EFFECTS OF TEXTUAL GLOSSES ON READING COMPREHENSION OF LOW PROFICIENCY EFL POSTGRADUATES

Abstract

This study aims to explore the effects of different glosses on reading comprehension of low proficiency postgraduate students. In the present quasi- experimental study, 76 EFL learners at UPM who had attained similar scores in a standardized reading test were divided into four groups randomly. To make sure that the subjects did not know the target words, a vocabulary pre-test was conducted before the study. Then, the participants read six authentic texts under one of the conditions: L1 (Persian) gloss, L2 (English) gloss, L1 and L2 (Persian and English) gloss, and no-gloss. Results of recall protocol scores revealed the advantage of textual glosses over no-gloss condition. There was a significant difference between experimental groups and control group, but the differences between L1 gloss, L2 gloss, and L1 and L2 gloss were not significant. The findings of this study will be beneficial for those who are interested in applying related psychological theories in learning, teaching, and developing EFL/ESL learners’ reading comprehension, particularly by focusing on low proficiency postgraduate students.