چکیده:
The current article was an attempt to investigate the effect of semantic mapping strategy instruction on reading comprehension performance of EFL learners. To this end, thirty homogeneous Iranian intermediate EFL learners attending a language school in Bonab, Iran, were randomly assigned to two groups, one as the experimental and the other as the control. The experimental group received instruction through semantic mapping strategy while the control one received conventional instruction by the same instructor. The study employed pre-test post-test control group design. After two months, on-line and off-line post-tests were administered for experimental and control groups. Analysis of gathered data from post-tests by using independent samples t-test and one-way ANOVA indicated that semantic mapping instruction promotes reading comprehension of expository texts. Furthermore, it was found that certain types of semantic maps were more effective not only on reading comprehension performance but also on faster reaction time
خلاصه ماشینی:
The Impact of Semantic Mapping Instruction on Iranian EFL Learners’ Reading Comprehension of Expository Texts Hassan Asadollahfam Assistant Professor of Language and Linguistics, Islamic Azad University, Bonab Branch, Bonab, Iran asadollahfam@gmail.
com Received 18 April 2012; accepted 26 September 2012 Abstract The current article was an attempt to investigate the effect of semantic mapping strategy instruction on reading comprehension performance of EFL learners.
Keywords: Expository Text, Semantic Mapping, Reading Comprehension For successful learning and teaching in language classes, strategy-based instruction is essential.
Applied research on language learning strategies indicated that semantic maps are frequently used graphic organizers that help students analyze texts and group the ideas into meaningful clusters.
Thus, along with the same line of research, the aim of this study is to find out the possible effects of instruction on eight types of semantic maps, descriptive or thematic map, network tree, problem-solution outline, compare-contrast matrix, series of events chain, spider map, fishbone map, and mind map, to examine EFL learners’ reading comprehension performance and to investigate whether certain types of the eight different semantic maps are more effective on comprehension and reading speed of EFL learners.
Data Analysis and Results The first research question formulated whether semantic mapping instruction has significant influence on reading comprehension of expository texts by Iranian intermediate EFL learners.
As indicated by the Post-Hoc Test, comprehension scores in compare-contrast matrix and problem-solution outline is significantly different from the other six semantic maps and there seem to be no significant difference among other six maps-mind mapping, spider map, fishbone, network tree, descriptive or thematic map, and series of events chain.