“Reading this way was Lively and Fun”: Improving Thai EFL Students’ English Reading Fluency Through Readers Theater
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Abstract
Despite the critical role of reading fluency in academic achievement, limited reading automaticity remains a significant challenge for many Thai university students. This quasi-experimental study attempts to examine the impact of Readers Theater (RT), a drama-based reading activity, implemented as an instructional treatment to improve the English reading fluency and motivation of Thai EFL students. Accordingly, a mixed-methods approach was employed. Two classes of first-year undergraduates were assigned to an experimental group (n = 25) and a control group (n = 20). The experimental group received RT–based instruction for 12 weeks, while the control group was taught using conventional reading instruction. Quantitative data were obtained from oral reading fluency pretest and posttest administered before and after the intervention. The results indicated that the experimental group showed a high increase in their overall reading fluency scores from the pretest (M = 1.61, SD = 0.70) to the posttest (M = 2.39, SD = 0.65), while the control group improved more modestly from the pretest (M = 1.33 SD = 0.40) to the posttest (M = 1.57, SD = 0.45). The improvement was statistically significant in both groups; however, the experimental group demonstrated a larger effect (t = 5.27, p < .001, Cohen’s d = 1.05) than the control group (t = 3.51, p < .001, Cohen’s d = 0.78). Qualitative data from open-ended questions also revealed that students who engaged in RT felt more enjoyment, confidence, and motivation. These findings suggest that RT is an effective approach for enhancing oral reading fluency among Thai EFL learners.
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