The effects of instruction of graphic organizers in terms of students' attitudes towards reading in English

One of the fundamental problems many English language teachers face with is enhancing L2 learners' reading ability and maintaining their interest in reading. Most L2 learners have certain difficulties while reading in English since they are not aware of the effective ways of reading and understanding a text, which might cause resistance and affect their attitudes towards reading in English. Thus, research emphasizes the importance of instruction on graphic organizers (GOs) to promote reading in a second (L2) or foreign (FL) language (Fly, Jean & Hunter, 1988; Ellis, 2004; Amin, 2004). The present study investigates the possible effects of instruction on four concrete graphic organizers (GOs) on students' application of those visual displays in a text, and examines their attitudes towards reading in an EFL classroom. Data coming from pre and post questionnaires, focus group interviews and think alouds revealed congruence between instruction on graphic organizers and learners' attitudes towards reading in an EFL classroom.