The goal of this study is to examine the effectiveness of using a word cloud as a pre-reading recourse on reading comprehension and further to investigate the effects of the word cloud according to participants’ reading ability levels and their perception changes towards pre-reading activities. 278 Korean high school learners in EFL context participated in the study and were divided into an experimental group (word cloud pre-reading group) and a control group (textbook-based pre-reading group). The experimental group learners were classified into three different reading ability levels from low to advanced. The study was conducted for six weeks using qualitative methods such as pre-test, reading comprehension tests, pre- and post-questionnaire.
The results showed that both groups gained from pre-test to reading comprehension tests due to the repetitive practices of doing pre-reading activities. However, the experimental group outperformed the control group and the difference in test results was significant. Additionally, the word cloud pre-reading activities significantly contributed to the development of intermediate and low-level learners’ reading comprehension of reading texts than advanced level learners. Lastly, participants’ perception changes toward pre-reading activities did not occur by engaging in the word cloud pre-reading activities. Yet, most experimental group learners perceived the word cloud as a novel, interesting, and effective tool to analyze and visualize a given text in the pre-reading stage.
Based on the study findings, it was found out that the word cloud was an effective tool to use in the pre-reading phase instead of textbook-presented materials. Especially, students became interested in the pre-reading activities and felt the sense of ownership when given opportunities to make the word cloud by themselves since they are ‘net generation’ learners who favor utilization of online resources in their learning process. Also, using the word cloud in the pre-reading stage in the form of a group work facilitated a self-directed and interactive learning process. These implications may interest EFL teachers who are finding alternative pre-reading activities instead of monotonous and insufficient textbook pre-reading recourses and so are planning to implement the word cloud in reading lessons.