Validation of instrument in measuring English language reading anxiety among undergraduates in two private universities

Anxiety is associated as a state of uneasiness and apprehension about uncertainties. This paper describes the validation process of an instrument to measure reading anxiety among the English as a Foreign Language Learners (EFL). This instrument is adopted and adapted from English Language Foreign Language Anxiety Instrument (ELFRAI) developed by Masoud Zoghi (2012). However, some of the items in ELFRAI were reconstructed to reduce ambiguity. It is a nonverbal self-reported instrument measures to measure English Language reading anxiety. The instrument is structured into two parts namely demography and causes of reading anxiety and contains 8 items and 27 items respectively. To identify reading anxiety among EFL learners, a total of 366 responses at two states private universities colleges located in Malaysia were analysed. This study adopts the quantitative approach as its research methodology. It uses SPSS version 22 to analyse the findings gathered. The results of the study depicts a reliability Cronbach’s Alpha 0.927, hence it supports the validity of the instrumen

Understanding reading in English: an analysis of students’ project work

This study attempts to investigate the students’ understanding of reading in English by analyzing the students’ project work. The objectives are to know the skills in note making the students used to assist in their understanding of reading text and how the note making help them in writing a summary. This study also looks at how the students’ proficiency in English help them in understanding their reading material. Data were taken from the project work made by the students. The project work requires the students to read a piece of reading material, make notes on the reading material and write a summary of the reading material based on the note making that they have made. The students who did the project works were from the TESL and Civil in Education course in Faculty of Education in UTM. The findings show that most of the students employ some type of skills in note making. These skills are; using linear and non-linear form of note making, clear organization of idea, using simple words in the note making and also sufficient content. In addition, the students’ proficiency in English also plays a role in understanding English. This study aims to help the students in their reading of English as a Second language by providing the skills that are useful in note making that can assist in understanding reading in English. It is also hoped that teachers of English as a Second language will benefit from the study where they can use the skills provided in their language learning classroom