Term

Spring 2019

Capstone

Thesis

Degree Name

MAESL

Primary Advisor/Dissertation Chair

Betsy Parrish

Secondary Advisor/Reader One

Laurie Martin

Peer-Reviewer/Reader Two

Sarah Knowles

Abstract

Reading fluency is an important component of reading comprehension. Elements of oral reading fluency include reading rate, accuracy, prosody, and comprehension. The technique of repeated reading has been shown to increase the oral reading fluency of both K-12 and adult L1 readers, and it may help improve learners’ attitudes toward reading. This study explored the potential benefits for adult English learners. Assisted repeated reading, using a model oral reading, was implemented with low-intermediate adult English learners from a variety of L1 and educational backgrounds (n=8). Participants practiced a repeated reading technique during eight treatment sessions over the course of four weeks. While comprehension was not found to improve based on recall questions, other elements of fluency - rate, accuracy, and prosody - improved, with prosody exhibiting the most surprising gains based on the short duration of the study. Participant attitudes toward reading in the L2 improved as well.

Research Methodology

Mixed methods

Keywords

Reading, Adult ESL/ELLs

dc_type

text

dc_publisher

DigitalCommons@Hamline

dc_format

application/pdf

dc_source

School of Education Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

Included in

Education Commons

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