The Effect of Multimedia Instruction and Shadowing on EFL Learners Reading Comprehension

This study investigated the effects of three methods of teaching, including multimedia, shadowing, and traditional method on Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners reading comprehension ability. Seventy Iranian EFL female learners, aged 15 to 17, who were studying at schools in Qazvin participated in this study. Based on the results of the Key English Test (KET), the participants were homogenized in terms of their English proficiency level. The participants were divided into three groups. Each group was randomly assigned to a different treatment condition. At the end of the treatment period, a reading comprehension test was administered. A one-way ANOVA was used to analyze the obtained data. The results indicated a significant difference between the multimedia and traditional groups in favour of multimedia instruction. However, there was no significant difference between the multimedia and shadowing groups, nor was there any significant difference between the shadowing and the traditional groups. The findings may have implications for learners, teachers, and syllabus designers.