L2 willingness to read English story books amongst young EFL learners: social economic background, linguistic competence and gender as predictors

Abstract

Even though previous research have shown that reading improves one’s language proficiencyand a lot of research have been done to examine how young learners learn a second or foreign language,our knowledge on their willingness to read second (L2) or English as a foreign language (EFL) materialsremain inadequate and limited. The current study aims to explore young EFL learners’ willingness to readEnglish materials and if it can be predicted based on their social-economic background, English languageproficiency and gender. Ninety-five young EFL learners from two elementary schools in a monolingualcommunity participated in a reading program called Ace Your English: Read for Life. All participantscompleted a survey questionnaire on their willingness to read English materials/books before the start ofthe reading program. The study revealed that young EFL learners’ willingness to read Englishbooks/materials is not necessarily influenced by their Social Economic Status (SES). However, linguisticcompetence and gender are strong predictors of their willingness to read. Based on the findings of thisstudy, almost all young EFL learners are willing to read English books either voluntarily or throughpersuasion from the teachers or parents.