The interplay between the Internet-based reading resources and learner-to-learner interactions in blended language learning

Abstract

This research examined English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ reading comprehension ability through the Internet-based reading resources in a blended language learning environment: the integration of online reading activities into conventional face-to-face reading instructions. Participants were Thai EFL undergraduates divided into a control group and an experimental group. The experimental group self-selected online articles concerning contents of interest to share, read, and discuss on a social network platform, which was particularly created to foster learner-to-learner interactions throughout a 16-week course focusing on reading comprehension. Data on learners’ reading comprehension abilities were collected from both a pre- and post-test. Reading comprehension ability was determined via performance based on five reading comprehension strategies, namely (1) finding the main ideas, (2) scanning for specific details, (3) identifying the correct referent to a pronoun, (4) making inferences, and (5) figuring out the meaning of new vocabulary in context. The findings showed that learners in the experimental group performed significantly better than the control group. In addition, scanning for specific details as a reading comprehension strategy effected significant improvement among the other reading comprehension strategies. The findings suggested that a blended learning environment with the use of the Internet-based reading resources could serve to provide a dynamic learning environment to foster EFL learners’ reading comprehension.