The Effect of Literary and Non-Literary Texts on EFL Students’ Critical Reading

Abstract

Critical reading skills are important for all students around the world. Teaching these skills enables students to be critical readers and helps them to survive in the real world. However, it was found that many EFL students lack critical reading skills. The objective was to enhance EFL students’ critical reading skills. It focused on comparing between literary and non-literary texts in developing critical reading. The participants consisted of seventy eleventh-grade students studying in an EFL classroom. They were divided into two groups: an experimental group and a control group. Literary texts were used to teach the experimental group, whereas non-literary texts were taught to the control group. The research instruments used in this study included: a critical reading test, lesson plans, and a set of questionnaires on students’ attitudes towards using literary and non-literary texts. Mean scores, standard deviations, and t-test analyses were used to analyze the data. The results revealed that using literary and non-literary texts had a positive effect on students’ critical reading skills. That is, critical reading skills of students in both the experimental and the control groups after the experiment were significantly higher than before the experiment. However, the scores of students in the control group were significantly higher than those of the experimental group. In addition, the result from the questionnaires showed that students in both groups thought that using literary and non-literary texts helped them develop critical reading skills. This study confirmed the potential in applying literary and non-literary texts in an EFL classroom.

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Author Information
Sirikarn Hiwanupong, Srinakharinwirot University , Thailand
Supaporn Yimwilai, Srinakharinwirot University , Thailand

• Category: ACAH2017, Oral Presentation
• Tag: Teaching and Learning,

Posted by James Alexander Gordon

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