M.A. Thesis:

Repeated if fluency and pronunciation in effect dictated by primary EFL learners

Regarding the reading skill, there is a need for research in the use of practical activities used for improving this skill. Dictation is one of the activities that is usually used for teaching listening and writing, but in the present study, the main purpose is to investigate the effects of frequent dictation as a listening and writing activity on EFL learners’ reading comprehension. Moreover, the learners’ attitudes towards the use of dictation in teaching reading comprehension were also elicited. The study adopted a mixed-method design including a quasi- experimental phase to collect the quantitative data and a survey through semi-structured interviews for collecting the qualitative data. The participants of the quantitative phase were 59 students in two intact classes who had the background of studying English language for six years and were considered as the control and experimental groups. The experimental group were exposed to frequent dictation activities (Group A) and the control group were exposed to conventional reading text activities (Group B). The quantitative results analyzed both descriptively and inferentially indicated that the experimental group significantly outperformed their counterparts in the control group in reading comprehension as a result of being exposed to frequent dictation. The qualitative results obtained from six volunteers in the experimental group. They showed that most of the learners had a positive attitude towards the use of dictation in teaching reading comprehension. It is presented in a native-like accent after the learners’ access to the reading texts and after the teacher’s provision of the necessary background information on the meaning of some difficult words and structures.

Keywords: Frequent Dictation - EFL Elementary Inquirers - Research Questions - Reading Thoughts