INTEGRATING ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS THROUGH READERS THEATRE TECHNIQUE FOR READING COMPREHENSION IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN KENYA

Selina Alonya Kulo(1*), Agnes Kibui(2), Paul Odundo(3),

(1) University of Nairobi
(2) University of Nairobi
(3) University of Nairobi
(*) Corresponding Author

Abstract


Proficiency in reading skills requires a multifaceted technique which incorporates all English language skills. Techniques such as readers theatre assimilates other language skills through adapting and performing scripts which engages learners actively in the reading process for fluency and comprehension. The study explored influence of integrating English language skills to enhance comprehension among learners in secondary schools through an intervention of readers theatre technique. The study adopted socio constructivism in a quasi-experimental pretest posttest design. 426 form three learners and 19 teachers in Kisumu county participated in the study conducted within eight weeks. Participants achievement in reading comprehension was measured using reading skills achievement test to ascertain effect of the intervention. The findings of the study, based on statistical analysis of t-test revealed participants in experimental groups performed better than those in control groups. The study revealed that engaging learners in adapting and performing scripts promoted active interaction with the text resulting in effective comprehension. The study concluded that incorporating language skills in the reading process creates a learner centered class and would be beneficial for enhancing reading comprehension.

Keywords


Adapting scripts; integration of language skills; learner centered; performing scripts; reading comprehension

Full Text:

PDF

References


Abdelaal, N. M., & Sase, A.l. S. (2014). Relationship between prior knowledge and reading comprehension. Advances in Language and Literary Studies, 5(6)125-131.

Adams, T., Farris, W., Patterson, R., Santiago, C. & Secrist, J. (2007). The effect of readers theater on the comprehension and fluency of Spanish language learners whose first language is English: A short case study in the san Bernardino city unified school district. Retrieved on 20 July 2016 from http://www.emunllo.org

Al-Haq, F., & Al-Sobh, A. (2010). The effect of a web-based writing instructional EFL program on enhancing the performance of Jordanian secondary students. ALT CALL, 6(3), 189218.

Alshehri, M. (2014). Improving reading comprehension for Saudi students by using the reading aloud strategy. Retrieved on 14 April 2016 from http://www.dspace.sunyconnect.suny.edu

Chang, C-S., & Millett, S. (2013). Improving reading rates and comprehension through timed repeated reading. Reading in a Foreign Language, 25(2), 126148.

Holt, K.R. (2015). Connection of reading motivation and comprehension: elementary teachers beliefs and perceptions. Unpublished PhD thesis, University of Wisconsin.

Jeon, M. J., & Lee, D. (2013). The effects of using creative readers theater scripts on primary English education. Primary English Education, 31-56.

Kabilan, M., & Kamaruddin, F. (2010). Engaging learners' comprehension, interest and motivation to learn literature using the reader's theatre. English Teaching: Practice and Critique, 9(3), 132-159.

Karabag, G. S. (2015). Secondary school students' opinions about readers' theatre. European Journal of Eucational Research, 14-21.

Karanja, W. (2015). Effects of reading difficulties on academic performance among form three students in public secondary schools, Kiambu County, Kenya. Unpublished MED thesis, Kenyatta University.

Klinger, J., Urbach, J., Golos, D., Brownell, M., & Menon, S. (2010). Teaching reading in the 21st century: A glimpse at how special education teachers promote reading comprehension. Learning Disability Quarterly, 33(2), 59-74.

Lopes, J., Silva, M. M., Moniz, A., Spear-Swerling, L., & Zibulsky, J. (2015). Prosody growth and reading comprehension: A longitudinal study from 2nd through the end of 3rd grade. Revista de Psicodidactica, 20(1), 523. doi: 10.1387/RevPsicodidact.11196

Maingi, J. M. (2015). Language teachers perceptions and practices in enhancing learners strategy use for reading proficiency in selected secondary schools inKenya. Doctoral dissertation, Kenyatta University. Retrieved from https://ir-library.ku.ac.ke

Merga, M. (2017). Interactive reading opportunities beyond the early years: What educators need to consider. Australian Journal of Education, 61(3) , 328343.

Mwoma, T. (2017). Childrens reading ability in early primary schooling: Challenges for a Kenyan rural community. Issues in Educational Research, 27(2), 347- 364.

Pettersen, S. R. (2013). A case study of a content-based readers theatre project in an 8th grade EFL class in Norway, MED Thesis. Retrieved on May 2016, from brage.bibsys.no/.../148009.

Piper, B.,Schroeder.,& Trudell.B. (2016). Oral reading fluency and comprehension in Kenya: Reading acquisition in a multilingual environment. Journal of Research in Reading, 39(2), 133152.

Protacio, M.S., (2012). Reading motivation: A focus on English learners. international literacy association. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.01092

Rahman, A. (2014). Reading comprehension through group work activities in an EFL classroom: An action research report. Working Papers on Culture, Education and Human Development, 10(2), 1-8.

Sattar, S., & Salehi, H. (2014). The role of teaching reading strategies in enhancing reading comprehension. International Journal of Current Life Sciences , 4(11), 10922-10928.

Sinambela, S. (2017). Prosody as a tool for assessing reading fluency of adult ESL students. Advances in Language and Literary Studies, 8(6), 83-87.

Tsou, W. (2011). The application of readers theatre to FLES (Foreign Language in the Elementary Schools) reading and writing. Foreign Language Annals, 44(4), 727- 748.

Visser, T. E., & Edge, C. (2013). The effect of readers theater on the reading comprehension, fluency and motivation of the elementary English language learning student. Northern Michigan University: Unpublished Master Thesis. Retrieved on 14 May 2016 from http://www.Northern Michigan University files

Yildirim, K., Rasinski, T., & Kaya, D. (2017). Fluency and comprehension of expository texts in Turkish students in grades four through eight. Educational and Science (Egitim ve Bilim), 42(192) , 1-12.

Young, C. & Nageldinger, J. (2014). Considering the context and texts for fluency: Performance, readers theatre, and poetry. International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, 7(1), 4756.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.24071/llt.v23i1.2330

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2020 Selina Alonya Kulo, Agnes Kibui, Paul Odundo



Indexed and abstracted in:

     

 

 

LLT Journal Sinta 2 Certificate (S2 = Level 2)

We would like to inform you that LLT Journal: A Journal on Language and Language Teaching has been nationally accredited Sinta 2 by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia based on the decree  No. Surat Keputusan 158/E/KPT/2021. Validity for 5 years: Vol 23 No 1, 2020 till Vol 27 No 2, 2024

  

 

This work is licensed under CC BY-SA.

Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

 

Free counters!


 LLT Journal: A Journal on Language and Language Teaching, DOI: https://doi.org/10.24071/llt, e-ISSN 2579-9533 and p-ISSN 1410-7201is published twice a year, namely in April and October by the English Language Education Study Programme of Teacher Training and Education Faculty of Sanata Dharma University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.