Keywords
aesthetic
efferent
interaction
transaction
reading comprehension
EFL
Iran
efferent
interaction
transaction
reading comprehension
EFL
Iran
How to Cite
Forouzani, M. (2017). Aesthetic vs. efferent reading in reading comprehension courses in the Iranian EFL context. The Asian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 4(2), 211–227. Retrieved from https://caes.hku.hk/ajal/index.php/ajal/article/view/449
Abstract
Even though literature has been suggested for use as a means of teaching language in reading comprehension courses, it has been viewed from an efferent perspective (what can be gleaned from the content), not an aesthetic one (what can be gained from the experience). This paper discusses whether aesthetic reading can lead to aesthetic transaction and more engagement of readers with texts in EFL reading courses. The effect of the aesthetic transaction and all its components (6 factors) on the dependent variable of reading comprehension was studied with two groups of participants. The control group received non-literary texts and the experimental group received literary texts during the 8 weeks of the research. The results indicated that (1) the aesthetic transaction components are requirements for appreciating literary texts in particular and reading comprehension skills in general, and (2) aesthetic reading is a suitable alternative for the efferent reading mostly practiced in reading comprehension courses.Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
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