| Summary: | 碩士 === 玄奘大學 === 外國語文學系碩士班 === 97 === In Taiwan, people studying English As A Foreign Language (EFL) seldom have the opportunity to speak in or listen to English. Nevertheless, since reading aloud is regarded as an activity that allows EFL learners to practice English, English teachers in Taiwan elementary schools adopt the practice of reading aloud in class. However, given that most entry examinations involve writing and reading comprehension, not speaking and listening, after junior high school, English teachers focus on reading and writing practice. Previous studies indicates that reading aloud has a positive effect on children, yet there is no research to investigate whether reading aloud can, in fact, enhance the listening comprehension of EFL university students.
Consequently, this study aims to determine whether reading aloud in class can improve EFL university students’ listening comprehension. Further, the practice of reading aloud by students has been carefully considered. The participants comprised 54 freshmen from the Foreign Languages and Literatures Department at Hsuan Chuang University. Data was collected from February to May 2008, more than a period of 10 weeks. During the first and tenth weeks, English listening comprehension was assessed and a questionnaire was administered; the other eight weeks involved reading aloud activities in class, two hours a week. Data was collected from the English listening comprehension tests, questionnaires, classroom observation, and daily reading aloud time logs.
The result indicated that reading aloud in class had no significant effect on the students’ listening comprehension. However, the questionnaire data indicated that students had positive attitude toward reading aloud; they stated that it helped them memorize words and phrases and became familiar with the textbook and pronunciations. Therefore, students believed that their English listening comprehension could be enhanced by reading aloud activities. Although most of them did not practice reading aloud after school, they still considered this activity to be a method to learn English. The present study proposed several pedagogical implications and suggestions with respect to reading aloud instruction in EFL classes.
|
|---|
