Voice or Choice? : A study about students’ attitudes towards reading aloud in English classrooms in upper-secondary school

Abstract: This study aims to explore and investigate students’ attitudes towards reading aloud in English in an upper secondary school in Sweden and whether the students’ previous experiences in reading aloud in L2 (English as a second language), as well as their language backgrounds have an impact on their attitudes towards reading aloud in L2. Additionally, the study will investigate which factors that might affect students’ attitudes towards reading aloud in L2. The data collection method which has been utilized in this study is a questionnaire. The questionnaire included questions about students’ attitudes towards reading aloud in L1 and L2, students’ previous experiences in reading aloud in L2, along with the factors that they bear in mind when they read aloud in L2. A mixed-methods approach was used to analyse data, involving both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The participants in this study comprised 90 students in an upper secondary school in Sweden, aged between 16-20. The results of the study show that the students contributing to this study show a reluctance to read aloud in L2. Moreover, prior experiences in reading aloud in L2 from an early age and students’ language backgrounds might have a correlation with students’ attitudes towards reading aloud in L2. The study also reveals that confidence, concerns about mispronunciation and the impact of reading aloud on comprehension are factors that may influence the students’ attitudes towards reading aloud in English.