Text Typology and its Impact on Iranian EFL Learner s Reading Willingness

The arch of reading studies has recently bended toward reading to learn at the upper levels. As regards reading to learn, research literature has shown that text types such as expository and narrative texts may also influence knowledge development and hence text comprehension among learners. In the present study, expository reading is defined as a text type in which knowledge is abstract and removed from daily experiences which are reflected in narrative texts. However, reading instruction in EFL contexts like Iran, as the literature indicates, still focuses on the development of fundamental reading skills (i.e., learning to read). Furthermore, literature has shown that most Iranian EFL learners start reading at undergraduate level with a huge gap in text type knowledge which leads to more long-term reading comprehension failure. Hence, it can be argued that any transition from traditional reading texts (e.g. expository texts) to different text types at the upper levels of learning, may critically influence learners’ willingness to read. This is an issue which has not been addressed in EFL research literature. In order to fill in the gap, the experimental research collected its data through systematic sampling method. The university student participants in the control group were exposed with the same topics of the university textbook. The experimental group was also exposed by both narrative texts and expository texts. All participants were given a questionnaire on the willingness aspects of the covered texts. The instrument was a 13-item questionnaire to identify the impact of text type on learners’ willingness to read. The results showed that experimental participants preferred narrative text over expository one. They believed that narrative text type had a positive effect on their willingness to read. This study has some implications for the researchers in reading skill studies and also curricular developers and EFL teachers.