EFL Students’ Reading Ability through Narrow Reading: Matters of Vocabulary Acquisition and Reading Comprehension

Abstract

Reading is closely associated with vocabulary, which, in turn, plays an essential role in reading comprehension. Therefore, the current study aimed to reinforce the notion of narrow reading, a reading approach proposed by Krashen (1994). Specifically, it examined the effects of narrow reading on incidental vocabulary learning and reading comprehension in Buddhist university learning conditions. It also aimed to explore EFL learners’ overall attitudes towards the narrow reading approach. Participants were 41 first-year undergraduate students of two intact classes, enrolling in a Thai Buddhist university. The participants were purposively divided into two groups: the experimental group and the control group. Participants were given three measures of receptive and productive vocabulary knowledge and a reading comprehension test. A five-point Likert questionnaire was also used to explore participants’ overall attitudes towards the narrow reading approach. Results showed that participants’ reading comprehension gained significantly. More precisely, participants gained a 23.33% increase in reading comprehension over 16 weeks. The findings also indicated that narrow reading enhanced both receptive and productive vocabulary knowledge. Indeed, the results showed 41.50% gains in receptive vocabulary knowledge, while a 51.40% increase in productive vocabulary knowledge. Moreover, the analysis of the questionnaire revealed that participants’ attitudes towards the narrow reading approach were relatively high (4.37), suggesting favorable attitudes towards this pedagogical approach. The findings of the current study gave support to literature that narrow reading enhances reading comprehension and facilitate learners’ learning vocabulary knowledge, both receptively and productively, including Buddhist university learning conditions. Other implications of these findings are also discussed in light of current pedagogical practice and theory.

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