Enhancing Reading Comprehension through Critical Dialogs as Pre-task: The Case of the Students of Psychology and Accounting
الموضوعات :
1 - Department of English, Maybod Branch, Islamic Azad University, Maybod, Iran
الکلمات المفتاحية: English for academic purposes, reading comprehension, sequential mixed-methods study, task-based language teaching,
ملخص المقالة :
The effects of task-based language teaching (TBLT) on reading comprehension of EAP students has not received due attention in the literature. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research examines whether TBLT improves reading comprehension more effectively compared to traditional English for academic purposes methodologies. In this study, a sample of 100 intermediate-level Iranian university students was selected through convenience sampling and randomly divided into four groups of 25 participants each (comprising two control groups and two experimental groups). The experimental groups, one in psychology and one in accounting, were instructed using TBLT, while the control groups, also in psychology and accounting, followed traditional EAP instruction as dictated by the curriculum and course instructor. Initially, all groups completed a piloted, researcher-developed reading comprehension pretest. In the experimental groups, the syllabus was co-constructed through negotiation, reflecting the students' needs and rights. In contrast, the control groups were taught using textbooks predetermined by the curriculum. Upon the completion of the treatment sessions, all participants took a posttest. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses revealed that TBLT significantly enhanced the reading comprehension skills of Iranian university students compared to traditional EAP methods. Additionally, the study found that the field of study did not influence the effectiveness of the instructional method (TBLT or EAP). These findings provide valuable insights for English for specific purposes (ESP) teachers and material developers, emphasizing the potential benefits of incorporating TBLT into EAP instruction.
Alhadiah, A. (2021). Communicative needs of Saudi EFL engineering students in an EAP context: Task-based needs analysis. TESOL International Journal, 16(1), 9–33.
Anthony, L. (2018). Introducing English for specific purposes. Routledge.
Arnó-Macià, E., Aguilar-Pérez, M., & Tatzl, D. (2020). Engineering students' perceptions of the role of ESP courses in internationalized universities. English for Specific Purposes, 58, 58-74. doi:10.1016/j.esp.2019.12.001.
Bygate, M. (2020). Some directions for the possible survival of TBLT as a real world project. Language Teaching, 53(3), 275-288.
Benesch, S. (2001). Critical English for academic purposes: Theory, politics and practice. Routledge.
Benesch, S. (2009). Theorizing and practicing critical English for academic purposes. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 8(2), 81-85. doi:10.1016/j.jeap.2008.09.002
Benesch, S. (2013). Considering emotions in critical English language teaching: Theories and praxis. Routledge.
Carless, D. (2015). Teachers’ adaptations of TBLT: The Hong Kong story. Contemporary Task-Based Language Teaching in Asia, 366–380.
Chen, S , & Wang, J. (2019). Effects of task-based language teaching (TBLT) approach and language assessment on students’ competences in intensive reading course. English Language Teaching, 12(3), 119-138.
Clapham, C. (2001). Discipline specificity and EAP. In J. Flowerdew & M. Peacock (Eds.), Research perspectives on English for academic purposes (pp. 84-100). Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/cbo9781139524766.009
Córdoba Zúñiga, E. (2016). Implementing task-based language teaching to integrate language skills in an EFL program at a Colombian university. Profile Issues in TeachersProfessional Development, 18(2), 13–27.
Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (3rd ed.). Sage.
Dörnyei, Z. (2007). Research methods in applied linguistics. Oxford University Press.
Ellis, R. (2013). Task-based language teaching: Responding to the critics. University of Sydney Papers in Tesol, 8.
Ellis, R., Skehan, P., Li, S., Shintani, N., & Lambert, C. (2020). Task-based language teaching: Theory and practice. Cambridge University Press.
González-Lloret, M. (2015). A practical guide to integrating technology into task-based language teaching. Georgetown University Press.
Guardado, M., & Light, J. (2020). Curriculum development in English for academic purposes: A guide to practice. Springer Nature.
Hutchinson, T., & Waters, A. (1987). English for specific purposes. Cambridge University Press.
Hyland, K. (2012). Disciplinary identities: Individuality and community in academic discourse. Cambridge University Press.
Hyland, K., & Anan, E. (2006). Teachers’ perceptions of error: The effects of first language and experience. System, 34(4), 509–519.
Jackson, D. O. (2022). Task-based language teaching. Cambridge University Press.
Jordan, R. R. (2002). The growth of EAP in Britain. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 1, 69–78. doi:10.1016/s1475-1585(02)00004-8
Kafipour, R., Mahmoudi, E., & Khojasteh, L. (2018). The effect of task-based language teaching on analytic writing in EFL classrooms. Cogent Education, 5(1), 1496627.
Kamalian, B., Soleimani, H., & Safari, M. (2017). The effect of task-based reading activities on vocabulary learning and retention of Iranian EFL learners. Journal of Asia TEFL, 14(1), 32.
Karimi, S., & Dastgoshadeh, A. (2018). The effect of strategy-based instruction on EAP students’ reading performance and reading autonomy. Cogent Education, 5(1), 1527981.
Khany, R., & Tarlani-Aliabadi, H. (2016). Studying power relations in an academic setting: Teachers’ and students’ perceptions of EAP classes in Iran. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 21, 72–85. doi:10.1016/j.jeap.2015.12.002
Leal, L. (2023). English in psychology. Savalan.
Li, Y. (2020). Educational change amongst English language college teachers in China: Transitioning from teaching for general to academic purposes. Springer Nature.
Littlewood, W. (2014). Communication-oriented language teaching: Where are we now? Where do we go from here? Language Teaching, 47(3), 349–362.
Meadows, L.M. & Morse, J.M. (2001). Constructing evidence within the qualitative project. In J.M. Morse, J.M. Swanson & A. J. Kuzel (Eds.), The nature of qualitative evidence (pp. 188-201). Sage.
MacDonald, J. (2016). The margins as third space: EAP teacher professionalism in Canadian universities. TESL Canada Journal, 34(1), 106–116. doi:10.18806/tesl.v34i1.1258
Moghadam, A. (2005). Special English for the students of accounting. SAMT.
Pintrich, P. R., & Schragben, B. (2012). Students' motivational beliefs and their cognitive engagement in classroom academic tasks. In Student perceptions in the classroom (pp. 149-184). Routledge.
Robinson, P. (2011). Task‐based language learning: A review of issues. Language Learning, 61(7), 1-36.
Sharndama, E. C., Samaila, Y., & Tsojon, Y. I. (2014). English for academic purpose: A tool for enhancing students’ proficiency in English language skills. International Journal of English Language Teaching, 1(2), 14–20.
Sholeh, M. B., Salija, K., & Nur, S. (2020). Task-based learning (TBL) in EFL classroom:From theory to practice. International Journal of Humanities and Innovation (IJHI), 3(4), 138–143.
Skehan, P. (2014). Limited attentional capacity, second language performance, and task-based pedagogy. Processing Perspectives on Task Performance, 211, 211–260.
Subrahmanyam Vellanki, S., & Bandu, S. (2021). Engaging students online with technology-mediated task-based language teaching. Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) Special Issue on Covid, 19, 57-83.
Tavakoli, M., & Tavakol, M. (2018). Problematizing EAP education in Iran: A critical ethnographic study of educational, political, and sociocultural roots. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 31(1), 28–43.
Tavakoli, M. , & Zarrinabadi, N. (2018). Differential effects of explicit and implicit corrective feedback on EFL learners’ willingness to communicate. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 12(3), 247–259.
Van den Branden, K. (2016). Task-based language teaching. In G. Hall (Ed.), The Routledge handbook of English language teaching (pp. 238–251). Routledge.
Zohoorian, Z., & Pandian, A. (2014). An evaluation of authenticity: A case of EAP textbooks in Iran. International Journal of Language and Literature, 2(1), 91–113.
