International Journal of Language and Translation Research

Impact of Extra-Curricular Reading Materials on the Development of EFL Learners’ Motivation

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

English Department, Najafabad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Najafabad, Iran

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the impact of extra-curricular resources and materials on the development of EFL learners’ motivation and ability to understand basic concepts of language. The IELTS pre-test and post-test scores of forty EFL learners, selected conveniently and homogenized through a Level Assessment (OPT) test, were compared to achieve this purpose. In addition, the participants who were randomly divided into experimental and control groups completed a motivation questionnaire, also called the academic motivation scale. This questionnaire was used to assess the participants’ motivation to learn English through extra-curricular materials used outside a classroom. The obtained results indicated the effectiveness of using extra-curricular materials on motivation. The results also confirmed the recent findings that using extra-curricular materials is a useful way to improve the understanding of the learners’ basic English language concepts and the development of their motivation.

Keywords

Article Title [Persian]

l

Abstract [Persian]

هدف از این مطالعه بررسی تأثیر منابع و مواد فوق برنامه بر رشد انگیزه و توانایی زبان آموزان زبان انگلیسی برای درک مفاهیم اساسی زبان بود. نمرات پیش آزمون و پس آزمون آیلتس چهل زبان آموز زبان انگلیسی که به راحتی انتخاب شده و از طریق آزمون ارزیابی سطح (OPT) یکسان شده بودند، برای دستیابی به این هدف مقایسه شدند. علاوه بر این، شرکت کنندگانی که به طور تصادفی به دو گروه آزمایش و کنترل تقسیم شدند، پرسشنامه انگیزشی را که مقیاس انگیزش تحصیلی نیز نامیده می شود، تکمیل کردند. این پرسشنامه برای ارزیابی انگیزه شرکت کنندگان برای یادگیری زبان انگلیسی از طریق مواد فوق برنامه مورد استفاده در خارج از کلاس استفاده شد. نتایج به‌دست‌آمده حاکی از اثربخشی استفاده از مواد فوق برنامه بر انگیزش بود. نتایج همچنین یافته‌های اخیر را تأیید کرد که استفاده از مواد فوق برنامه راهی مفید برای بهبود درک مفاهیم پایه زبان انگلیسی زبان‌آموزان و همچنین توسعه انگیزه آنها است.

Keywords [Persian]

  • مطالب غیر آموزشی
  • انگیزه
  • مواد آموزشی
  • مفاهیم
Bacon, S., & Finneman, M. (2019). A study of attitudes, motives, and strategies of university foreign language students and their disposition to authentic oral and written input. Modern Language Journal, 74(4), 459- 473.
Bahrani, T., & Tam, S. S. (2012). Informal language learning setting: technology or social interaction?
Baird, K., & Redmond, M, (Eds.). (2020). The use of authentic materials in the K-1 French program.
Berardo, S. (2019). The use of authentic materials in the teaching of reading. The Reading  Matrix, 6(2), 60-69.
Breen, M. P. (2017). Authenticity in the language classroom. Applied Linguistics, 6(1), 60-70.
Brown, H. D. (2004). Language assessment principles and classroom practice. NY: Pearson Education.
Curtain, H. A., & Pesola, C. A. (1988). Language and children- making the match foreign language instruction in the elementary school. Reading, MA: Addison Wesley.
Ghaderpanahi, L. (2012). Using authentic aural materials to develop listening comprehension in the EFL classroom. English Language Teaching, 5(6), 146-153.
Gilmore, A. (2018). Authentic materials and authenticity in foreign language learning. Language Teaching, 40(1), 97-118.
Harmer, J. (2018). The practice of English language teaching (4th ed.). Harlow, UK: Pearson Education.
Hitler, D. (2005). Teaching with authentic materials. Retrieved from: http://www.intelligent- business.org.
Kilickaya, F. (2014). Authentic materials and cultural content in EFL classrooms. The Internet TESL Journal, 10(7). Retrieved from: iteslg.org
Little, D., Devitt, S. and Singleton, D. (1989). Learning foreign languages from authentic texts: theory and practice. Dublin: Authentic in Association with CILT.
Marzban, A., & Davaji, S. (2017). The effect of authentic texts on motivation and reading comprehension of EFL students at an intermediate level of proficiency. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 5(1), 85-91.
McNeill, A. (2012). What makes authentic materials different? The case of English language materials for educational television. Paper presented at the Annual International Language in Education Conference, Hong Kong. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED386057
Otte, J. (2016). Real language to real people: A descriptive and exploratory case study of the outcomes of aural authentic texts on the listening comprehension of adult ESL students enrolled in an advanced ESL listening course. Dissertation Abstracts International, 67(4), 1246B. (UMI No. 3212979) Retrieved from: www.macrothink.org/journal/index.php/ijld/article/viewF file/8218/6746
Salehi, M. (2015). The relationship between intrinsic motivation and learner autonomy. Language Forum, 31(2), 115- 130.
Salehi, M. & Vafakhah, S. (2013). A Comparative Study of Reciprocal Teaching Only (RTO) and Explicit Teaching of Strategies before Reciprocal Teaching (ET-RT) On Reading Comprehension of EFL Learners. Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences. 7. 148-155.
Seguni, L. (2009). Authentic materials: Towards a rational selection and an effective implementation. Retrieved from: http://fll.univbiskra.dz/images/pdf_revue/pdf_revue_04/se gni%20laam ri.pdf
Singleton, D. M. (1989). Language Acquisition: The Age Factor. United Kingdom: Multilingual Matters
Taylor, D. (2020). Inauthentic authenticity or authentic inauthenticity? Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language, 1(2), 1-10.
Thanajaro, M. (2000). Using authentic materials to develop listening comprehension in the English as a foreign language classroom. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation), Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia.
Tomlinson, B. (1998). Materials development in language teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
International Journal of Language and Translation Research
Volume 3, Issue 1 - Serial Number 1
ISBN 9783899664812
January 2023
Pages 28-39
  • Receive Date: 20 September 2022
  • Revise Date: 17 November 2022
  • Accept Date: 21 December 2022