The Impact of Task-based Activities on the Reading Skill of Iranian EFL Young Learners at the Beginner Level

آموزش كار محور در سالهاي اخير به شدت محبوبيت يافته و به زودي ممكن است كاملا جايگزين آموزش زبان ارتباطي گردد. اما متاسفانه كارايي آن در زمينه زبان آموزي كودكان و بطور اخص در آموزش مهارت خواندن مورد بررسي جامعي قرار نگرفته است. در تحقيق حاضر براي رسيدن به اين مهم، دو گروه 25 نفري در فاصله سني 11 تا 13 سال به دو روش كارمحور و سنتي مورد آموزش قرار گرفتند و مقايسه توانايي خواندن آنها در انتهاي دوره آزمايش و يك ماه پس از انتهاي دوره نشان داد كه ميانگين گروه كارمحور از گروه سنتي بالاتر ميباشد. علاوه بر اين، مقايسه توانايي خواندن آزمودنيهاي گروه آزمايش در 4 نوع فعاليت كارمحور حاكي از آن بود كه فهاليتهاي توام با خلاقيت و بازي بيشترين ميزان توجه و علاقه را در آنان ايجاد ميكند.

Task-based learning and teaching in the realm of teaching young learners is still considered an adventure since very few experimental studies to date have tackled its applicability in that age group. The present research was an attempt to find out whether using task-based reading activities has any impact on the development of text comprehension in Iranian young learners studying English as a foreign language at the beginner level. Two groups of 25 students, aged 11 to 13, were the participants of the study. Through a reading pretest, it was ensured that the two groups were at the same level and belonged to the same population in terms of the reading skill. Having instructed the experimental group with four task types and the control group with classical reading activities, the researcher compared the reading performance of the two groups through a t-test which, not surprisingly, manifested the better performance of the experimental group. A follow-up reading test also showed that the experimental group still enjoyed a higher level of reading skill after one month. Furthermore, the scores gained from the four task types were compared and it was concluded that the students performed better in tasks which involved creativity and gave them the experience of playing.