Effects of simplification and elaboration as text modification strategies on Cambodian EFL student's reading comprehension

• Main Author: Khan, Bophan
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2007
• Subjects: English as a foreign language; English as a second language; English language—Study and teaching—Foreign speakers > Cambodia; Language and Literacy Education
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/3512; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/etd_masteral/article/10350/viewcontent/CDTG004311_P.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

In response to the inconclusive pedagogical debates about text modification and authentic materials, the current study investigated the effects of two modification strategies, simplification and elaboration, on reading comprehension among six classes of third-year college students at a language institute in Cambodia. Three of the classes had high reading ability and the other three had low reading ability. The six classes were matched to form three pairs. Each pair consisted of classes from both reading ability levels and was randomly assigned to read one of three text types authentic, simplified and elaborated. After the training, the students were asked to take MCQ and summary tests. Three different versions of both tests were prepared for the three pairs of classes. Each version contained only one of the three text types. Performances on both tests were compared within each pair and then between the three pairs. The 2-by-3 ANOVA of the test results revealed that, overall, simplification was better than elaboration in aiding students comprehension. However, the difference in effects provided by both modification strategies was not significant in the Least Significant Difference tests. It was also found that the authentic, simplified and elaborated texts included in the study did not differ significantly in comprehensibility. Based on these findings, pedagogical implications for modified and authentic materials were discussed.