Examining the effect of Readtheory on EFL students’ reading proficiency

Endang Setyaningsih

Abstract


Read theory has been used by over 14,000,000 users but little is known about the effect of Readtheory on students’ reading proficiency. This study examines the use of Readtheory in an EFL Reading class. It involved 72 first-year EFL university students in Indonesia. To measure the baseline and the end line, a free android-based app called EnglishScore was utilized. Readtheory exercises were conducted in one semester as an outclass activity, embed in a regular reading course. The Readtheory program report that consists of text Lexile level progress, the grade level progress, and the ELA standards (key ideas and details, craft and structure, and integration of knowledge) were analyzed to take a deeper dive into students’ comprehension levels. As an online resource that is also commonly linked to ER programs, this study also took a survey on the degree of enjoyment that students feel during the Readtheory program. The results of the data analysis show that Readtheory increased not only students’ general reading proficiency but also grammar, vocabulary, and listening proficiency. At the micro-level, the comprehension level of the students on key ideas and details, craft and structure, and integration of knowledge were presented. The students also reported their enjoyment in three out of four dimensions that were asked in the questionnaire. The study implied that extending reading practices beyond the classroom is beneficial and free online resources which offer ease of monitoring should be endorsed and be made as part of school policy or curriculum.

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.30870/aiselt.v6i1.12496

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