undergraduate learners to find unknown word meanings, the most and the least vocabulary discovery strategies the learners used to discover unknown word meanings, the relationship between the type of Vocabulary Learning Strategies used and the scores the learners accomplished on the vocabulary test, and effectiveness of the learner control and the teacher control strategy in enhancing learners’ ability to discover meanings of unknown words. Answering these questions of the study are expected to help language instructors determine the most feasible vocabulary learning strategies to help their students improve their vocabulary and so their language competences. Through purposive sampling, a group of 50 male students participated in this descriptive and analytic type of study. A questionnaire and a vocabulary test were used to collect data. The findings of the study revealed that in understanding a reading text, EFL Saudi students tend to figure out the meanings of unknown words, mainly by guessing word-meanings through different sub-strategies. The least used was the social interaction strategy. It was also found that students’ scores on the vocabulary test significantly correlated (positively and negatively) with the type of strategy they used. This study concluded that it is vital for teachers and textbook writers to design more activities to train students on the use of effective vocabulary learning strategies, mainly guessing through socially linked contextual clues.