Digital Reading Fluency and Text Presentation Medium Preference in EFL Context

Abstract

With the advent of digital literacy, fluency in reading from the screen has become a key category in shaping reading proficiency. Furthermore, research focusing on digital reading fluency, especially in the English as Foreign Language (EFL) context, is scarce. Therefore, this study first seeks to explore the differences in the participants’ reading fluency in paper and digital reading environments, and second to examine the participants’ attitude towards text presentation medium. To this end, the reading fluency of 30 students doing their Master’s was examined in two reading environments. Then, by using a checklist, the participants self- assessed themselves for their preference for either type of the texts. The results revealed that not only were the EFL participants more fluent in the traditional paper texts than digital ones, but also the majority had a stronger preference for the former. The findings call for greater ‘diversity adjustment’ in scholarship on digital literacy.