Promoting EFL Thai Undergraduates’ Reading Comprehension and Reading Motivation through Extensive Reading

Abstract

The study examined the improvement of EFL Thai undergraduates’ reading comprehension through extensive reading and investigated the enhancement of EFL Thai undergraduate students’ motivation towards extensive reading in English. One hundred and nine Thai non-English major undergraduates participated in the study over ten weeks. Quantitative data were collected through the pre- and post-reading comprehension tests and pre-and post-Motivation for Reading questionnaires. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to get qualitative data. The results revealed that there was a significant enhancement in both EFL Thai undergraduates’ reading comprehension and reading motivation after implementing extensive reading. The findings suggested that extensive reading is an effective method for EFL students in improving their reading abilities, particularly their reading comprehension skills. Therefore, extensive reading should be promoted in English classrooms.