文本難易度在廣泛閱讀所扮演之角色: 對高職學生閱讀理解、閱讀動機之影響

Abstract

本研究旨在探究廣泛閱讀「文本難易度」(Controlled Text-difficulty)，對於以英文為外語的高職生之閱讀理解、閱讀動機及其回應廣泛閱讀文本難易度之影響。廣泛閱讀是一種閱讀方式，它邀請讀者愉悅地進行默讀，並且自己選擇自己有興趣的主題閱讀。 台灣北部的一所高職裡，三個班共120位高二學生參加了這項持續六週的研究。其中一個由41位學生組成的班級為控制組，接受教科書為閱讀教材的閱讀指導，而另外兩個班級則為實驗組，在字彙測驗之後(VST), 每位實驗組的同學被分到 i-1組或是i+1組, 再根據他們分到的組別來閱讀和他們能力的相符的分級圖書。在為期四次的廣泛閱讀循環中，實驗組同學根據研究者指定的級別進行小書廣泛閱讀，在閱讀之後填寫閱讀日誌，上台小書分享，以及填寫閱讀理解學習單。在廣泛閱讀實施前和實施後，所有三組必須填寫閱讀動機問卷，並且完成青少年托福 (TOEFL Junior) 閱讀理解測驗，測驗中包含了兩種層級的閱讀理解:文意理解和推論理解。此外，兩組實驗組另於後測後填寫感知問卷。 量化之測量工具反映出廣泛閱讀不同的效果。首先，利用前測作為共變量和組別作為獨立變量的ANCOVA分析指出: i-1級比起i+1級更能顯著地增進整體理解以及文意理解。其次，在推論理解層面，不論是i-1級或是i+1級，兩者皆無法對推論理解造成顯著的影響。在閱讀動機方面，i+1級能夠促進學生閱讀的整體閱讀動機以及自我效能；i-1級抑止了學生對閱讀的排斥；另外，不論是i-1級或是i+1級，兩者皆鼓舞了閱讀挑戰與投入。此外，質性的感知問卷分析反映出大致上學生對於廣泛閱讀以及教材皆持正面態度。 從兩組實驗組在閱讀理解、閱讀動機的增進可以推知，文本難易度融入廣泛閱讀課程是可行的。此外，覺知問卷顯示廣泛閱讀有助於培養正向的閱讀態度，更加支持了英語小書廣泛閱讀的可行性。 關鍵字:廣泛閱讀、文本難易度、閱讀理解、閱讀動機The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of controlled text-difficulty on reading comprehension, motivation and responses of vocational high school students in Taiwan. Extensive reading is a reading approach which invites readers to do silent reading for pleasure and to choose topics they are interested in. Despite the well-documentation of extensive reading in promoting reading development, the role of extensive-reading text-difficulty in facilitating such development is yet to be explored. On the one hand, i+1 level of input may facilitate linguistic acquisition; on the other, i-1 may be in need for attaining fluency and automaticity. With these contesting assertions in mind, the current study was designed to investigate the effects of extensive-reading text-difficulty on vocational high students’ reading comprehension and reading motivation. One hundred twenty-two second graders in three classes in a vocational high school in northern Taiwan participated in this study during the 6-week treatment. One class of forty-one students formed the experimental group, who were instructed textbook material; for the other two, after a vocabulary-size test, each student was assigned to either i+1 group or i-1 group and was matched with graded readers at either level according to The Graded Reader Level Scale. In a four reading-cycle treatment, experimental students selected books at the assigned level to read and went through four phases of treatment: sustained silent reading, recording reading log, performing book talk and comprehension test. Prior to and after the treatment, all three groups filled out a Reading Motivation Questionnaire, and completed a TOEFL Junior Test – reading comprehension section, which were divided into two question types: literal and inferential. Additionally, the two experimental groups responded to a Response Questionnaire in the posttest. The quantitative measures reflected disparate effects of ER program. ANCOVA analyses, with pretest as a covariate and group as an independent variable, showed that for overall and literal comprehension, i-1 level of extensive reading is significantly more effective than i+1 level; yet for inferential comprehension, both levels do not pose an effect. For reading motivation, i+1 level promotes overall motivation and self-efficacy; i-1 level inhibits avoidance; and both levels encourage challenge and involvement. In addition, qualitative and quantitative analyses on the response questionnaire reflect that students in general hold a positive attitude toward the program as well as the materials. The overall satisfactory outcomes of controlled text-difficulty on the experimental groups in terms of reading comprehension and motivation suggest the feasibility of an extensive reading program. Furthermore, the boost in reading attitude revealed in Response Questionnaire lends additional support in the implementation of an extensive reading program.

Key words: Extensive Reading, controlled text-difficulty, reading comprehension, reading motivation