The Relationship Between Think-Aloud Protocols (Concurrent and Retrospective Verbal Reports) and Reading Ability of Iranian EFL Learners

This study attempted to investigate the role of think-aloud (concurrent and retrospective ) verbal reports in reading ability of Iranian EFL learners. In this study, 95 students (48 female and 47 male) with intermediate and advanced level of language of proficiency, were selected randomly from two separate language centers in Isfahan, Iran. To measure the effect of think-aloud protocols on learners’ reading ability, all the students were assigned into control and experimental groups. Then, two types of Nelson English Language Tests were administered to the participants in the form of pretest and posttest, and also a retrospective interview followed as a treatment for experimental groups. Multiple regression analysis and independent-samples t test were employed to explore the possible relationships between think-aloud types and reading ability. Moreover, the roles of language proficiency, gender, and think-aloud types in predicting the reading ability, were scrutinized as well. The findings supported the significance of the think-aloud protocols with the specific type of retrospective verbal reports in enhancing the learners’ reading ability. In addition, the analysis of data indicated that from among the mentioned variables, language proficiency was the only one which could significantly predict the reading scores. All in all, results suggest that further studies in think-aloud protocols with regard to learners’ language proficiency, gender, and think-aloud types are required to shed light on the issue.

Keywords:

Reading Comprehension , Concurrent Think-Aloud Protocol , Retrospective Think-Aloud Protocol