Adult ESOL Reading Comprehension And Text-to-speech Software

Abstract

This study involved ten ESOL adults and examines the extent to which text-to-speech (TTS) software facilitates their reading comprehension. The five treatment participants read fifty, 300-word, non-fiction stories and answered six comprehension questions per passage using TTS software, while five control participants read the same fifty passages and answered the same questions printed on paper. Using a pre- and post-test design, data showed two findings. First, control and treatment groups achieved gains on overall reading comprehension at 26 and 25 respectively, but the gains among question types were not equal. Second, participants in both groups enjoyed the stories and questions prompting some to request additional practice. Such results suggest that the combination of classroom instruction and supplemental activities using TTS software can build reading confidence and motivate students to break reading avoidance behaviors and experience pleasure in reading.