Investigating the Effect of Drawing Inferences in EFL Learners Reading Comprehension Ability by Using Recall of Short Stories

Abstract

Drawing inference is one of seven strategies in reading comprehension. Proficient readers use their prior knowledge about a topic and the information they have gleaned in the text thus far to make predictions about what might happen next. When teachers demonstrate or model their reading processes for students through think aloud, they often stop and predict what will happen next to show how inferring is essential for comprehending text. In this study, two fairly homogeneous groups of EFL learners were selected (N=46) in Arak University. They were studying in English translation. After taking a reading comprehension test to ensure that their reading comprehension differences are not significant, they were randomly assigned to attend a short-story course in two different sections, one serving as the experimental and the other as the control group, both studying the same short stories, and both being taught by the researcher as their instructor of the course. By using T-test and ANOVA, the researchers found that in recall test which administered two weeks later, the learners who can drawing inferences significantly outperformed the other learners in reading comprehension test.

Students’ Difficulties in Making Inference in Reading Narrative Passages at the Social Elevent Grade of Sman 1 Curup

“…Moreover, the fourth study conducted by Arianti (2013) investigated the significance and effectiveness of teaching narrative text inference by using DRTA strategy. In addition, the fifth study by Azizmohammadi (2013) asked two fairly homogeneous groups of EFL learners in Arak University, who were studying English translation, to attend a short-story course in two different sections, one serving as the experimental and the other as the control group, both studying the same short stories, and both being taught by the researcher as their instructor of the course. Then, the sixth study by Imam, et al (2014) was also different from this research.…”

“…The fifth study was conducted by Azizmohammadi (2013). In this study, two fairly homogeneous groups of EFL learners were selected (N=46) in Arak University.…”

Integration of Google Classroom Inference Strategy as Blended Learning Media Toward Islamic Senior High School Students' Reading Ability

“…Using these clues to give readers a deeper understanding of their reading is called inferring. By inferring, readers go beyond the surface details to see other meanings that the details suggest or imply (Azizmohammadi, 2013). According to Smith (2004) inferences are evidence based guesses.…”