Empowering the Use of Reading Strategiesand Literacy through E-Book Novel: An Extensive Reading of the Great Gatsby

Özet

Defining literacy within the context of language teaching using various interfaces is considered an endeavor that holds a great potential to discover new contexts for meaning making. In addition, employing strategies both prior to and during the reading process is a way to enhance the effectiveness of meaning making process of reading. However, in the context of digital literacy and online extensive reading as e-book reading, the amount of research presenting insight on English as Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ strategic behaviors is limited in number. Therefore, this paper aims to reveal the role of strategies and understanding of literacy when performing extensive reading using e-book novels. In this qualitative study in which descriptive analytical research design was implemented, 10 EFL learners were given a reading strategies training prior to reading an ebook novel. Following the process, their understandings of strategies and strategic behaviors were analyzed to be presented in a descriptive manner. The analysis of the qualitative data revealed that EFL learners highly favored extensive online e-book reading due to various reasons such as easy access to the reading material, reading at the convenience of their mobile devices, etc. In addition, they reported that their reading behaviors in terms of implementing reading strategies did not lead to any dramatic changes in their general reading behaviors. As the final note, however, participants responded that online e-book reading experience raised an awareness toward online reading literacy as a unique type of literacy.