英語線上廣泛閱讀對於英語為外語學生閱讀理解以及態度之影響

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(1)國立臺灣師範大學英語學系碩士論文 Master‟s Thesis English Department National Taiwan Normal University. 英語線上廣泛閱讀對於英語為外語學生閱讀理解以及態度之影響 The Effects of an English Online Extensive Reading Program on EFL Learners‟ Reading Comprehension and Attitudes. 指導教授：羅美蘭博士 Advisor: Dr. Mei-lan Lo 研究生：呂昀潔 Yun-Chieh Lu. 中華民國一○六年七月 July 2017 1.

(2) Chinese Abstract 本研究為一混和式研究，旨在探討英語線上廣泛閱讀對英語為外語的國中學生閱讀理解能力及態度之影響。同時，欲藉由此研究探討上述學生對於以工作坊的形式進行英語線上廣泛閱讀的看法。研究對象為東台灣一所寄宿式完全中學的三十六位八年級國中部學生。本研究為期十週，除了第一週的前測及最後一週的後測外，其餘八週皆採工作坊的形式進行。每一個英語線上廣泛閱讀工作坊皆包含七個步驟：迷你課程、獨立閱讀、與教師一對一面談、填寫閱讀回饋單、小組討論、小組發表及個人省思。本研究所蒐集的資料包含前後測閱讀測驗成績、教師的面談紀錄、學生閱讀回饋單以及學生感知問卷。研究結果顯示，英語線上廣泛閱讀確實提升了學習者的閱讀理解能力及閱讀態度，對男性學生的閱讀理解能力影響尤為顯著。同時，幾乎所有的學生對於使用工作坊的形式進行英語線上廣泛閱讀皆持正面看法，因為他們可以從中學到有效的閱讀技巧也可以和同學分享所閱讀的書籍。本研究建議各級英語教師採用工作坊的形式進行英語線上廣泛閱讀，以提升學生的閱讀理解能力及態度。. 關鍵字：英語線上廣泛閱讀、閱讀理解、閱讀態度、閱讀工作坊 i.

(3) English Abstract This mixed methods study aims to investigate the effects of an English online extensive reading program on EFL junior high school students‟ reading comprehension, reading attitude, and their perception toward the workshop approach oriented English online extensive reading program. The study was conducted in a six-year high school in a city located in the east part of Taiwan. Thirty-six eighth graders participated in an English online extensive reading program for ten weeks designed by the researcher. A workshop approach was employed to conduct the English online extensive reading program. In addition to a pre-test and post-test administered in the first and the last weeks, there were eight reading workshops given from week two to week eight. Each reading workshop lasted for 100 minutes and contained seven components: a minilesson, an independent reading, an individual conference, a writing response, a group discussion, a group presentation, and a reflection. The data were collected from a pre- and a post-reading comprehension test, Teacher‟s notes taken during individual conferences, students‟ reading worksheets, and the students‟ perception questionnaire. The results showed that reading English extensively online did make a positive difference on EFL junior high school students‟ reading comprehension and attitudes, especially in boys‟ reading comprehension. Moreover, the students had a positive perception of the workshop approach of the English online extensive reading program because they could learn useful reading skills and share what they read with their peers. It is suggested that EFL teachers employ the workshop approach to extablish English online extensive reading programs in schools to enhance EFL students‟ reading comprehension and attitudes.. ii.

(4) Key words: English online extensive reading, reading comprehension, reading attitudes, reading workshop. iii.

(5) Acknowledgements For the completion of the thesis, I would like to acknowledge my advisor, Dr. Mei-lan Lo, for her support in helping me complete my thesis. I was so fortunate to be guided by her in the thesis-writing journey. Considerate and enthusiastic, she always encouraged me to conduct this study step by step, arranging countless meetings to complete the thesis. Throughout the year, she provided reassurance and guidance in times of turmoil and despite numerous obstacles. Dr. Mei-lan Lo is not only my advisor but also my mentor. I am also very grateful to Dr. Chiou-lan Chen, who, as a committee member, offered valuable opinions and pinpointed several directions to improve this study. I am really grateful for her advice. Dr. Hsiu-chuan Chen provided some concrete ideas and directions as well. I appreciate their assistance and it was my pleasure to have their viewpoints and learn from their helpful suggestions.. Moreover, this thesis could not have been realized without the help of friendly colleagues, considerate supervisors, and my wonderful and engaged students. With their help and support, I have been able to achieve my goals. Last but not least, I am profoundly indebted to my parents for their wholehearted support and love, especially my mom, who allows me to fulfill my dream without hesitation.. iv.

(6) Table of Contents Chinese Abstract……………………………………………………………….………i English Abstract……………………………………………………………….…...….ii Acknowledgements…………………………………………………...…..…………..iii Table of Contents……………………………………………………………………..v List of Tables………………………………………………………………………….vi Chapter One Introduction……………………………………………………………..1 Background…………………………………………………………………………1 Purpose of the Study and Research Questions……………………………………..3 Chapter Two Literature Review………………………………………………………5 Input Hypothesis and Affective Filter Hypothesis…………………………………5 Extensive Reading…………………………………………………………………6 Empirical Studies on Extensive Reading………………………………………..9 Online Extensive Reading……………………………………………………...12 Graded Readers………………………………………………………………....14 Summary…………………………………………………………………………..15 Chapter Three Method……………………………………………………………….17 Rationale of Employing a Mixed Methods Research Design……………………..17 Setting……………………………………………………………………………..18. v.

(7) Participants………………………………………………………………………...19 Implementation of the Online Extensive Reading Program……………………….19 Minilesson…………………………………………………………………...….20 Individual Conferences……………………….………………………………...23 Material………………………………………………………………………....23 Data Collection……………….……………………………………………………23 General English Proficiency Test (GEPT)……………………………………….24 Students‟ Reading Worksheets...…………………………………………………24 Teacher‟s Notes…………………………………………...……………………...25 Perception Questionnaire……………………………………………………...…25 Chapter Four Results…………………………………………………………….…...26 Theme One: Reading English extensively online can improve EFL learners‟ reading comprehension, especially for male learners…………………….…….26 Theme Two: Reading English extensively online can enhance EFL learners‟ reading attitudes………………………………………………………….…….32 Theme Three: Most students have positive perceptions of the English online extensive reading program….…………………………………………………..41 Summary…………………………………………………………………………50 Chapter Five Discussion and Conclusion……………………………………………51 Major Findings and Discussion………………………………………………….51 Pedagogical Implications...………………………………………………………53 vi.

(8) Limitations of the Study and Suggestions for Further Research…………...……55 Final Thoughts………………………………………………………………...…55 References……………………………………………………………………….…...57 Appendix A Perception Questionnaire (Chinese Version).....................................….63 Appendix B Perception Questionnaire (English Translation)………………….….…64 Appendix C Results of Perception Questionnaire……………………………………65 Appendix D Reading Worksheet (Chinese Version)………….…………………..…71 Appendix E Reading Worksheet (English Translation)………….…………………..73. vii.

(9) List of Tables Table 1 Study Procedures and Minilesson Topics……………………….…………..22 Table 2 Students‟ Pre- and Post-test for Reading Comprehension…………………..27 Table 3 Paired t-test Results for Pre- and Post-Reading Comprehension Tests ……………………………………………………...……………….…....27 Table 4 Boys‟ Pre-test and Post-test for Reading Comprehension…………………..28 Table 5 Paired t-test Results for Boys‟ Reading Comprehension……………………29 Table 6 Girls‟ Pre-test and Post-test for Reading Comprehension…………...……...30 Table 7 Paired t-test Results for Girls‟ Reading Comprehension……………………30. viii.

(10) CHAPTER. ONE. INTRODUCTION Background. With the impact of globalization, English education is taken seriously in Taiwan. For example, English has been a part of the elementary curriculum since the Grade 1-9 Curriculum was launched in 2001. Many conscientious parents even send their children to bilingual kindergartens or private language institutes before they enter elementary school, hoping that their children‟s English ability will not be lagging behind. However, with so much attention on and so many resources put into English education in Taiwan, there are still many struggling learners across the grade levels.. As an English teacher in the junior and senior high school settings, I noticed that English learning is a nightmare for most of the struggling learners. A great number of struggling learners lack of motivation and engagement in English classes because English has been taught as a subject instead of as a means of communication in Taiwan. Taking a closer look at how English has been taught in Taiwan‟s classrooms, one can easily see that most of the teachers still use the traditional language teaching method. Specifically, a large proportion of the class time is spent on vocabulary explanation, grammar analysis, and sentence translation, as well as exercises on comprehension questions. In terms of the students, they need to jot down the vocabulary supplement, highlight the important phrases and sentences, and even worse, some of them are forced to memorize the passages in the textbooks.. This traditional teaching method aims to help students pass the senior and college entrance examinations. Students might perform well on the exams under this 1.

(11) type of teach-to-the-test teaching method; many of them, however, have become passive learners and considered learning English as a tedious process which involves rote memorization of English vocabulary and grammatical structures.. The best way to learn a written language is through extensive reading (Nuttall, 1982). Over the last two decades, numerous studies have been conducted to investigate the effectiveness of extensive reading both in first language (L1) and second language (L2) contexts. Krashen (1988) stated, “The amount of free reading done consistently correlates with performance on reading comprehension tests, a result that confirms the hypothesis that we learn to read by reading” (p.291). In the meantime, several researchers of extensive reading (Elley, 1991; Hafiz & Tudor, 1989; Lai, 1993; Mason & Krashen, 1997) reported that their participants made significant improvements on reading comprehension tests. In addition to enhancing reading comprehension, Elley and Mangubhai (1983) found that extensive reading can benefit learners‟ written skills. Other researchers also confirmed that extensive reading had other advantages, such as facilitating learners‟ development of vocabulary (Krashen, 1989; Lao & Krahen, 2000) and enhancing their writing ability (Janopoulos, 1986). As Krashen (1993) asserted, reading is the only way for language learners to become good readers, writers, vocabulary users, advanced grammar learners, and excellent spellers.. Despite the aforementioned benefits presented by different researchers, little research has been done to investigate the impact of extensive reading in English on junior high school struggling learners in Taiwan. The possible reasons are as follows: First, few teachers are willing to implement an extensive reading program in English in their curriculum due to the tight teaching schedule. Second, teachers tend to think. 2.

(12) that what struggling learners need is more instruction of vocabulary and grammar, instead of letting students read extensively. Third, from the administrators‟ perspectives, it takes more effort and resources to include an extensive reading program in English in schools.. To bridge the research gap, the current study aims to explore the effects of an online extensive reading program on a group of EFL junior high school learners. It is hoped that the findings of this study will shed some light on English reading education in Taiwan.. Purpose of the Study and Research Questions. While there is considerable research investigating the effects of extensive reading both in the EFL and ESL contexts, very little research examines the effect of an English online extensive reading on junior high school students. Hence, this study aims to advance the field of English online extensive reading research by investigating the impact of a workshop approach oriented English online extensive reading program on junior high school learners in Taiwan. The research questions are as follows:. 1. Does the English online extensive reading program benefit EFL junior high school learners‟ reading comprehension in junior high school? If so, is there any gender difference?. 2. Does the English online extensive reading program enhance EFL learners‟ reading attitudes?. 3. What are EFL learners‟ perceptions of the English online extensive reading 3.

(13) program?. 4.

(14) CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW In this chapter, a general review of the related studies on Input Hypothesis and Affective Filter Hypothesis, extensive reading, and graded readers will be presented.. Input Hypothesis and Affective Filter Hypothesis. The present study is informed by two theoretical perspectives: the Input Hypothesis and the Affective Filter Hypothesis. The Input Hypothesis, also called the Comprehensible Hypothesis, was proposed by Krashen (1981, 1982, 1985, 1989a, 1994, 2002). Krashen (1993) asserted that more comprehension input brings about more language competence. Moreover, a crucial condition to move from language learners‟ current proficiency (stage i) to their next level (stage i + 1) is that the learners understand the meaning, rather than the form of the input. To understand the meaning of the input, the learners not only depend on linguistic cues but also use context, prior knowledge, knowledge of the world, and extra-linguistic information to assist them in understanding the language beyond their current level. In Krashen‟s view, what language teachers have to do is provide learners with comprehensible input, which will draw students‟ attention, stimulate their motivation, and arouse their learning interest.. The Affective Filter Hypothesis was first proposed by Dulay and Burt (1997), and was incorporated by Krashen as one of his five hypotheses. According to Krashen (1994a), comprehensible input can have its effect on acquisition only when the following three affective conditions are optimal: First, the acquirer is motivated; second, the acquirer has self-confidence and self-image; and third, the acquirers level 5.

(15) of anxiety is low. Krashen also added that affect includes attitude, anxiety, motivation, and self-confidence. Negative or forced affective variables such as pressure, anxiety, and reading comprehension checks can hinder learning. When learners are defensive, their affective filters are high, and the comprehensible input may fail to enter the brain. Therefore, Krashen argued that learners acquire second languages only if they gain comprehensible input and if their affective filters are low enough to allow the input “in.”. Extensive Reading. Traditional reading instruction usually takes the form of intensive reading, which focuses on decoding the vocabulary and deconstructing the structure as a foundation to teach learners how to read. In an English as a Foreign language (EFL) context, teachers rarely encourage learners to read extensively due to the fact that what they usually do is teach-to-the-test. Proponents of intensive reading, who view reading process as a bottom-up model, argue that language learners should deconstruct the contexts into small pieces, namely, from sounds to words, to phrases, and to sentences. Kamil (1986) claimed that the bottom-up model focuses on the text itself, so readers or language learners rely on what shows up in the text. Consequently, students become passive learners who do not enjoy reading either in or outside of class. Neither do they know the purpose of learning English. Nuttall (1996) deemed the phenomenon “the vicious circle of reading,” which means weak readers have difficulties understanding the words and meaning. They tend to read slowly and so do not enjoy reading. As a result, they have no motivation to read. Good readers understand more, read faster, and enjoy reading so that they read more and continue reading. They even read in their spare time.. 6.

(16) Different from intensive reading, extensive reading provides a different perspective and insight to ESL and EFL researchers and educators to help learners build up their individual reading process and enhance their reading ability and reading comprehension. Extensive reading, according to the Extensive Reading Foundation (2011), means that “students read quickly and enjoyably with adequate comprehension so they don‟t need a dictionary” (p.1). Different researchers address extensive reading with different terms, such as pleasure reading (Day & Bamford, 1997; Dungworth, Grimshaw, McKnight, & Morris, 2004), sustained silent reading (Garan & DeVood, 2008; Kelley & Clausen-Grace, 2006; Reutzel, Fawson, & Smith, 2008), or free voluntary reading (Krashen, 2004). However, a common characteristic shared by the aforementioned terms is achieving the goal of getting pleasure from reading by reading large quantities of materials for global understanding.. Many researchers regarded extensive reading as an effective reading instruction in teaching English as a second/foreign language (Block & Magnier, 2002; Grabe, 2009; Mason, 2003; Nation, 2009; Yamashita, 2004; Elley, 1991). For example, Block and Magnier (2002) have shown that the students at the elementary school level who spent fifteen minutes a day reading could increase their reading ability significantly. Elley (1991) found out that learners who read extensively seemed to acquire the language incidentally and cultivate their positive attitudes toward authentic and meaningful contexts. Elley further argued that for the average or below-average language learners, assisting them in developing reading strategies through extensive reading is an approach than can enhance their reading ability.. In addition to the effect that extensive reading programs can enhance learners‟ language proficiency, Elley (1991) stated that children who were exposed to large. 7.

(17) quantities of the reading materials seemed to learn the language incidentally and had positive learning attitudes towards reading materials, especially in meaningful contexts. The study indicated that educators should provide learners with meaningful contexts, numerous materials and comprehensible input. Learners will then benefit from the learning process automatically. Moreover, Tanaka and Stapleton (2007) argued that English teachers in input-poor EFL settings should increase reading input within the students‟ language proficiency both inside and outside of the classroom.. Al-Homoud and Schmitt (2009) conducted a study in which they compared an extensive reading class to a traditional class with intensive reading and vocabulary memorization for a period of time in a Saudi Arabian college pre-sessional course. The participants were 70 male EFL learners whose English proficiency had been found to be rather weak. After the ten-week treatment, the result showed that there were little or no gains in students‟ reading comprehension especially in the extensive reading group. This might be because they read for such a short period of time. However, the participants in the extensive reading program held much more positive attitudes toward reading than the participants in the intensive reading class in terms of their reading skills, reading comprehension and reading fluency. Moreover, the students in the extensive reading group stated that they were more likely to continue reading on their own and hope their English ability continued to progress.. 8.

(18) Empirical Studies on Extensive Reading Numerous empirical studies have indicated that extensive reading not only plays a crucial role in achieving high reading proficiency among second language learners but also benefits learners of different ages and proficiency groups to enhance their interest, reading attitude, and motivation in second language reading (Bell, 2001; Elley, 1991; Hafiz & Tudor, 1989; Huang, 2013; Mason & Krashen, 1997). Extensive reading also helps learners build up vocabulary knowledge and develop reading comprehension. By reading extensively, learners gradually increase their language proficiency not only in reading but also in writing. Studies on extensive reading have been conducted in different contexts, and what follows are some empirical studies on second language extensive reading.. Sim (1996) conducted a study in Taiwan comparing two different approaching to teaching reading comprehension. One approach was skill-based and the other was a combination of both the extensive and pleasure reading approaches. The participants were Taiwanese college freshmen. The treatment was given to one hundred and twenty students, with two classes being instructed the skill-based approach and the other two classes being exposed to an extensive reading program for the stress-free approach. At the end of the treatment, the students‟ reading comprehension was assessed via written recall protocols and multiple-choice tests. The results revealed that students in the extensive and pleasure reading group performed significantly better than the students in the skill-based group.. Extensive reading programs not only benefit high flyers but also low achievers. Mason and Krashen (1997) conducted a study in Japan to investigate the impact of extensive reading on EFL college students‟ reading proficiency. In this extensive reading program, students did self-selected reading, writing brief summaries or 9.

(19) comments on what they read. In addition, it contained three experiments on different groups of participants. The first experiment mainly focused on examining whether an extensive reading program could benefit learners with low motivation at the university level. The experimental group was a class of re-takers who had failed an/their EFL class while the comparison group was made up of students in the general curriculum. In the first semester, both classes followed a traditional curriculum. The re-taker class reportedly had poor attendance and low test scores, which resulted in the adoption of the extensive reading approach for the second semester. After one semester of extensive reading, the re-takers showed substantial progress on the cloze test, nearly keeping up with the traditionally taught students. In other words, Mason and Krashen‟s (1997) study showed that reluctant EFL learners with low proficiency can improve significantly in tests compared to their higher-level counterparts. The additional value of the extensive reading program in this study was that reluctant learners began to possess an interest in reading. Additionally, they developed active and positive attitudes toward reading.. Another research study, which was conducted by Asraf and Ahmad (2003) in Malaysia, found that the majority of middle school students in the study developed positive attitudes toward reading in spite of the fact that they were reluctant readers in the beginning. Similar to Sim‟s (1996) study, Robb and Susser (1989) compared extensive reading with a skill-based instruction with four groups of college freshmen in Japan. After the treatment, the results showed that extensive reading was more likely to be effective than skill-based instruction especially in enhancing students‟ reading skills.. 10.

(20) In order to investigate the effect of an extensive reading program on learners‟ reading rate and reading proficiency, Iwahori (2008) conducted a seven-week experiment by recruiting 33 senior high school students in Japan. During the experiment, participants could freely choose graded readers and comic books. The participants were asked to read 28 books as outside reading and were required to write a book report as a way for them to record the reading they accomplished. C-tests, conducted on the basis of cloze tests, were used to assess their general language proficiency after the experiment. The study results showed significant improvements in learners‟ reading rate and language proficiency.. Sheu (2003) utilized the extensive reading program with three classes of 8th grade EFL students. With the control group paying attention to intensive reading, the two experimental groups used two kinds of reading materials individually. One used graded readers and the other used books for native English-speaking students. The research findings for experimental group showed a positive impact on reading proficiency but no significant difference in reading speed and attitude. But, statistical results showed both experimental groups reading graded readers and reading books for native English-speaking children) made larger gains than the control group. However, the control group made no gains in reading comprehension.. In addition to evaluating the effectiveness of extensive reading with the regular learners, another group of researchers also assessed the effectiveness of extensive reading with the struggling learners. Lituanas et al (2001) conducted a study implementing an extensive reading program lasting for six-month in a Philippines high school. Sixty participants enrolled in the remedial reading class. Each student was matched with another student who had similar academic performance, interest,. 11.

(21) and background. One member of the pari was then randomly assigned to the experimental reading class and the other to the control class. During the treatment, both the control group and the experimental group had a forty-minute regular English class every day. In addition, the students also received an additional forty-minute remedial class. In the remedial class, students in the extensive reading program read texts of their own choice and then did post-reading activities. The control group participants were taught in a traditional way from a textbook with the emphasis on vocabulary analysis and grammar structure. In the long run, the extensive readers had significant performance gains in reading comprehension compared to/with the control group.. Online Extensive Reading. Due to the rapid development of the Internet, reading online or reading e-books has changed people‟s reading habits and the way teachers and students interact with the written texts. Extensive reading of e-books has been shown to facilitate Taiwanese tertiary level EFL technological students‟ English reading attitudes, reading comprehension, and vocabulary growth (Chin-Neng, Shu-Chu, Shu-Hui, & Shyh-Chyi, 2013). Matthew (1996) proposed that reading and interaction with a book on a computer screen has the potential to be a powerful and motivating force even for the most reluctant readers.. A number of studies have investigated the use of e-books (Larson, 2008; Lin, 2009; Liu, 2007). For example, Sun (2003) designed an experimental web-based system — Extensive Reading Online (ERO) — with the purpose of offering more user-friendly assistance for the online reading process. This system contained teacher and student interfaces so that they can immediately communicate with each other. The 12.

(22) participants in the study showed a positive attitude toward the ERO system and regarded it as effective in enhancing their language skills.. Arnold‟s (2009) research findings showed that an online extensive reading program in German did increase advanced learners‟ motivation in reading and hence encouraged them to read more in German. By using the student-centered approach, online extensive reading programs successfully appeared to boost learners‟ independence and create an awareness of the texts with different difficulty levels. Through the process, the advanced learners reflected that reading for pleasure was the crucial part in the program.. Lin (2014) conducted a study to investigate the effects of using mobile tablet PCs in an online ERP on senior high school English learners‟ online activities, reading ability, and users‟ perceptions. In the study, the mobile group outperformed the PC group not only in online activities but also in reading performance. Even though the students in the two groups read in different ways, the students in both groups presented positive feedback toward the online extensive reading program. They stated that they were impressed with the graphics in the e-books. Some participants expressed admiration that graded readers and the audio functions in the e-books benefited their reading process. The study results showed that the participants found the reading materials and the reading websites helpful for their learning, especially multimedia functions, topic varieties, and content richness.. In addition to the studies mentioned above, Huang (2013) conducted a study using e-books as a tool in an effort to enhance and build up EFL college freshman learners‟ language learning, and monitor or evaluate the reasons why students‟ perceptions toward e-books might change over the year. During the two-semester 13.

(23) experiment, the participants needed to read at least one e-book each week and were asked to hand in reading logs right after finishing reading each e-book. Moreover, they were asked to participate in interviews after the experiment so as to find out their perceptions of online e-book reading. The students in the study perceived e-books as being more available, portable, even eco-friendly than print-based texts. They also mentioned some troubles such as suffering from eyestrain when dealing with lengthy paragraphs or articles. Based on the questionnaires and interviews, the students presented positive and negative feedback on the program's strategy tools and its learning effects. Additionally, they indicated e-books' potential to develop reading habits and increase their reading motivation.. Graded Readers. When it comes to learning a language, reading materials play a crucial part in building up a solid reading program (Day & Bamford, 1998). Reading materials must be appealing and interesting. Most importantly, the difficulty levels and lengths should be appropriate for the learners to choose from so that they do not encounter obstacles and difficulties during the reading process.. Graded readers are simple or simplified texts with confined structure and lexical vocabulary to fit different levels of learners. Powell (2005) posited that graded readers can provide learners with access to a wide range of material at an appropriate level. In the meantime, they can present language in context instead of in separate chunks so that the learners can learn a second language in an authentic way. Moreover, Hill (2001) and Waring (1997) asserted that graded readers assist learners in developing the ability to reading fluently and have a functional purposes, providing a context to enhance language learning and offering sufficient exposure at 14.

(24) one level to language that is not beyond the competence of different levels of learners. In addition to the aforementioned advantages, Elley (1981) also mentioned that increasing the amount of interesting reading material so that it remains simple, but not too carefully controlled, results in very significant increases in vocabulary growth.. In terms of how to select suitable graded readers, Nation (2007) mentioned that graded readers should bring pleasure and a feeling of success to the reader. In other words, the reading should not be interrupted by the need to consult a word in the dictionary. They should also contain few obstacles and should not include large quantities of comprehension exercises after the reading (Nation, 2007).. Bramford (1984) stated that the best way to enhance extensive reading is by means of graded readers. By conducting extensive reading with graded books, language learners can improve their reading comprehension, and their vocabulary will also increase in the long run.. Summary. This chapter provided a review of the literature related to the Input Hypothesis and the Affective Filter Hypothesis, extensive reading, and graded readers. I have shown the insight that extensive reading, no matter reading printed books or online materials, is beneficial to language learners. Although numerous studies have been conducted to examine the effectiveness of different online reading programs, few reported on the relationship between online extensive reading and EFL junior high school struggling learners. Therefore, the present study aims to bridge the research gap that little research has been done to investigate the effects of online extensive 15.

(25) reading on EFL learners in junior high school, especially their reading comprehension and reading attitudes.. 16.

(26) CHAPTER THREE METHOD The current study aimed to investigate whether an online extensive reading program would affect junior high school learners‟ reading comprehension, as well as its impact on the participants‟ reading attitudes and perceptions. The present study was guided by the following research questions:. 1. Does the English online extensive reading program benefit EFL junior high school learners‟ reading comprehension in junior high school? If so, is there any gender difference?. 2. Does the English online extensive reading program enhance EFL learners‟ reading attitudes?. 3. What are EFL learners‟ perceptions of the English online extensive reading program?. In the following discussion, the rationale of employing a mixed methods study, as well as the setting, participants, and procedures of data collection, will be described.. Rationale of Employing a Mixed Methods Research Design. Mixed methods research (collecting, analyzing, and interpreting both quantitative and qualitative data) has become a popular approach to research in the last decade (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2011; Johnson, Onwuegbuzie, & Turner, 2007). Sieber. 17.

(27) (1973) asserted that the combination of qualitative and quantitative research can be effective used as part of the research design, data collection, and data analysis of the research process. In this study, the researcher used a pre-test and a post-test to assess reading comprehension to collect quantitative data to answer research question one. Some qualitative data were used to triangulate the findings. To answer research questions two and three, the researcher collected qualitative data via a survey with open-ended questions, reading worksheets, and the researcher‟s notes taken after conducting the individual conferences with the students. By establishing both quantitative and qualitative data, the research results will be more free of bias and more comprehensive.. Setting. This study was conducted in a six-year high school in a city located in the east part of Taiwan. This six-year high school comprises thirty-seven classes in the junior high section and twenty classes in the senior high section. To tailor to students‟ different learning needs, the school holds a screening/grouping exam in three subjects — Chinese, English, and Math — to examine students‟ proficiencies of the three subjects before they enter the school. After the students are enrolled, they are grouped into advanced, regular, and basic group according to their total scores of the screening exam.. Curricula with different emphases and characteristics are provided to students with different abilities. For example, bilingual courses are provided to students in the advanced group, while „normal‟ courses, such as those offered in regular junior high schools, are available for the students in the regular group. A curriculum aimed at developing multiple intelligences is in place for the students in the basic group. 18.

(28) Specifically, students in the basic group are encouraged to learn to express their opinions, as well as communicate and cooperate with others. It is hoped that through the well-rounded curriculum, students in the basic group can become active, passionate, and motivated to learn.. Participants. The participants of the study were thirty-six eighth-graders in a six-year high school in eastern Taiwan. Based on the scores of their screening/grouping exam, the students were classified as struggling learners in the basic group. The students in this class had five periods of normal English classes each week taught by a Taiwanese teacher, the researcher. Additionally, three periods of extra English classes were co-taught by a foreign teacher and the researcher. In the co-teaching periods, the courses were planned and conducted mainly by the foreign teacher mainly. And co-teacher‟s role was to assist the foreign teacher to solve disciplinary issues and translate and/or explain some difficult content.. Implementation of the English Online Extensive Reading Program. An English online extensive reading program was launched for ten weeks, starting from early February to late April 2017. The reading program was scheduled for 100 minutes on Thursday mornings. Except for meeting one and meeting ten, which were used for the pre-test and post-test respectively, the other meetings adopted the workshop approach which consisted of seven parts: minilessons, independent reading, an individual conference, a writing response activity, a group discussion, a group presentation and student reflection. What follows were the procedure of each reading workshop. First, I taught a minilesson (see the next section for details) for 19.

(29) fifteen to twenty minutes. Second, students read silently and independently online for forty-five minutes. During students‟ silent reading time, I conducted individual conferences with some students to see whether they encountered any difficulties or setbacks in their silent reading. If so, I would give them advice to help them overcome the problems. During the conferences, I also explored the students‟ feedback toward the books and the minilessons.. Fourth, each student proceeded to the writing response activity for five to ten minutes. In the writing response activity, students wrote down the sentences they appreciated, as well as their opinions, thoughts, or reflections toward the books they read on the Reading Worksheet, as shown in Appendix D. Fifth, after the writing response activity, students gathered in groups of four to conduct a group discussion for fifteen minutes. In the group discussion, students shared their feedback of the book(s) they read based on the writing responses. Sixth, after the group discussion, each group assigned a group member to present their favorite book to the whole class. It was hoped that through the discussion and presentation, either in Chinese or English, students would not only be motivated to read more but also have a chance to develop an ability to express their opinions without pressure. Seventh, after the group discussion and presentation, students devoted ten minutes to reflecting on their overall learning experience of that day.. Minilesson. In each workshop, I taught a minilesson for about 15 to 20 minutes depending on the difficulty of the reading strategies. The themes of the minilessons included how to select a just-right book, as well as the following reading strategies: skimming, scanning, predicting, clarifying, questioning, and summarizing. 20.

(30) Barrentine (1995) stated that minilessons are a crucial instructional practice in meaning-centered reading programs. Minilessons are created and determined by the needs of learners. Moreover, minilessons may be taught to a whole class, a particular group, or individual students. Most important, minilessons should be concise and focused on one strategy, skill, or concept each time so that learners can practice using the specific strategy during the reading process.. According to Fountas and Pinnell (2006), there are three major kinds of minilessons: lessons on management, lessons on strategies and skills, and those on literary analysis. In this study, the eight minilessons mainly focused on strategies and skills, owing to the fact that “strategies are „in-the-head‟ processes that readers employ as they construct meaning from print (p.128).” The minilesson in each meeting was short and precise, and focused on one clear concept so that the students would read effectively and would be able to have forty-five-minutes of individual online extensive reading time. The study procedures and the topics of the minilessons are summarized in Table 1 below:. 21.

(31) Table 1. Study Procedures and Minilesson Topics. Meeting. Meeting Date. Minilesson Topics. Note. 1. February 9th. N/A. Pre-test. 2. February 16th. Selecting. Session. suitable. materials. 3. February 23nd. Skimming. 4. March 2nd. Scanning. 5. March 9th. Predicting. 6. March 16th. Clarifying. 7. March 23nd. Questioning. 8. March 30th. Summarizing. 9. April 6th. Integrating strategies. 10. April 13th. N/A. 22. Post-test.

(32) Individual Conferences. In order to make sure that students had an experienced process while doing online extensive reading in English, I conferred with them individually during silent reading time. I checked whether the students were reading at the right level, enjoying their books, and/or encountering any difficulties, troubles, or frustrations. In addition, through the conferences, I examined what types of reading materials the students tended to choose from and their perceptions of the overall online extensive reading program. If possible, I also shared my personal reading experience, and recommended some books for them to read so as to strengthen the teacher-student relationship and motivate them to read more.. Material. In the current study, Reading A to Z, an online reading program with more than 1,200 downloadable books containing 29 levels, was used as reading materials. During the eight-week treatment, students selected the online readers according to their proficiency levels and interests.. Data Collection. In this study, two sets of the General English Proficiency Test (GEPT) and a survey of learner perceptions were used for major data collection. Additionally, individual conferences with students, students‟ reading worksheets as well as teachers‟ notes and reflections were collected to triangulate with the data gathered from the tests and surveys.. 23.

(33) General English Proficiency Test (GEPT). Two sets of reading comprehension tests from the GEPT for beginners were administered before and after the online extensive reading program. Both were taken from the standardized test package. Each test was composed of three parts. The first part contained ten items of incomplete sentences with one word omitted in each. The students needed to choose one best or more suitable answer to complete the sentence. This was designed to confirm whether the students had sufficient vocabulary and basic grammar knowledge. The second part of the test comprised two passages of cloze questions, each with five multiple-choice questions. The third part consisted of four short articles of different types, including notices, e-mails, stories, and scientific reports. There were 10 multiple-choice questions in this part. The students needed to choose the best answer based on the information provided in the passages. This part contained both local and global questions. The local questions focused on specific vocabulary, sentences, or parts of sentences, and the global questions required students to identify the main ideas of the article and make inferences.. Students’ Reading Worksheets. The reading worksheet (refer to Appendix D for the Chinese version and Appendix E for the English translation) contained four parts: what books the students had read, fiction or non-fiction; the sentences or vocabulary the students had learned or felt impressed by; the setbacks or the difficulties they had encountered during the independent reading; and the reflection parts in which students could express their feelings toward the English online extensive reading program. The reading worksheet was designed for the students to record what they had read during each English online extensive reading program so that they could discuss and share this with their group 24.

(34) members during the group discussion. Based on the reading worksheets, students expressed their opinions to the members and the whole class without feeling awkward or shy.. Teacher’s Notes. During the eight-week treatment, when students were doing their independent reading, I conducted an individual conference with the students one at a time. During the individual conference, I asked the students their perception about the minilessons, what difficulties they had encountered, what kinds of the reading materials they had read and how they perceived the English online extensive reading program. At the same time, I shared my reading experiences with them and asked them whether they had used the reading strategies while they were reading extensively. After conducting the individual conference with each student, I took notes of the students‟ responses, reactions, questions, and involvement.. Perception Questionnaire. To answer the second and third research questions, a self-reported questionnaire in Chinese (see Appendix A; the English version is shown in Appendix B) was administered to explore students‟ attitudes toward and perceptions of English online extensive reading. There were ten open-ended questions in the questionnaire.. 25.

(35) CHAPTER FOUR RESULTS In this chapter I will present the results of the study. The results are analyzed and synthesized from the various data sources, i.e., pre- and post-reading comprehension tests, teacher‟s notes taken during individual conferences, students‟ reading worksheets, and an open-ended perception questionnaire. The findings are divided into three themes, each of which represents the answer to a research question.. Theme One: Reading extensively online can improve junior high school EFL learners’ reading comprehension.. To answer the first research question, “Does the online extensive reading workshop benefits junior high school EFL learners‟ reading comprehension?” Two reading comprehension portions of the General English Proficiency Test (GEPT) were used to investigate the effects of the online extensive reading program on students‟ reading comprehension. Each portion of the reading comprehension test was composed of 35 multiple-choice items, with 15 questions focusing on vocabulary and grammar, 10 on cloze test, and 10 on reading comprehension.. 26.

(36) Table 2 Students’ Pre- and Post-test on Reading Comprehension Source. Mean. Number of the Standard Deviation Students. Pre-test. 63.37. 36. 21.67. Post-test. 67.93. 36. 19.91. As shown in Table 2, in the pre-test, the mean score of the whole students‟ reading comprehension is 63.37 while in the post-test, the mean score of the whole students‟ reading comprehension is 67.93, indicating the mean score has increased slightly after the treatment. A paired t-test was further conducted and the result indicated that there was a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test, as shown in Table 3.. Table 3 Paired t-test Results for Pre-and Post-Reading Comprehension Tests Mean Std.. Std. Error Deviation Mean. 95% Confidence. 10.05. 1.67. 27. df. Sig.. Interval of the Difference Lower. Pre-test-Post-test -4.56. T. -7.06. Upper -1.16. -2.72 35 .01.

(37) In order to see if there was a gender difference in terms of the boys‟ and girls‟ reading comprehension scores, paired t-tests were conducted for further analyses. As indicated in Table 4, a gain of 5.74 points (from 59.78 to 65.52) was found in the boys‟ reading comprehension scores between the pre-test and the post-test. In addition, a significant difference was found between the scores of the pre-test and the post-test (as shown in Table 5). That is, the boys‟ reading comprehension improved significantly after reading extensively online for eight weeks.. Table 4 Boys’ Pre-test and Post-test on Reading Comprehension Source. Mean. Number of the Standard Deviation Boys. Pre-test. 59.78. 25. 21.03. Post-test. 65.52. 25. 19.21. 28.

(38) Table 5 Paired t-test Results for Boys’ Reading Comprehension Mean Std.. Std. Deviation Error Mean. 95% Confidence T. df Sig.. Interval of the Difference Lower Upper. Pretest-Posttest -5.74. 8.48. 1.70. -9.25. -2.25. -3.39 24 .02. In terms of girls‟ reading comprehension, although there was a slight improvement of 1.86 points as indicated in Table 6, there was no significant difference between the scores of their pre-test and the post-test on reading comprehension as shown in Table 7. That is, although the girls‟ reading comprehension has slightly improved, there was no significant difference after the online extensive reading treatment. The reason why there was no significant difference in girls‟ reading comprehension might be that the female learners‟ mean score on the pre-test was already high.. 29.

(39) Table 6. Girls’ Pre-test and Post-test on Reading Comprehension. Source. Mean. Number of the Standard Deviation Girls. Pre-test. 71.51. 11. 21.82. Post-test. 73.37. 11. 21.32. Table 7 Paired t-test Results for Girls’ Reading Comprehension Mean Std.. Std. 95% Confidence T. df. Sig.. Deviation Error Interval of the Mean Difference. Pre-test-Post-test -1.87. 13.01. 3.92. Lower. Upper. -10.61. 6.88. -4.76 10 .65. The quantitative data indicated that reading extensively online has improved the participants‟ reading comprehension. The qualitative data also supports the same finding. The data drawn from the individual conferences and perception 30.

(40) questionnaires indicated that the students believed they had mded progress in English reading after the eight-week online extensive reading intervention. Most of the students mentioned that their reading comprehension seemed to have improved due to having learned eight useful reading strategies and having read regularly online. Two of the students even found that they had better grades on the monthly examinations, which had a profound impact on their English learning because both of them often got bad grades in English. Take Billy and Christina for instance. As for Billy, he said that he did not have confidence in himself especially in learning English. He said:. My English is really bad, so when the teacher mentioned that I could choose appropriate materials to read by myself, I felt unbelievable because I never had a chance to get exposed to outside reading in English. At first, I had doubts as to whether I could comprehend those books. But, with the help of the graphics and illustrations, surprisingly, I was able to understand the content. (Billy, from his individual conference on March 23rd, 2017). After reading for eight weeks, he made some progress. He wrote:. I gained a sense of achievement every time I finished reading one book, even though I read slowly compared to my team members. It seemed that I did make progress through the eight-week online extensive reading workshop. (Billy, from the perception questionnaire). Christina, who also struggled to learn English, wrote about her progress after the eight-week treatment. She wrote:. 31.

(41) I was not a hardworking student, and actually I had little confidence in language learning. However, I felt amazed that through independent reading, group discussion, and my group members‟ assistance, my English ability to recognize the vocabulary and understand the sentences improved. (Christina, from the perception questionnaire). Other students also mentioned that before they participated in the online extensive reading program, they had difficulties with reading tests and deemed English textbooks boring and artificial, but now they had become more confident in reading longer texts and could read faster. One student, Ben, wrote:. Through online extensive reading, it seems that I have enhanced my language ability and I am more patient when encountering unknown vocabulary, lengthy sentences, sophisticated articles, and long stories. With patience, I found that my academic performance in English has improved and that was a thrilling surprise for me. (Ben, from the perception questionnaire). To sum up, both the quantitative and qualitative data in the study support the finding that reading extensively online can improve EFL learners‟ reading comprehension, especially for the male learners.. Theme Two: Reading extensively online can enhance junior high school EFL learners’ reading attitudes.. 32.

(42) The second research question asked, “Does the online extensive reading workshop enhance the junior high school EFL learners‟ reading attitudes?” The answer to the question was found by analyzing the data collected from the students‟ responses in the individual conferences with the teacher, the reading worksheets, and the open-ended perception questionnaires. I will present the results of the open-ended perception questionnaire first, and then describe the key factors that enhanced students‟ reading attitudes.. (1) Autonomy in Choosing What to Read. In the questionnaire and the individual conferences, when the struggling learners were asked about their perception of the online extensive reading program, approximately 80% of the students were positive about it because they were able to immerse themselves in a wide variety of reading materials, which was an experience they had never had in the past.. In contrast to the content of formal regular textbooks, the students indicated that the books in Reading A-Z were able to arouse their interests in English learning, expand the knowledge, and truly enhance their intrinsic learning motivation. After the eight-week treatment, most of the students expressed that they liked reading extensively online owing to the diverse choices for them when selecting the materials. They liked the abundant sources that Reading A-Z provided. Compared to the textbooks they found rigid and boring, students could choose the content that interested them the most. Here are some comments from three of the students, Winnie, Kelly, and John.. 33.

(43) I haven‟t gotten exposed to outside reading in English before, and I haven‟t had so much interest in learning English. However, when the teacher introduced Reading A-Z to me, I was attracted by its various materials, and I hoped the books would broaden my horizons. Without a doubt, it boosted my reading attitude and empowered me with the initiative to learn English. (Winnie, from the perception questionnaire). I did enjoy reading extensively online and found extensive reading intriguing and valuable. I particularly loved its various materials. I was motivated by the various materials. (Kelly, from the individual conference on March 30th , 2017). With so many genres provided by Reading A-Z, I could read the books that aroused my interest. What interests me are topics related to a person‟s life or experiences. To my delight, I found numerous famous people‟s biographies such as Obama, Lincoln, Franklin, and Jeremy Lin. Thus, I read the books that I was interested in. Through reading those people‟s life experiences, I not only learned their attitude toward adversities but also acquired power, especially when I was frustrated with the result of the math test (John was not good at math) and got scolded by my basketball coach (John was on the school basketball team). (John, from the perception questionnaire). In addition to the choice based on students‟ interest, being able to choose what to read based on students‟ proficiency levels is the other essential aspect in terms of choice. There are more than 1,200 online books with 29 levels in Reading A-Z for the 34.

(44) students to choose from. With a variety of reading materials, the struggling learners had changed their rigid stereotype toward English reading and became to read online in English. That is, having various materials offered an advantage to learners with different proficiencies to enhance their reading attitudes.. (2) English as a Tool for Communication. Before launching the online extensive reading program, some of the students mentioned that they learned English because it is a required subject. However, through extensively reading online, they had changed their attitude and found that English is not only a subject but also a tool helping them experience different cultures/history and communicate with native speakers. In other words, reading extensively online helped struggling learners realize the true meaning of learning English. Oe of the students, Chole, was interested in math and science but not in English. She wrote:. I have never enjoyed learning English since elementary school… I found learning English a tedious task because the teachers in the „cram school‟ always focus on vocabulary and sentence patterns. … However, after using Reading A to Z and being taught several minilessons by the teacher, I found that I could use the reading strategies to understand the story and the content even if I failed to recognize the words at first sight. I finally realized that what the true meaning of English reading was and how joyful learning English could be when I immersed myself in reading. ... With Reading A-Z, I learned things that I didn‟t know before and I could share them with my family. To my surprise, I could use the language to connect to the world. Now the eight-week treatment is over, 35.

(45) I really hope that my teacher can still spare some time for us to read online even though we are about to enter grade nine soon. (Chole, from the perception questionnaire). Chole‟s feedback indicated that the online extensive reading program helped her reconsider how to learn English in an efficient way and how to apply those reading strategies when reading English texts. Moreover, she could use the strategies taught in the minilesson to understand the context even though there were some words that she failed to understand. This made her less afraid when encountering difficult words.. Besides Chole, some of the students also stated that after reading online, they found that English is powerful not because it is a required subject that they need to take but also a language that can help them connect to the world. In addition to acquiring knowledge, Reading A-Z provides them with a door to share knowledge with others. Kelly wrote:. Last week, I read a book related to Van Gogh. And this week, our foreign teacher showed a video clip about Van Gogh in class. What a coincidence! Kathy (the foreign teacher‟s name) asked us a few questions about Van Gogh, and I raised my hands to answer those questions. She praised me that I did a great job and asked me why I knew Van Gogh so well. I shared Reading A-Z to her and she was surprised that I did extra reading by myself. Besides, she also shared her viewpoints on Van Gogh and asked my opinions. At that moment, it occurred to me that English is not only a subject but also a tool to. 36.

(46) communicate with others. (Kelly, from the reading worksheet on March 30th, 2017). (3) Peer Support. In addition to choice and rethinking English as a tool for communication, students also indicated that peer support is another indispensable element to enhance their reading attitude. During the eight-week treatment, the whole class was divided into nine groups, each of which was made up of four members. Each of the groups had a group leader who helped monitor the learning process of every member by reporting to the teacher if their group members encountered difficulties or challenges.. After the eight-week treatment, some of the students found they made some progress in English learning thanks to their group members‟ support, instruction, and encouragement. With their group leader‟s help, they were able to understand the meaning of the words, answer the online reading comprehension correctly, and try to express what they had read during the independent reading. For example, Andy wrote:. Through the dynamic learning atmosphere created by my group members, I seemed to have changed my English learning attitude from passive to active. In addition to my attitude, I also found that the words and sentences had become easier especially during our discussion. I learned a lot from each group‟s presentation, too. I was sure that peers‟ support had pushed me forward to learn English. (Andy, from his individual conference on April 6th, 2017). Here are two more examples:. 37.

(47) In the past, my mom made me get extra help with learning on weekends. But I didn‟t make much progress in English. However, as I read more and more books online and discussed what I read with my group members, I became interested in English reading and developed the ability to read English step by step. When my peers saw that I was distracted/disengaged, they would encourage me to fight for myself and try to read one or two more sentences. With their support, I seemed to have the courage to face my poor English ability. What‟s more, I favored this kind of learning experience because I could learn a variety of new information through exchanging opinions with my classmates. (John, from the perception questionnaire). Sometimes I felt frustrated and lost when reading long paragraphs. But as soon as I felt that way, I would look around and try to obtain some inspiration from my classmates‟ enthusiastic learning attitude. It worked wonders after I looked at my group members. I seemed to have the power to insist on reading. I knew my English was not good like others‟; I could just choose books from level C to level E. However, the more books I read, the more easily I could figure out the plot of the stories. I even felt more at ease when taking the school monthly examination. (Andy, from the perception questionnaire). The above statements showed that peer support and the collaborative learning atmosphere were the incentives that provided the learners with energy to move forward in second language learning. With peer support, they were able to persist and. 38.

(48) read independently for forty-five minutes even though they still encountered some difficulties, or could become annoyed or impatient.. (4) Teacher Encouragement. Besides peer support, the students also mentioned that they changed their reading attitude because of the teacher‟s encouragement. Sometimes, when the students encountered complicated sentence structures and difficult vocabulary, it was highly possible that they would give up reading. However, encouraged by their teacher, they were willing to try harder when they got stuck or felt perplexed instead of giving in. One example is Leo, a student with low proficiency who regarded English as the least interesting subject because he always failed his test. However, due to the teacher‟s support, instruction, and encouragement, he regained confidence in learning English and learned to ask questions when facing problems rather than give up. He wrote:. I would rather study Chinese than English sometimes because I failed to read English articles smoothly or fluently. I always face lots of frustrations when reading English texts. But because of the teacher‟s encouragement, I cheered myself up and tried to learn English another way instead of focusing on grammar rules and vocabulary memorization. Since I had learned some reading strategies and was spurred on by my teacher, I tried to change my fixed learning attitude. (Leo, from the reading worksheet on March 2nd, 2017). After the eight-week treatment, Leo thought that online extensive reading helped him change his attitude toward English learning. Leo is now willing to reading books online in his leisure time in order to enhance his English ability. He knew that there is. 39.

(49) no shortcut in learning English and what he had to do was spend time getting accustomed to English and getting large amounts of exposure to the language.. (5) Reward System. With the assistance of their peers and teacher, students, particularly the reluctant learners, were also motivated by the reward system. They mentioned that their classmates‟ learning attitudes and enthusiasm encouraged them. Moreover, they were envious of their classmates‟ bonuses after reading Reading A-Z (Reading A-Z provides some bonuses for the learners after they finish reading and complete the reading comprehension sections. With the bonuses, the learners are able to use them to buy something stylish, unique or cool to decorate their own planet). Howard, an English learner with low motivation, was not interested in English learning until he saw one of his classmates decorate his own planet beautifully online. He wrote:. When I saw my classmates obtain plenty of stars to decorate their own planets, I was envious that they could purchase some interesting and fancy furniture and appliances to make their home much more stylish and comfortable to live in. Because of jealousy, I compelled myself to consult my classmates, ask for help, and try to change my passive attitude. (Howard, from the perception questionnaire). Moreover, some students also mentioned that if they collected more stars, they would have more motivation to read online. To them, this provided a sense of achievement. Evan observed:. 40.

(50) I have been impatient in reading for a long time. However, Reading A-Z provided me not only numerous books to read and choose but also offered me extra bonuses to keep me learning and reading. My classmates always felt envious when they found that I gathered numerous stars and bought some stylish furniture to decorate my house. I am really proud of myself. (Evan, from the perception questionnaire). In sum, students‟ reading attitudes can be enhanced by the following factors: autonomy in choosing what to read; realizing English can be used as a tool for communication; peer support; teacher‟s encouragement; and a reward system. In other words, EFL learners were able to develop a genuine interest in learning English if a reading program was carefully designed by taking these five factors into account. In addition, the responses of students‟ perception questionnaires were organized in Appendix C, hoping to offer further information and evidence to support the findings.. Theme Three: Most students have positive perceptions of the Online Extensive Reading Program. This section presents the results of students‟ perceptions of the online extensive reading program based on their responses from the reading worksheets and questionnaire. During the eight-week treatment, eight online extensive reading workshops were conducted in total. In each workshop, a minilesson was taught by the teacher (researcher), followed by independent reading, group discussion, and a group presentation. What follows are the students‟ perceptions of the overall workshop and some of the components of the reading workshop. 41.

(51) (1) Students‟ Perceptions of the Overall Workshop. The online extensive reading workshop was a completely new experience for the students. Some students mentioned that they liked the different teaching-and-learning class pattern because they were not confined to a formal teaching procedure and the regular textbook content anymore. On the contrary, they could select the books they liked to read. With positive reading attitudes, they absorbed knowledge when reading enjoyable and meaningful fiction or non-fiction. What follows are some of the students‟ feedback:. I never read any storybook before and my English grades are bad, but through the reading workshop, I could find materials suitable for me to read even though I am poor at English. (Simon, from the perception questionnaire.). When the teacher first introduced the online extensive reading workshop, I had some doubts as to whether I could read a book patiently or whether I could find any books that interested me. However, I always looked forward to Thursday because I could read online and get myself exposed to the English world. I felt excited when I finished reading different books. (Eric, from the individual conference on April 6th , 2017). I considered English textbooks boring. I always anticipate the reading workshop because I can choose the books that arouse my curiosity to read. I prefer reading fiction books. By reading those stories, I felt that learning language is interesting. (Nini, from the perception questionnaire). 42.