Using graphic organizers as prereading activities: Its effects on Korean middle school students’ reading skills, strategies, and attitudes

This study examined the effects of graphic organizers on middle school students’ L2 reading skills, reading strategies, and their attitudes. Two classes of students were divided into an experimental group and a control group. Both groups learned Unit 8 through 10 in their textbooks for eight weeks (a total of 24 sessions). They received reading instruction for Unit 8 (Sessions 4-8), Unit 9 (Sessions 12-16), and Unit 10 (Sessions 20-24). The students in the experimental group performed graphic organizer tasks in their 4th, 12th, and 20th lesson whereas the students in the control group received teacher-led reading instruction, focusing on vocabulary, grammar, and translation. After completing each unit, the students took a reading test related to the reading passage in the unit, and at the end of the study they responded to a set of questionnaires. The two groups were compared in terms of their reading skills, strategies, and affective attitudes. The study found significant differences between the two groups only in learner interest in L2 reading: the graphic organizer group found to be more interested in English reading, compared to the other group