English Novels Hold Particular Promise for Improving Reading Comprehension

Аннотация

Reading comprehension is a fundamental skill in second language acquisition, yet traditional methods often rely on short, intensive reading passages that may not fully engage learners. This study investigates the use of English novels as a tool to improve students’ reading comprehension in an EFL context. Results indicate that the novel-reading group made significant gains in reading comprehension and related sub-skills, with notably higher incidental vocabulary gains and improved inferencing ability in comprehension questions. Participants also demonstrated increased reading fluency and expressed greater cultural insight and motivation to read in English.