Text-Relevant Video Segments and Reading Comprehension of Culturally Unfamiliar Texts with Adult Speakers of English as a Second Language (ESL)

Abstract

This pilot study is a mixed-methods sequential explanatory study that investigated the effects of watching text-relevant video segments supported by the Schematic Information-Processing (SIP) model of reading comprehension on reading comprehension of adult speakers of English as a Second Language (ESL) in terms of text familiarity and the retention of the content of a culturally unfamiliar text. Twenty homogeneous participants were randomly assigned to two groups: one control group and one experimental group. The results of the quantitative analysis showed that the experimental group outperformed the control group in both the immediate and delayed post-tests. Qualitative findings also highlight the effectiveness of implementing text-relevant video segments supported by the SIP model over traditional text-based reading instruction in terms of reading comprehension and retention of the content of the culturally unfamiliar passage. Limitations of the study and suggestions for future research are discussed in detail.