The Effect of Extensive Reading on Developing the Grammatical Accuracy of the EFL Freshmen at Al Al-Bayt University

Abstract

The study aimed at determining the degree of the effect of extensive reading on developing the grammatical  accuracy  of the EFL freshmen at Al-al-Bayt University (a public university in Mafraq city in Northern Jordan).  The study sample consisted of 60 male and female students distributed in two groups: the experimental group and the control group; each group consisted of 30 students. The two groups were randomly selected as representatives of the whole population which includes (158) freshmen students. The subjects in the two groups were given a writing test in which a short paragraph was required to be written. Then the researchers  started to assign several extensive reading tasks of various topics. These readings were read and summarized in written forms by the subjects in the experimental group. After a period of 6 weeks, (20/3 – 1/5) in the second semester of the academic year 2011/2012, the subjects in both groups were given the same test in which they write a short paragraph about: "The difficulties they face in their university life". The two tests (pre and post) were corrected and the researchers compared their results in order to measure the effect of the treatment, which is extensive reading, on the students'  writing  grammatical  accuracy . The scores' mean value and standard deviation in each group were calculated. The study yielded the finding that extensive reading had a positive impact on enhancing the  grammatical accuracy of the EFL freshmen at Al al-Bayt university.

Key Words: Extensive Reading, Grammatical Accuracy.