ERIC Number: EJ1115205
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016-Sep
Pages: 19
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1533-242X
EISSN: N/A
Assessing Student Attitudes toward Graded Readers, MReader and the MReader Challenge
Cheetham, Catherine; Harper, Alan; Elliott, Melody; Ito, Mika
Reading Matrix: An International Online Journal, v16 n2 p1-19 Sep 2016
This paper describes a pilot study conducted with English as a foreign language (EFL) students at a private university in Japan who used graded readers and the MReader website in class or independently to enhance their English reading skills. Each semester students who read 100,000 words with MReader quizzes passed enter into the "MReader Challenge," a reading contest that recognizes students for their achievement. The study focused specifically on the attitudes of thirty-six EFL students who successfully completed the Challenge in the 2015 spring semester using graded readers and MReader, and their motivation to continue using English in the future. The attitudes of these students were measured using their responses to statements on a Likert scaled survey. Follow-up semi-structured interviews were conducted with eleven students to gain additional insight into their opinions. The results from this study suggest that reading graded readers in general promoted intrinsic motivation among a majority of the participants. This study is preliminary and needs to be expanded and continued to assess the lasting impact of the extensive reading program. Limitations and future directions of the study are also summarized and discussed.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, College Students, Student Attitudes, Basal Reading, Reading Skills, Reading Improvement, Reading Attitudes, English (Second Language), Second Language Learning, Reading Motivation, Likert Scales, Attitude Measures, Semi Structured Interviews, Competition, Reading Programs, Language Skills, Goal Orientation
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Japan
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A