Assessing Speed Reading Strategies of Impulsive ...

Assessing Speed Reading Strategies of Impulsive vs. Reflective EFL Learners Hamid Ashraf Islamic Azad University, Torbat-e-Heydarieh Branch

Mahdi Arabi Islamic Azad University, Torbat-e-Heydarieh Branch Iman Alipoor Islamic Azad University, Torbat-e-Heydarieh Branch

As stated by Nation (2007) EFL students' reading may be influenced by speed reading strategies; however, there was a need for a study to assess speed reading strategies in the EFL context of Iran. As a result, not only these reading strategies were assessed, but also their effect on impulsive and reflective EFL students was sought. One hundred fifty Iranian EFL students in the city of Birjand, Iran, were given the Oxford Placement Test (OPT) as the homogeneity test. Later, Kember's et al, (2001) reflectivity questionnaire and Barrat's (1995) impulsivity questionnaires were administered to the participants. Based on the results of the questionnaires, the participants were distributed into 4 groups: 1) experimental reflective group, 2) control reflective group, 3) experimental impulsive group, 4) control impulsive group, with 25 language learners in each. By implementing speed reading strategies as suggested by Mac Carter (2007) for 10 sessions in the experimental groups, it was revealed that these strategies (skimming and scanning) have a significant positive effect on reading comprehension of reflective Iranian EFL learners. However, impulsive Iranian EFL learners did not benefit from speed reading strategies significantly. The findings of the study could be employed by language teachers and language learners. KeyWord: Speed reading strategies, reading comprehension, impulsive learners, reflective learners

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Reading is the most intensively studied language skills (Underwood, Myskow, & Hattori, 2012). Indeed, scholars in the field of applied linguistics have delved into various aspects of this multifarious language skill, i.e., reading and incidental vocabulary learning (Brown, Waring, & Donkaewbua, 2008), the effect of reading strategies on reading comprehension (Blickenstaff, Hallquist, & Kopel, 2013), impact of softwares on reading comprehension (Proudfoot, 2016), etc. On the other hand, reading is of prime significance to university students, as academic success dependent on the students' reading skill and comprehension (Fairbairn & Fairbairn, 2001). Not only is reading the primary source of input for language learners and students in general, but also the reading speed can affect how much students learn in a certain period of time. Various studies have investigated how reading speed can affect reading comprehension (e.g, Abdelrahman & Bsharah, 2014; Naseri, Maghsoudi, & Rajabi, 2014), and they, mostly, concluded that understanding speed reading strategies is vital to foster reading comprehension. Reading speed, to a great extent, depends on the strategies the students use to read (Mac Carter, 2007). In turn, selecting the strategies is relevant to language learners' personality traits and learning style (Folse, 2004). Therefore, considerable research in the last decade has focused on the interaction of learning styles with strategy use by language learners (Wang, Wang, & Huang, 2008) and how it can affect learning. Among different learning styles, cognitive leaning styles such as impulsivity and reflectivity have been intensively subject of previous research. an impulsive learners is the one who tends to make a gambling guess to answer, on the other hand, a reflective learners is the one how thinks about his or her actions and their consequences (Folse, 2004). However, research with regard to reading speed and its effect on reading comprehension of impulsive and reflective Iranian EFL learners in very scant. To this end, this study was conducted.

Problem Statement A common problem many EFL learners encounter is an overwhelming length of reading texts on high stake language tests such as IELTS and TOEFL. Unless the test takers know how to read the text using speed


reading strategies, it seems impossible to cover all the texts within the allotted time. To this end, many EFL learners who aim at taking such tests attempt to learn these techniques in a short period of time, which may not be as effective as learning these techniques in a long term period. The potential outcome of ignorance toward speed reading strategies can be failing to enter the desired institute of higher education in which English is the medium of education. Practically, as the communicative language teaching is the overall language teaching method in the context of Iran (Koosha &Yakhabi, 2012), no emphasis is put on learning such techniques to read and the overall aim of language classes is confined to communication in English. Secondly, previous studies that have, more or less, investigated the effect of speed reading strategies on reading comprehension of language learners have ignored its effect on impulsive and reflective language learners. This may result in inaccurate results with regard to these language learners. The final gap that the study wishes to bridge is providing an empirical study dealing with the interaction of all these variables in order to find out which cohort of learners in this study, either impulsives or reflectives benefits from the findings of this study more. Research Questions The following research questions were formed to pursue the purpose of this study: Q1: Does implementing speed reading strategies have any significant effect on reading comprehension of reflective Iranian EFL learners? Q2: Does implementing speed reading strategies have any significant effect on reading comprehension of impulsive Iranian EFL learners? Q3: If the answers to research questions 1 and 2 are 'yes', which of the impulsive or reflective Iranian EFL learners benefits more from the effect of implementing speed reading strategies on reading comprehension? Research Hypotheses


The following null hypotheses were formed based on the research questions: H01: Implementing speed reading strategies does not have any significant effect on reading comprehension of reflective Iranian EFL learners. H02: Implementing speed reading strategies does not have any significant effect on reading comprehension of impulsive Iranian EFL learners. H3: Implementing speed reading strategies will have more effect on reading comprehension of impulsive Iranian EFL learners compared to reflective Iranian EFL learners. Purpose of the Study The main purpose of the study was to find an approach which could increase Iranian EFL learners reading comprehension. This will increase Iranian EFL learners chance to obtain higher scores on the reading section of large scale tests such as the IELTS and TOEFL. To this end, the researcher investigated the effect of speed reading strategies on reading comprehension of Iranian EFL learners. On the other hand, implementing speed reading strategies by language learners could help them save time while reading and cover more reading materials. This is a required skill for not only the language learners in language classes but also students in general. In addition to the above mentioned goals, the researcher aimed at having an in-depth look at the effect of speed reading strategies on reading comprehension of reflective and impulsive Iranian EFL learners. This will not only allow the readership to have a more comprehensible understanding of the topic, but also makes using these data for language teachers and policy makers easier.


Significance of the Study Different groups of educators can benefit from the findings of the study. In the first place, language teacher can increase Iranian EFL learners' reading comprehension by implementing speed reading strategies. Knowing the significance of this issue, they can implement these strategies in the long term in order to prepare more skillful readers who can read more in less time. In fact, the literature advocates the idea that implementing speed reading strategies prepares more fluent readers (Abdelrahman & Bsharah, 2014). Language learners can also benefit from the findings of this study. Using speed reading strategies can help them read more quickly and, as a result, have a higher chance to answer more reading questions at exams. Finally, by using the findings of this study, curriculum designers who are in charge of setting educational goals can set higher goals and expect their language learners to achieve them, as the learners can become more skillful readers. Review of the literature Speed reading has a long history in first language acquisition; however, in case of second language learning, it has only become an area of research interest in the last few decades (Tran & Nation, 2014). Recent studies in EFL and ESL contexts have looked at methods to increase reading speed and ways to assess reading fluency. Yet two questions have remained unanswered: 1) what would be the optimal outcome of using speed reading strategies, 2) should these strategies be implemented in language classe, as an increase in reading rate may result in a decrease in reading comprehension (Carver, 1992). Bacon (1987) defined speed reading as "One type of skilled reading that has drawn the interest of

a factor of three to ten without much, if any, loss in comprehension" (p.425). Speed reading, as stated by Macalister (2010) is one of the approaches to increase reading speed. Other approaches with the same function include: extensive reading, and repeated reading. All these approaches have a certain goal- fluency in reading.


Similar to any approach in language education, speed reading has its advocators and critics. Chung and Nation (2006) supported the use of speed reading in education and have found it so effective, so much so that they believe all reading classes require a speed reading course. Nation and Macalister (2010) also support the use of speed reading approach; however, they note that speed reading should be carried out within the domain of learners' known vocabulary. Despite their findings, Carver (1992) believed that increasing reading speed decreases comprehension. To him speed reading strategies are not only ineffective, but also destructive to one's comprehension. Speed reading and Reading Comprehension The issue of whether to use speed reading strategies, though it is advocated in the literature, is the subject of much controversy. A strong relationship between reading rate and comprehension in L1 reading has been reported in previous studies (Fuchs, Fuchs, Hosp, & Jenkins, 2001; Perfetti, Landi, & Oakhill, 2005). Specifically, Nicholson and Tan (1997) and Levy, Abello and Kysynchuk (1997) found that poor readers

facilitate comprehension (Nicholson & Tan, 1999). However, other researchers have demonstrated a weak relationship between fluency skills and reading comprehension level (Kuhn & Stahl, 2003; Schwanenflugel et al., 2006). Past research has revealed that speed and understanding are not opposing factors in terms of second language performance. Indeed, their relationship supports comprehension and accuracy as one of the

activity was integrated into the usual prog results of the study revealed that the participants had improved both their reading speed and reading comprehension by 25% and 4% respectively. The reason the progress in reading speed was not high may be due to the ceiling-level effect.


Learning Styles and Language Learning

Soto, John, Gosling, and Potter, (2001) defined

determining

et al. 2001). Personality traits and learning styles have been approached and conceptualized from a variety of theoretical perspectives, notwithstanding these differences they have helped us in understanding how peoples' behavior is coded and how their personality differs. The Big Five model represents taxonomy of the most basic and independent personality traits including extraversion, agreeableness, openness to experience, conscientiousness, and emotional stability as opposed to neuroticism (Csizer & Dörnyei, 2005). Research into the field of L2 learning and communication (Ghonsooly, Khajavy, & Asadpour, 2012) and its significance in establishing motivation in second language learning. through path analysis, MacIntyre and Charos (1996) concluded that learning styles and personality traits are global and have direct influence on motivation and the desire to interact with others. They found out the level of confidence also differs among individuals with different learning styles. In addition, Dewaele (2013) found that some learning styles and personality traits are directly correlated with anxiety in learning L2. Introversion, extroversion, impulsivity and reflectivity were among these learning styles. Although this issue is of significance, to the researchers' best knowledge, it has not been investigated in the EFL context of Iran. research into motivation in the seconf half of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty first century shows inclinations toward L2 learning which was stated by -educational model. He mentioned to broad though basic elements of attitude, i.e. attitudes toward learning situation and integrativeness, are key variables in motivation to learn a L2. Gardener's model depicts that some students tend to learn a new language, as they wish to become part of a new community and culture. Later, his model was evaluated by him and Masgoret (2003) through a meta-


analysis. They concluded that the model had significantly contributed to the field of language teaching and

community that influences motivation to learn a L2 through linking a series of attitude and motivation variables to the willingness to and frequency of communication in English. Inspired by the possible selftheory, Csizer and Dörnyei (2005) redefined integrativeness and motivational self-

-

(Csizér & Dörnyei, 2005, p. 30). One of the first models of personality types and learning style which was later used by many scholars to conduct research with regard to personality traits and learning styles was put forward by Eysenck (1967). The taxonomy was based on biological differences, though it was adopted by many disciplines such as social sciences and humanities. Eysenck categorized learning styles into extraversion, neuroticism, and psychosis. He believed that people with different levels of each trait behave differently in certain situations. For example, he believed that people with high extravert trait (extroverts) tend to talk, socialize and be actively involved in the group. On the other hand, people who have high emotional states such as those with neurotic personality trait are more anxious and shy. Most studies in the recent years have made reference to Eysenck (1967) model. As a result, Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI) is among the trustworthy questionnaires that has been used in many studies in second language acquisition (SLA). The model is represented in the figure below:


Figure 1. Eysenck personality trait model.

The horizontal line of the model (introversion vs. extraversion) has become one of the most widely studied types of personality traits investigated in second language acquisition (SLA) in the last 2 decades (Fol account certain factors, there seems to be a broad consensus over five universal factors which determine personality traits (Goldberg, 1990; Digman1990; Costa & McCrae, 1995, 1997; Ackerman & Heggestad, 1997; Busato et al. 1998). Notwithstanding the establishment of the concept of personality traits in the field of psychology, there have been contentions against them in applied linguistics. Ellis (2004) is among the opponents of personality traits who considers them merely as suggestions and not really effective. Besides, there is inconsistency in the findings of empirical studies that measured the effect of personality traits in language classes. While some studies observed the meaningful effect of introversion and extroversion on language skills such as writing (i.e. Baradaran & Alavi, 2015), others observed no significant effect in their studies (Abali, 2006).


The Relationship between Learning Styles and Language Learning There is a general belief that the relationship between learning styles and second language acquisition is as a two-way process which they modify each other (Ellis, 1985), and there are enough evidences that show learning styles factors can facilitate acquisition of second language (Ely, 1986; Reiss, 1983). In addition, language learing strategies are strongly correlated with learning styles (Ehraman & Oxford, 1990). Thus, learning styles can affect learning the new language. In such situation, Reiss (1983) believes that this may be due to conscientiousness trait of the learners. At last but not least, a review of the relevant literature shows that personality traits significantly influence success in learning a second language (Gass & Selinker, 1994) and personality factors are important in development of linguistic abilities (Ellis, 1985). Impulsivity and Reflectivity Impulsivity and reflectivity are among the most significant learning styles and have been investigated in the realm of second language acquisition (SLA) to a certain extent. Impulsivity as stated by Folse (2004) refers to the tendency of a learners to make a gambling guess to answer a question and reflectivity is thinking back about an experience to answer a question. The literature on the effect or correlation of these variables and speed reading strategies, and their interaction with reading comprehension is very scant. To this end the researcher aimed at investigating the interaction between these variables. Method Participants The participants for this study were randomly selected through stratified random sampling procedure. In other to conduct an ethical research, a consent form was given to the participants prior to the study. As 4 cohorts of learners were required for the study, the researcher initially administered Oxford Placement Test (OPT) as the homogeneity test to 150 Iranian EFL learners. By considering 1 standard deviation above and below the mean score, 100 language learners were selected. These participants were, then, asked to fill in Kember's et al. (2001) reflectivity questionnaire and Barrat's (1995) impulsivity questionnaire. Based on the


results of the questionnaire, the participants were divided into 4 main group: experimental group I (impulsive learners), experimental group II (reflective learners), control group I (impulsive learners) and control group II (reflective learners). These participants were all adult EFL learners studying at a language institute in Tabriz, Iran. They were all female learners and had attended language classes in the institute for at least 1 year. Instruments Oxford placement test (OPT) : The test consists of 60 questions. The questions are designed in a communicative manner so that the test takers can see language in real use. Based on Allan (1992) OPT test is a highly valid and reliable test. The test was used as the homogeneity test to homogenize the participants. IELTS reading test (Pretest and Posttest): Two different IELTS reading tests were used as the pretest and posttest. The test is a 40 item reading test which tests the participants' reading comprehension in form of different types of questions. It is easy to administer and score. In addition all versions of the test have the same difficulty level (British Council, 2016). Procedure Having selected the participants, they were divided into 4 main groups for the purpose of the study (2 experimental groups and two counterpart control groups). An IELTS reading test was administered to all these learners as the pretest. Next, the participants' in the experimental groups were instructed on using speed reading strategies as stated by Mac Carter (2007). They were informed about skimming and scanning strategies and were told what type of questions require each of these strategies to be answered. These strategies was practiced with these participants for 10 consecutive sessions. Following the last session, the participants were given a different IELTS reading test as the posttest. The main difference between the experimental groups and the control groups was that after the pretest, the control-group participants were not instructed on using speed reading strategies in answering the reading questions. Instead, they were asked to answer reading questions as they always do. The process for them also lasted for 10 sessions and was followed by a posttest.


Design of the Study The study is a true-experimental one, as the participants were selected through random sampling procedure. The main independent variable in the study is the effect of speed reading strategies, and the variable of focus is reading comprehension. The moderator variable is impulsivity and reflectivity. It should also be noted that the study had a pretest/treatment/posttest design.

Data Analysis Test of Normality Assumption Some tests were administered to answer the research questions and the results were analyzed. Table 1 shows normality test results for different tests. Normality test was done to ensure about normal distribution of the scores as an assumption for parametric analyses. Considering Table 1, the ratios of skewness and kurtosis over their respective standard errors were within the acceptable range of +/-1, indicating the normal distribution of the all tests. Table 4.1 Test of Normality, All Tests N

Skewness

Statistic Statistic

Oxford Placement Test

Reading

Error

Statistic

Std. Error

150

.324

.198

-.326

.394

Group 1

25

.064

.464

-.935

.902

Group 2

25

.043

.464

-.987

.902

Group 3

25

.078

.464

-.337

.902

(Homogeneity Test)

Pretest of

Std.

Kurtosis


Group 4

25

.299

.464

-.688

.902

Group 1

25

.427

.464

-.198

.902

Posttest of

Group 2

25

.425

.464

.414

.902

Reading

Group 3

25

.401

.464

-.359

.902

Group 4

25

.317

.464

.110

.902

Selecting the Participants To select one hundred (N = 100) intermediate participants for the study, Oxford placement test was given to 150 English language learners (N = 150). The test had 100 multiple-choice items and by assigning 1 point to correct answers and 0 to the wrong answers, the test was scored. Then the statistics were done. Considering Table 4, the mean of the scores was (M = 43.13) and the standard deviation was (SD = 4.888). Table 4 Descriptive Statistics, Oxford Placement Test

Oxford Placement Test (Grammar Section)

N

Mean

150

43.13

Std. Deviation

4.888

Variance

266.583

The acceptable range of the scores for this study were between the mean and one standard deviation below (-1SD) and one standard deviation above (+1SD) the mean, (43.13

4.888 and 43.13 + 4.888).

Accordingly, 100 intermediate participants, whose scores stood between 38 and 48, were selected. Based on the results of this test and impulsivity and reflectivity questionnaires, participants were distributed into four different groups.


Homogeneity Test To insure about the homogeneity of the groups in terms of grammar knowledge, as mentioned earlier, the scores of four groups in oxford placement test were compared by using one-way ANOVA test. Some other eet the assumptions for applying the ANOVA test. Descriptive statistics of four different groups (Table 5) indicated that the mean score for the first group (N = 25) was (M = 43.84) and (SD = 4.809). For the second group (N = 25) the mean was (M = 43.60) and (SD = 4.533). For third group (N = 25) the mean was (M = 43.84) and (SD = 4.234). Finally for the fourth group (N = 25) the mean was (M = 44.32) and (SD = 4.299). Table 5 Descriptive Statistics, Homogeneity Test N

Mean

Std. Deviation

Variance

Group1

25

43.84

4.809

60.973

Group2

25

43.60

4.533

56.750

Group3

25

43.84

4.809

60.973

Group4

25

44.32

4.299

106.060

According to Table 1, distribution of the scores for different groups was normal and the first assumption for applying the ANOVA test was of four groups was checked and the amount of significance in Table 6 (Sig = 0.190), which is greater than 0.05, shows that the variances of four groups homogeneous. So the second assumption for applying the ANOVA test was also met. Table 6


Homogeneity of Variances, Homogeneity Test Levene Statistic 1.620

df1

df2

Sig.

3

96

.190

Then the ANOVA test was carried out. According to Table 7, one-way ANOVA test, the F value (F3, 96 =

0.444, p = 0.722) indicated that there was not a statistically significant difference among the groups and

they were homogenous in terms of general language knowledge. Figure 1 illustrates the mean score and standard deviation of homogeneity test of different groups and it can be seen that all groups are more or less the same. Table 7 ANOVA, Homogeneity Test Sum of

df

Mean Square

F

Sig.

94.840

3

31.613

.444

.722

Within Groups

6834.160

96

71.189

Total

6929.000

99

Squares Between Groups

P= .05 Main Study Research question 1. Performing an independent-samples t-test, the scores of experimental-reflective group and controlreflective group were compared to answer the first research question. Table 8 shows descriptive statistics for the combination of two groups. Table 8


Descriptive Statistics, Posttest of Reading N

Mean

Std. Deviation

Variance

control reflective

25

44.86

2.778

7.715

experimental reflective

25

49.16

2.985

8.913

Independent samples t-test results (Table 9) represents that scores were significantly higher for experimental-reflective group (M = 49.16, SD = 2.985) than for control group (M = 44.86, SD = 2.778, t (98) = 3.988, p < .0005. Then the first null hypothesis (H01) was rejected and speed reading strategies has a significant positive effect on reading comprehension of reflective Iranian EFL learners. p= reported. Table 9 Independent T-Test, Posttest of Reading, Teacher Recast vs. Peer Recast Groups Levene's Test for Equality of Variances

F Equal varianc es Readin assume d g posttes Equal t varianc es not assume d

Sig.

t-test for Equality of Means

t

3.98 .431 .513 8

df

95% Confidence Interval of the Sig. Std. (2Mean Error Difference tailed Differe Differe Low Uppe ) nce nce er r

98

.577

3.44 4 1.156

.570

3.44 4 1.156

.000

3.98 97.4 8 94 .000

-2.300

-2.300


Research Question 2 To answer the second research question, an independent-samples t-test was applied and the scores of experimental-impulsive and control-impulsive groups were compared. Table 10 indicates descriptive statistics for the combination of two groups. Noticing Table 11, independent samples t-test results indicates that experimental-impulsive group (M = 45.96, SD = 3.276) performed more or less the same as control-impulsive group (M = 46.06, SD = 2.931), t

(98)

= .161, p = .873 > .05. Then the second null hypothesis (H02) was

supported and speed reading strategies does not have any effect on reading comprehension of impulsive Iranian EFL learners. Table 11 Descriptive Statistics, Posttest of Grammar N

Mean

Std. Deviation

Variance

Experimental-Impulsive Group

25

45.96

3.276

10.733

Control-Impulsive Group

25

46.06

2.931

8.588


Table 12 Independent T-Test, Posttest of reading, Impulsive vs. Reflective Groups Levene's Test for Equality of Variances

F Equal varianc es Posttes assume d t of Readin Equal g varianc es not assume d

Sig.

t-test for Equality of Means

t

.412 .523 .161

df

95% Confidence Interval of the Sig. Std. (2Mean Error Difference tailed Differe Differe Low Uppe ) nce nce er r

98

.622

1.33 4 1.134

.622

1.33 4 1.134

.873

- 96.8 .161 07 .873

-0.10

-.10

Research question 3 The presumption of the third research question was that the second first and second research question should have been both rejected. However, as speed reading strategies only showed effect on reflective Iranian EFL learners, it can be concluded that reflective Iranian EFL learners benefited more than impulsive Iranian EFL learners from speed reading strategies in terms of reading comprehension. Discussion The findings of this study revealed that speed reading strategies can have a significant positive effect on reading comprehension of reflective Iranian EFL learners, whereas impulsive learners did not benefit from implementing speed reading strategies.


Quite a number of studies have investigated the effect of speed reading strategies on reading comprehension of language learners. In general, these studies have reported a positive effect. However, learning styles were not integrated in these studies. This is one of the gaps in the existing literature that the researcher wished to bridge. In addition, these studies were conducted in other EFL/ESL contexts. Some of the most significant of these studies are discussed below: Chang (2010) endeavored to find out how implementing speed reading strategies could increase EFL learners' reading fluency. To this end, speed reading strategies were integrated to EFL learners' curriculum for 13 weeks. Eighty four participants who took part in the study were divided into an experimental group and a control group. Similar to the current study, the study had a reading pretest and posttest. The results of the study revealed that implementing speed reading strategies increased the participants' reading fluency by %25 and their reading comprehension by %64. The students also expressed that they felt more confident as readers. Although Chang's study looked at issue of fluency (which was not considered in this study), he did not investigate the effect on learning styles. Thus, it can be claimed that the current study had a more in-depth look at the participants by dividing them into impulsives and reflectives, and revealing that the reflectives benefit from speed reading strategies. Abdelrahman and Bsharah (2014) gauged the same effect (speed reading strategies) on reading comprehension of second secondary stream students in English language. They randomly selected 42 students and assigned them into two equal groups, i.e., an experimental group and a control group. The study used a pretest and a posttest and training materials and revealed that there was a significant difference between the reading comprehensions of two groups of learners. Similar to the previous study their study did not consider the learners learning styles, however, the findings of their study is congruent with the findings from reflective Iranian EFL learners. Underwood, Myskow and Hattori (2012) investigated the effect of speed reading strategy on reading comprehension of Japanese EFL learners' reading comprehension and vocabulary learning. Their experimental


study consisted of two main groups: an experimental group (n=51) and a control group (N=54). Their study was a longitudinal study and was conducted by implementing these strategies to a six-month reading course to a grade 10 students' curriculum. The findings of their study revealed that speed reading strategies could positively affect reading comprehension, however, in terms of vocabulary, no significant difference was observed. Nation (2007) also believes that vocabulary knowledge is a requirement for speed reading and not a product of it. Thus again, their findings are in line with current study in terms of reflective Iranian EFL learners. Conclusion This study revealed that implementing speed reading strategies can have a significant positive effect on reading comprehension of reflective Iranian EFL learners, although no statistically significant effect was observed on impulsive learners. This study also provides empirical evidence from the EFL context of Iran, which has not been, to the researcher's best knowledge, investigated in terms of speed reading in the past. In addition, This study had an in-depth look at the effect of speed reading on reading comprehension of Iranian EFL learners by determining its effect on reading comprehension of EFL learners with different learning styles. The findings of this study can be used by language teachers. They can increase language learners' reading comprehension by implementing these strategies in language classes. Teacher trainers should notice that informing language teachers about the effect of speed reading strategies can affect reading comprehension of the language learners. Finally, the language learners can use learning strategies in order to increase their reading comprehension. This will, in turn, help them to cover more reading materials in a shorter time period.


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