The effect of extensive reading on the achievement of vocabulary, reading comprehension and attitudes of secondary students towards English in the United Arab Emirates

Other Title(s)

أثر استخدام القراءة الحرة في اللغة الإنجليزية على التحصيل في الاستيعاب القرائي و المفردات و اتجاهات طلبة الثانوي نحو تعلم اللغة الإنجليزية قي دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة

Dissertant

al-Ananizah, Muhammad Said Quwaydir

Thesis advisor

al-Khawlidah, Ahmad Hamad

Comitee Members

Shair, Awatif Ali
al-Duwayk, Badr Said
al-Jadri, Adnan Husayn

University

Amman Arab University

Faculty

Faculty of Educational Sciences and psychological

Department

Department of Curriculum and Instruction

University Country

Jordan

Degree

Ph.D.

Degree Date

2010

English Abstract

This quasi-experimental study aimed at investigating the effect of using extensive reading materials on EFL Students' achievement in vocabulary, reading comprehension, and their attitudes towards learning English.

More specifically, it attempted to answer the following questions: 1.

What is the effect of extensive reading on the secondary students' vocabulary achievement in English? 2.

What is the effect of extensive reading on the secondary students' achievement in reading comprehension? 3.

What is the effect of extensive reading on the secondary students' attitudes towards learning English as a foreign language? The sample of the study consisted of two intact classes of grade ten students at Al Dahama’ model school for boys in Al Ain, UAE during the second semester of the academic year 2008 – 2009.

One of the two classes was randomly assigned as the experimental group (24 students) and the other class was assigned as the control group (24 students).

A pre -test of vocabulary, reading comprehension and a questionnaire of attitudes were applied on the two groups.

The first group read extensive reading material in class and did more reading outside class.

They focused on the comprehension of stories.

The second group was taught via the traditional method of teaching.

The duration of the treatment was twelve weeks.

A post- test of vocabulary, reading comprehension and a questionnaire of attitudes were given to both groups after treatment.

The data were collected and an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was conducted because there was an initial significant difference between the two groups. The results of the study revealed that the mean scores of the experimental group were significantly higher than the mean scores of the control group in the vocabulary and reading achievement test after three months of treatment.

This means that the use of extensive reading materials had a significantly greater positive effect on the high school EFL students' vocabulary and reading comprehension achievement scores than the effect of the use of traditional method after treatment.

The results also showed that there was a statistically significant difference after treatment between the attitudes of the control and the attitudes of the experimental group, in favor of the latter, due to the use of extensive reading materials.

Based on the results of the study, extensive reading materials should be incorporated in EFL textbooks as an integral part of the English Syllabus.

EFL teachers of English should refer their students to different sources of extensive reading.

Main Subjects

Educational Sciences
Languages & Comparative Literature

Topics

• Education
• Learning
• Secondary education
• Second language learning
• United Arab Emirates
• English language

No. of Pages

184

Table of Contents

• APA
• MLA
• AMA

Language

English

Data Type

Arab Theses

Record ID

BIM-433936