The Causes of Poor Habits of Literature Reading Among EFL Undergraduates in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region

Mohammed Qadir, Kurdistan and Kavlu, Aziza (2023) The Causes of Poor Habits of Literature Reading Among EFL Undergraduates in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region. International Journal of Social Sciences & Educational Studies, 9 (4).

Text (Research Article) The-Causes-of-Poor-Habits-of-Literature-Reading-Among-EFL-Undergraduates-in-The-Iraqi-Kurdistan-Region.pdf - Published Version Download (930kB)

Abstract

Literature reading is perceived as one of the most prominent language skills in second and foreign language acquisition. However, it is observed that students, in general, are reluctant towards reading in Iraqi Kurdistan. Poor reading habits have become a culture, and it has been overspread not only among students but also in the society as a whole in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The main objective of this study is to identify the major causes of poor literature reading habits among undergraduates at both private and public universities in the Kurdistan Region and recommend possible solutions to eliminate these habits. The main focus of the study is on the poor reading habits of First-year students who are enrolled in English-taught courses. The study presents a descriptive investigation and data collected through questionnaires and interviews. Three different methods were implemented to solve the problem: (1) book-based PBL (Project-based learning) type poster presentations; (2) discussing books through debating; and (3) holding motivational workshops, as an academic extra-curricular activity, about the significant role of reading in academic achievement. The study found that some of the root causes of poor reading habits are: social media, being taught by teachers who lack motivation and experiencing instability in life in the region. The study revealed that methods applied by the researchers have to some extent raised students’ awareness about the crucial role of reading in broadening their horizons and achieving academic success. Thus they increased students’ willingness to read and reconciled students with books by making them read several books during an academic semester.

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