The Role of Using Reading Stories Technique on Teaching English Vocabulary for EFL. Learners (Elementary Stage) in Saudi Arabia.

Transcription

1 Reading Stories i Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University College of Languages and Translation Department of English Language and Literature The Role of Using Reading Stories Technique on Teaching English Vocabulary for EFL Learners (Elementary Stage) in Saudi Arabia By: Salmah Musleh Alqahtani Submitted to the Department of English Language and Literature of the College of Languages and Translation in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Linguistics Dr. Wasef M. Marashdeh, Advisor Jumada I May 2009

2 Reading Stories 1 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION The study of English as a foreign language is essential. We are living in a developing world and in era in which the world is getting smaller; therefore, we need to be able to communicate with others. That is why we have to learn foreign languages, especially English. Therefore, education has a critical function, and there is an increasing desire for language learning. Moreover, learning a foreign/second language is exciting, beneficial, and helpful. Vocabulary learning is one of the most crucial activities of EFL Saudi learners. Vocabulary learning in Saudi Arabia is extremely important in teaching English to beginners. Successful learning is the only way to lead this process (El Bahri, 2008). EFL learners will learn when they are motivated and when their teachers provide them with better ways to learn vocabulary. Stories, for example, can improve EFL/ESL vocabulary learning (Erkaya, 2005; Jansone, 2008). We need to encourage vocabulary learning in Saudi EFL learners. Reading is one of the most important skills in academic achievement (Kotaman, 2008). Reading stories is a way of teaching EFL vocabulary. Stories may support teachers in designing meaningful situations for vocabulary instruction. Reading storybooks is motivating. Young learners are eager to learn new vocabulary from short stories. Moreover, those stories create an entertaining atmosphere for elementary students. The more EFL learners read, the more vocabulary they learn. Reading stories can improve EFL learners listening and comprehension skills; therefore, enabling them to acquire vocabulary. Researchers have validated that reading aloud improves vocabulary development (Dhaif, 1990; Venetis, 1999), and vocabulary acquisition (Liu, 2006; Militante, 2006; Min, 2008). Jansone (2008) found that children like stories and that by hearing and reading them, they can be introduced to the world of knowledge. Reading in English should be as much fun for children as reading in their mother tongue is. Most

3 Reading Stories 2 children are accustomed to stories. Often these stories are traditional tales or stories about everyday life; however, some stories are new. Students who struggle to read in the early years of primary school tend to struggle with reading for the rest of their academic lives. Therefore, parents should prepare their children for reading in preschool and kindergarten by reading to them from infancy. Reading aloud can enhance the literacy skills of Second/Foreign Language learners. Learning English is a useful way to stay connected with this world. For these reasons, teaching English as a foreign language in Saudi Arabia is important for young learners. Developing reading vocabulary is important in all curricula. Reading aloud has been found to positively affect students vocabulary acquisition and comprehension (Coody, 1996; Cunningham, 2005; Hickman et al., 2004). Therefore, the researcher in this current study is going to investigate the impact of using the read-aloud technique on teaching English vocabulary to EFL learners (Elementary Stage) in Saudi Arabia, to examine if this technique can enhance students motivation in learning English. It is hoped that this investigation will shed light on the benefits of using stories in EFL classrooms. Statement of the Problem Learning English as a foreign language in Saudi Arabia in order to communicate globally is the main goal of the Ministry of Education. Several methods for teaching English have already been attempted. The required age to start learning EFL has been extended to the sixth grade in public elementary schools, and to the first grade in private elementary schools. In Saudi Arabia one of the critical aspects in foreign language learning is the learning of vocabulary. Increasing vocabulary knowledge is a basic element in education. A lack of this knowledge is considered a

4 Reading Stories 3 serious problem for EFL learners. Thus, this paper, as well as the proposed study, is devoted to examining the use of stories in teaching English vocabulary. English vocabulary learning in Saudi Arabia is one of the most serious problems facing EFL sixth-grade students. Foreign language learners are faced with difficulty in speaking English, due to their inability to understand the meaning of words, because most vocabulary words are introduced on lists, not in a context. EFL students in Saudi Arabia traditionally learn vocabulary; but, unfortunately, they cannot use it in meaningful sentences because they learn it by rote. Because of this, whenever those learners are asked to respond to questions that require the use of conversational vocabulary, they cannot apply the words they learned. In addition, many EFL learners write oneword answers to questions that require complete sentences. This is another result of teaching words out of context. Therefore, this investigation examines the effectiveness of reading stories on learning vocabulary. Purpose of the Study The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether using reading stories technique as a complementary learning instrument has any impact on Saudi sixth-grade students EFL vocabulary. The researcher selected stories that were combined with the students textbooks for the experimental group. The stories were regarded as complementary learning materials. Specifically, the study addressed the following research questions: 1. How does using the reading story technique affect the experimental group s EFL vocabulary learning? 2. Does the experimental group show a greater vocabulary gain than the control group? 3. Does using reading stories technique enhance the experimental group s weekly vocabulary learning?

5 Reading Stories 4 4. Does incorporating stories enhance students motivation toward learning English vocabulary? Null Hypotheses 1. There is no significant difference between the mean scores of the pretest and posttest of the experimental group s EFL vocabulary learning. 2. There is no significant difference between the mean scores of the posttest of the experimental group and control group. 3. There is no significant difference in the mean weekly quiz scores of the experimental group and control group. 4. Incorporating stories will not enhance students motivation toward learning English vocabulary. Definition of Terms To provide clarity, significant terms used in this dissertation are as follows: 1. Vocabulary: Brooks (2006, p. 6) defined vocabulary as the store of known words and their meanings. 2. Read-aloud: the oral reading of a certain text, paragraph, or book performed by the teacher for students in the classroom. 3. Storybooks: small books that were written especially for young children. These books contain simple short stories in simple language. These storybooks contain real stories and fairy tales. Significance of the Study The goals of this research are to shed light on alternatives to the current vocabulary teaching methods and curricula that are predominant in Saudi EFL classrooms and to expand thinking about language pedagogy. It is necessary to prepare EFL curricula that include several teaching methods and techniques in order to offer young learners a variety of ways to acquire English vocabulary. Using stories to teach English vocabulary is important for both elementary

6 Reading Stories 5 teachers and students. This technique assists students in building vocabulary and expanding their listening skills. Students have a strong motivation to strengthen their grasp of the English language. Therefore, reading stories may enhance this motivation. Teaching EFL vocabulary using the read-aloud technique can help instructors. The study highlights an approach in which teachers can encourage young learners to learn new vocabulary in storybooks through rich conversations about language. It tries to overcome the shortcomings in EFL vocabulary instruction for primary students. It explores the effectiveness of the read-aloud technique in developing sixth-grade elementary students ability to use and understand vocabulary in actual conversations. This study assists textbook designers in applying more effective methods of English vocabulary instruction. It encourages educators and textbook designers to reform vocabulary teaching methods for elementary students in Saudi Arabia. This study assists textbook designers in designing textbooks that include helpful stories and activities in order to teach English vocabulary in the context of stories. Limitations of the Study This present study was confined to private elementary schools in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The study population was 20 female Saudi EFL students in grade six. Therefore, the findings found cannot be generalized to EFL Saudi male and female students in public schools. The study deals only with vocabulary learning. In addition, the researcher used many second citations because there was a difficulty in collecting some important references.

7 Reading Stories iv الملخص قامت ھذه الدراسة بفحص أثر استخدام قراءة القصص في تعلم مفردات اللغة الا نجلیزیة كلغة أجنبیة لطالبات الصف السادس الابتداي ي في المملكة العربیة السعودیة. و بالتحدید كانت الدراسة مھتمة بتقصي الا ثر الناتج عن استخدام القصص في تعزیز تعلم المفردات و الفھم و التحفیز لدى الطالبات. اشتملت عینة الدراسة على ٢٠ طالبة سعودیة بالصف السادس الابتداي ي. و قد قسمت الطالبات عشواي یا إلى مجموعتین: المجموعة التجریبیة و المجموعة الضابطة. المجموعة التجریبیة درست باستخدام القصص المكملة للكتاب المدرسي و المجموعة الضابطة تم تدریسھا باستخدام الطریقة التقلیدیة لتدریس المفردات. تم جمع البیانات عن طریق إجراء اختبار قبلي و اختبار بعدي و امتحان أسبوعي قصیر و الملاحظة و استبیان لطالبات المجموعة التجریبیة. كان مستوى تعلم المفردات لدى طالبات المجموعة التجریبیة أعلى من مستوى طالبات المجموعة الضابطة. و ھذا یثبت الا ثر الا یجابي لاستخدام قراءة القصص كا داة إضافیة في تعلم المفردات. علاوة على ذلك أظھرت النتاي ج با ن دمج القصص عزز مستوى التحفیز لدى الطالبات نحو تعلم مفردات اللغة الانجلیزیة.

8 Reading Stories iii Abstract The study examined the role of using reading stories technique in the learning of vocabulary for Saudi EFL students. Specifically, the study examined the influence of reading stories to improve students vocabulary, motivation, and comprehension. Twenty female sixth-grade Saudi students participated in this study. They were divided into an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group was taught by using supplemental stories, while the control group was taught by using regular vocabulary instruction. Pretest, posttest, quizzes, classroom observation, and questionnaire were used to collect the data. The experimental group showed a greater vocabulary gain than the control group. This proves the positive role of using stories in vocabulary learning. Moreover, the results reveal that incorporating stories increases students motivation for learning English vocabulary.

9 Reading Stories viii Contents Chapter One: Introduction... 1 Statement of the problem... 2 Purpose of the study... 3 Research questions... 3 Definitions of terms... 4 Significance of the study... 4 Limitations of the study... 5 Chapter Two: Literature Review... 6 EFL vocabulary teaching... 6 Using stories in classrooms Reading aloud Teaching vocabulary through reading stories Story and motivation Chapter Three: Research Methodology Design of the study Subjects Instructional materials and procedure Data collection instruments Test Weekly quizzes Questionnaire... 25

10 Reading Stories ix Classroom observation Data analysis Chapter Four: Results and Discussion The null hypotheses Discussion Chapter Five: Findings, Implications, and Recommendations 40 The main findings Implications of the study Recommendations for further research References Appendices Appendix A: Pre- and Post-Test Appendix B: Mariya's Story.. 52 Appendix C: This is My Body...53 Appendix D: My Family's Farm.54 Appendix E: The Quiz Appendix F: The Questionnaire.. 56

11 Reading Stories x List of Tables Table 1: Target vocabulary words Table 2: Independent sample t-test for both groups in the pretest Table 3: A paired sample t-test of the experimental group Table 4: The mean scores, t-value, standard deviation, and the levels of significance of the experimental and control groups posttest Table 5: The mean scores, t-value, standard deviation, and the levels of significance of the experimental and control groups weekly quizzes... 30