Investigating the pleasure reading habits of EFL learners in lower secondary schools

Reading literacy is significant for learners’ academic success, and high levels of reading literacy can be established through strong engagement in pleasure reading. It seems that the advancement of competing media, such as television and computer games and the fluctuating socio-cultural contexts have made a significant influence on learners’ pleasure reading habits. The purpose of this study was therefore to investigate lower secondary school learners’ pleasure reading habits using descriptive survey design. The data were collected from 377 randomly selected learners in North Wollo Zone, Ethiopia, using a survey questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential (independent samples t-test) statistics were used to analyze the data. The findings of the study indicated that majority of the learners’ habits toward pleasure reading was poor. The findings of the study also showed that the students’ mostly read for academic purposes. It was also found that there was no significant difference (p > .05) between gender and age of learners regarding their pleasure reading habits. Lack of reading materials, low English ability, and lack interest in reading are the major factors that affect learners’ pleasure reading habits. Based on the results, it can be suggested that integrating pleasure reading programme in the curricula, being accessible to a wide range of books (based on the learners’ level and interest) in the school libraries, and establishing school reading clubs in input-poor English as a Foreign Language contexts like Ethiopia is essential to promote learners’ pleasure reading habits.