The impact of audiobook on improving Jordanian basic education students' reading comprehension

Abstract EN

This study aimed at Improving Jordanian Basic Education Students' Reading Comprehension by using audiobooks.

To fulfill this purpose, two instruments were constructed: a reading skills questionnaire to determine the necessary reading skills for tenth grade/ basic stage students and a pre – post reading comprehension test to assess EFL students' reading comprehension skills before and after the study intervention.

The validity and reliability of the study instruments were established before their application in the study.

The quasi-experimental design was adopted.

The participants of the study were sixteen students selected from the tenth grade basic stage students at The Martyr Pilot Muath Al-Kasasbeh in AL-karak Directorate, Jordan.

The experimental group students were taught through the proposed audiobooks activities while the control group students studied through the regular instructional activities.

Results revealed that the experimental group students EFL reading skills were significantly improved.

It was recommended that audiobook should be used in EFL teaching to improve speaking skills and other language skills.

Key words: reading comprehension /audiobooks IntroductionThe four skills play a vital role at communication with others also in foreign learning-teaching process.

Each one of these skills is related to another skill as there is a relation between listening and writing skills as well as reading and speaking skills.

Currently, it is supposed that listening and writing as well as reading and speaking skills have a common connection.

As one growths, so does other.

Reading improves speaking skills, and speaking skills improve reading.

Haboush (2010) defined reading as the majority of mental activities in which visible group of symbols turning into 'talk', or within the case of silent reading, into an image of speech sounds.

Reading is also totally and comprehensively outlined it as “a visual and cognitive process to extract meaning from writing by understanding the written text, processing information, and relating it to existing experience.

Language acquisition without reading is difficult.

Reading is a good way of comprehension.

A good reader is able to understand sentences and structures of a written text.

It appears that reading is a key factor in language learning (Mart, 2012).

Reading can play a big part in successful language learning.

It can develop speaking skills.

Learners through reading developed both fluency and accuracy of expression in their speaking.

It is clear that speaking occupied an awfully important place in foreign language learning as speech messages are conveyed (Mart, 2012).

In spite of the importance of reading comprehension skills for EFL learners, students face a number of difficulties that include inability to process new vocabulary and concepts in a meaningful manner, less prior knowledge and skill in relevant domain and difficulty in identifying the main idea.