The Effect of Universal Design for Learning on the Proficiency of English as a Foreign Language Students’ Acquisition of Reading and Vocabulary Skills

Abstract

A mixed-method study was conducted for six weeks during a preparatory year at Al-Baha University in Saudi Arabia to investigate the influence of Universal Design for Learning on the competency and proficiency of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students’ acquisition of reading and vocabulary skills. The participants were 45 male students from Al-Baha University’s preparatory year, aged 18–21. The participants were subjected to standardized interviews and English achievement tests to gather qualitative and quantitative data respectively. The study’s results showed significant statistical variances between the post-test scores and the average scores of the EFL students using the Universal Design for Learning and the traditional method to acquire reading and vocabulary skills. This shows that the use of UDL has a statistically significant impact on students’ competency and proficiency in acquiring English reading and vocabulary skills. The findings of this study also revealed that UDL serves all needs of learners, boosts their motivation to gain more English skills, assists the students to break the barriers between themselves and the teacher, makes positive relationships among all students, provides varieties of materials for teaching, and gives options for the assignments