The purpose of my study:
Oral reading, opposed to silent reading, is frequently used in both monolingual and multilingual classrooms. However, the effectiveness of using oral reading to improve students’ reading comprehension is being debated in monolingual classrooms, and only a few studies have been done in the multilingual classroom. In the monolingual settings, some research studies (Armbruster & Wilkinson, 1991; Bernhardt, 1983; Davis, 1981; Leinhardt, Zigmond, & Cooley, 1981; Miller & Smith, 1985; Wilkinson & Anderson, 1995) indicated that older children and adults, who are average or strong readers, comprehend better after reading silently, but some studies (McCallum, Sharp, Bell, & George, 2004; Prior & Welling, 2001) stated that the comprehension scores do not differ significantly between the two modes. In the multilingual learning situations, only few researches conducted about the use of oral reading on students’ reading comprehension. A result shows that a positive correlation of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ understanding of the passage might be occurred when they fluently read a passage aloud (Saiegh-Haddad, 2003). However, the comparison of using oral and silent reading to improve EFL learners’ reading comprehension still lacks of findings.
My research questions:
Through this descriptive, mixed-methods study, the following questions will be addressed:
–What are the differences of using oral reading and silent reading to improve EFL students’ reading comprehension?
- Will the first language affect students’ reading comprehension when they use oral reading and silent reading?
Definition:
- ESL Students: Students (mostly immigrants and minority groups) who are learning English as a second language.
- EFL Students: Students who are learning English as a foreign language.
- Oral Reading: Read a passage aloud.
- Silent Reading: Read a passage in one’s mind.
(Richards, Platt, & Platt, 1992)
Reference
Armbruster, B. B., & Wilkinson, A. G. (1991). Silent reading, oral reading, and learning from text. The Reading Teacher, 45, 145-146.
Bernhardt, E. B. (1983). Three approaches to reading comprehension in intermediate German. The Modern Language Journal, 67, 111-115.
McCallum, R. S., Sharp, S., Bell, S. M., & George, T. (2004). Silent versus oral reading comprehension and efficiency. Psychology in the Schools, 41(2), 241-246.
Davis, Z. T. (1981). A comparison of the effectiveness of sustained silent reading and directed reading activity on student's reading achievement. The High School Journal, 72, 46-48.
Leinhardt, G., Zigmond, N., & Cooley, W. W. (1981). Reading instruction and its effects. American Educational Research Journal, 18, 343-361.
Miller, S. D., & Smith, D. E. P. (1985). Differences in literal and inferential comprehension after reading orally and silently. Journal of Educational Psychology, 77(3), 341-348.
Prior, S. M., & Welling, K. A. (2001). "Read in your head": A Vygotskian analysis of the transition from oral to silent reading. Reading Psychology, 22(1), 1-15
Richards, J. C., Platt, J., & Platt, H. (1992). Longman dictionary of language teaching and applied linguistics. Quarry Bay, Hong Kong, UK: Pearson Education North Asia Limited.
Saiegh-Haddad, E. (2003). Bilingual oral reading fluency and reading comprehension: The case of Arabic/Hebrew (L1) -English (L2) readers. Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 16, 717-736.
Wilkinson, I. A. G., & Anderson, R. C. (1995). Sociocognitive processes in guided silent reading: A microanalysis of small-group lessons. Reading Research Quarterly, 30(4), 710-740.
