The visual memory development technique: A remedial and pre-reading activity to enhance EFL learners’ motivation

This longitudinal study examined the effect of the Visual Memory Development Technique (VMDT) on the motivation of students with low proficiency to read in the EFL context. The sample population consisted of 64 Preparatory Year (PY) students at Najran University. All 64 students were given the Motivation for Reading in English Questionnaire (MREQ) to measure their motivation to read prior to the treatment (VMDT). The 64 students were divided into an experimental and a control group. Both groups received instructions for reading with their traditional remedial materials, but the experimental group's instruction was supplemented by the addition of the VMDT at the beginning of each reading class for twelve lessons over a six-week period. An exit slip was given to the students at the end of each lesson. After six weeks, the MREQ was administered to both groups to measure the change in the students' motivation to read in the English language. The results of the quantitative tool (MREQ) were analyzed via SPSS (Ver.16) and Excel (Ver. 2013), and the findings of the qualitative tools (experimentation and exit slips) were collected and analyzed using a thematic approach. The post-test result for the MREQ showed a significant difference in students' motivations (F = 10, 21, p < 05). Based on the results, the students in the reading group that was given the VMDT at the beginning of the class showed increased motivation to read in the English language inside the classroom; suggestions and pedagogical implications are presented accordingly.