Effects of Different Text Difficulty Levels on Iranian EFL Learners' Foreign Language Reading Motivation and Reading Comprehension

Autor/inn/en	Niazifar, Alireza; Shakibaei, Goodarz
Titel	Effects of Different Text Difficulty Levels on Iranian EFL Learners' Foreign Language Reading Motivation and Reading Comprehension
Quelle	In: Asian-Pacific Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education, 4 (2019), Artikel 7 (18 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	2363-5169
DOI	10.1186/s40862-019-0070-x
Schlagwörter	Reading Motivation; Reading Comprehension; Student Placement; Language Tests; Difficulty Level; English (Second Language); Language Proficiency; Pretests Posttests; Student Attitudes; Teaching Methods; Second Language Learning; Second Language Instruction; Foreign Countries; Iran + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Lesemotivation; Leseverstehen; Schülerpraktikum; Language test; Sprachtest; Schwierigkeitsgrad; English as second language; English; Second Language; Englisch als Zweitsprache; Language skill; Language skills; Sprachkompetenz; Schülerverhalten; Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode; Zweitsprachenerwerb; Fremdsprachenunterricht; Ausland
Abstract	This study investigated the effects of different text difficulty levels on Iranian EFL learners' foreign language reading motivation and reading comprehension. To fulfil this objective, 40 Iranian participants were selected among 50 students based on the results of Interchange Placement Test (Richards et al, Placement and Evaluation Package Interchange Third Edition/Passages Second Edition with Audio CDs, 2008). The pre-intermediate selected participants were then randomly divided into two equal groups; "i + 1" group (n = 20) and "i-1" group (n = 20). Afterwards, the researchers measured the participants' English reading comprehension by administering a researchers-made reading comprehension pre-test. Moreover, "Motivation for Reading Questionnaire" was also conducted. After the participants were all pre-tested, the treatment was practiced on the both groups. The participants in "i + 1" group received reading passages beyond the current level, on the other hand, the "i-1" group received those reading passages which were below their current level. After the instruction which lasted about 3 months, a modified version of reading comprehension pre-test was administered to the both groups as posttest and finally the data were analyzed by using paired and independent samples t-tests. Moreover, Students' answers to the questionnaire was also analyzed. The obtained results indicated that there was a significant difference between the post-tests of "i + 1" and "i-1" groups. The findings indicated that the "i + 1" group significantly outperformed the "i-1" group (p < 0.05) on the post-test. Furthermore, the results revealed that the 'i + 1' materials could help Iranian EFL learners increase their reading English motivation. This study has implications for teaching and learning reading comprehension. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01