Reader-response theory: Using literary works to promote EFL students’ critical reading skills

This study investigated the combination of literary works and reader-response theory as a form of literary criticism to promote EFL students’ critical reading skills. Critical reading is essential for navigating a world filled with misinformation and propaganda. For this reason, it is essential to teach this skill to students at an early age. University students, including EFL learners, should be rigorously trained in critical reading to engage effectively with foreign texts. To this end, a qualitative study was conducted. Participants were tasked with reading five short stories and providing oral and written responses using the reader-response theory. 21 EFL students taking a reading course at a private university participated in the research. They were given five short stories in five sessions, read them, and responded to them based on the reader-response theory. Oral and written responses were collected and analyzed to identify the elements of critical reading skills present. The study also distributed an open-response questionnaire to determine the processes students followed during reading activities. Thus, both the products (e.g., presentations, written responses, discussions) and processes of reading were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings showed that five noticeable elements of critical reading emerged: reflecting, analyzing, interpreting, commenting, and reasoning. In addition, the activities had other benefits: students became involved in vocabulary acquisition and engaged with authentic materials. The study suggests that, apart from enhancing comprehension, the reader-response theory and literary works can promote EFL students’ critical reading skills.