The paper titled "Increasing Reading Speed and Comprehension of EFL Undergraduate Students at a Saudi Arabian University Using Speed Increasing Software" primarily investigates the impact of the "7 Speed Reading" software on the reading speed and comprehension of EFL (English as a Foreign Language) students at King Khalid University in Saudi Arabia. The study aims to determine whether the software can significantly enhance the reading speed while maintaining or improving comprehension levels among the students.
The purpose of the study is to address the problem of low reading speed observed among EFL students, which impedes their overall language proficiency. By incorporating speed reading techniques through software, the researchers seek to explore how effectively this technology can improve students' reading abilities.
The research adopts a pre-test, post-test quasi-experimental design involving 60 third-year EFL students, divided into a control group and an experimental group. The experimental group received training using the "7 Speed Reading" software, while the control group did not. The methodology included administering comprehension tests before and after the training to evaluate changes in reading speed and comprehension.
Key findings of the study indicate that the experimental group showed a significant increase in reading speed, rising from 96 to 156 words per minute, along with an improvement in comprehension scores from 67 to 80.67. In contrast, the control group displayed negligible changes in both speed and comprehension.
The study concludes that the "7 Speed Reading" software is an effective tool for enhancing reading speed and comprehension among EFL students. The results suggest that incorporating such software in EFL curricula could greatly benefit students' reading fluency and overall language learning. The findings are significant as they demonstrate the potential of technology to transform traditional language learning methods, making reading a more efficient and enjoyable process for students.