Browsing by Author "Wijesuriya, K"

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A Comparative Analysis of the Impact of Audiobooks and E-Texts on Comprehension in SLA
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences,SLIIT, 2021-09-25) Wijesuriya, K; Rajapakse, R. W. D. N. K
The objectives of the study are to assess the impact of the input derived through audiobooks and e-books on comprehension and the retention level in second language learners. Forty Engineering undergraduates in their first term at CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference) B1 level in proficiency were randomly divided into two comparison groups: E-Text Group (EG) and Audiobook Group (AG). Data was gathered via two parallel zoom sessions conducted at different intervals in the learning process. The participants were exposed to the short story: The Lottery Ticket by Anton Chekhov through an E-text (pdf) and Audio respectively. They were instructed to understand the context of the story under minimal teacher intervention. First, the students’ general perception towards reading was examined via a Likert scale survey; afterwards, similar immediate tests and posttests were administered in groups via quizzes created in Google forms to check the effectiveness of comprehension. The findings showed that both the E-text and Audiobook modes have significantly improved student comprehension. While the mean of the E-text group was higher than that of the Audiobook group in both tests, the difference is not statistically significant in immediate and longterm retention. Neither of the modes has been demonstrated superior to the other at the immediate test and the post-test levels. Therefore, both E-texts and audiobooks of literary texts are recommended as supplementary material in facilitating students’ comprehension and retention in Second Language Acquisition.
Embargo
Gender Differences in The Preferred Learning Styles Among STEM Undergraduates in Learning ESL
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences,SLIIT, 2021-09-25) Wijesuriya, K; Dissanayake, S
The identification of distinct learning styles among males and females is a key in successful learning in ESL. The present study aims to understand gender-based differences in the learning styles in ESL at the tertiary level using data acquired via questionnaire from sixty undergraduates. Results showed majority of both male and female were active learners. Therefore, it is recommended to facilitate active learning preferences through group-work, and practical activities with minimal note-taking tasks. Moreover, female and male populations predominantly consisted of visual learners (over 90%). Male preferences for visual stimuli were considerably significant, but they were not prominent to the extent of disturbing internalization of concepts among female students. Hence, it is suggested to use visual aids to facilitate both genders while understanding the dominant preference of male students. 63% of male students were sensors while 60% of female students were intuitors. Thus, it is recommended to cater to male students through provision of new information and discovery under unchallenging conditions while providing female students with creative thinking opportunities. Both gender included a similar composition of sequential learners (60%) and global learners (40%) confirming the necessity of a systematic order to be implemented in the delivery plan for both genders. The findings of this study will assist educators to employ the most effective methods in the ESL classroom, catering to the preferred learning styles resulting from gender differences.
Open Access
The Ear or the Eye? Decoding the Better Route to Incidental Vocabulary Growth
(School of Education, Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2025-10-10) Bandaranayake, R; Wijesuriya, K
Incidental vocabulary acquisition is crucial for improving learners' lexical competence. To facilitate learners' vocabulary acquisition incidentally, it is essential to understand which mode of input is more effective. This research aims to comparatively study the effectiveness of reading and listening input on incidental vocabulary acquisition and determine which modality best supports vocabulary acquisition and retention. This study employed a between-subjects design in which two groups of Grade 9 ESL learners of an international school were exposed to either reading or listening input. The input material consisted of 15 target words, which the learners were allowed to acquire incidentally. A pretest, immediate posttest, and delayed posttest design were employed to collect data. The areas of vocabulary knowledge tested were form and meaning recognition. When analyzing the data, statistical comparisons were made using independent samples t-tests. The results revealed no statistically significant difference between the groups for the acquisition scores. Similarly, the comparison of the retention scores revealed no statistically significant difference. Therefore, this study implies that both input modes produced similar acquisition and retention levels in the respective groups, concluding that both reading and listening are equally effective. The significance of this study lies in its contribution to understanding the effects of input modality in a real-world ESL context. Future research should explore the impact of combining input modalities, examine other aspects of vocabulary knowledge, such as production, and include learners of varying proficiency levels and age groups to allow for broader generalization of the findings.