On-Line Reading: Factors that Affect the Students' Reading Process

With the advent of the use of computers and Internet, teachers of English (ESL - English as a Second Language, EFL English as a Foreign Language, EST - English for Science and Technology, etc) have found multiple ways to incorporate these technological resources to their reading lessons. To this respect, various studies suggest that there are certain aspects that may influence the process of reading On-line in a distinct way if compared to reading Off-line (Askwall, 1985, Trollope, 1995, Hong, 1997; Quintero, 2003, Quintero and Sequera, 2007). In a preliminary study in which reading On and Off-line were considered (Quintero and Sequera, 2007), a list of tell factors that affect both processes was suggested based on the opinion of EFL reading teachers and the literature in the area. Considering these findings the purpose of this Study was then twofold: to explore (1) EFL/EST Students awareness about these factors and (2) the ways ill Which Such factors affect their on-line reading process. With this purpose two instruments were used: an On-line Reading Comprehension Activity (ORCA) and a Perceptions Questionnaire (PQ). They were administered to 38 EFL/EST students from two different Venezuelan universities Universidad Pedagogica Experimental Libertador, where EFL is taught to teacher trainees and Universidad Simon Bolivar, where EST is taught to engineering students. The results Of this study revealed that the sample (1) was able to identify what might affect their on-line reading process, and (2) considered some positive and negative effects of reading on-line. Also, when the responses were divided across university groups, similarities and differences were observed. The study of these aspects and the way they relate to reading On-line, may help both researchers and teachers understand the framework under which On-line reading could be incorporated to the reading class.