Relationship between Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary Knowledge in English Authentic Text among Afghan English as Foreign Language Learners

Abstract

There have been few researches in Afghanistan that have looked into the relationship between reading comprehension and vocabulary knowledge among EFL learners. As a result, the goal of this study is to investigate the relationship between reading comprehension and vocabulary knowledge in actual English texts among Afghan students studying English as a Foreign Language (EFL). This research is based on quantitative correlation design. The questionnaire and actual text were utilized to collect data in the study, which were based on Laufer and Sim's (1998) reading and vocabulary testing methodologies. All respondents in this study consisted of forty (n=40) Afghan EFL students from Kunduz University, ten females and thirty males. The data were analyzed using descriptive analysis and inferential tests in Statistical Software Package (SPSS) Version 24. (Pearson correlation). It is hoped that this study would raise awareness among Afghan EFL instructors about the need to revise their syllabus, particularly in regards to reading courses, in order to deliver effective teaching to their EFL students. More research on university and school EFL students can be performed to gain more reliable and in-depth data about reading comprehension and vocabulary knowledge.