Effects of Intercultural Instruction on EFL Learners’ Reading Comprehension

The mean score of the treatment group increased from 16.77 to 19.44, (t (51) = −6.34, p = .001, with a large effect size (d = 1.05). In contrast, the comparison group’s scores showed a minimal increase from 16.79 to 17.35, which was not significant, t (53) = −1.61, p = .112, d = 0.27. Independent-samples t-tests further confirmed that the treatment group outperformed comparison group, t (104) = 4.99, p = .001, d = 0.97).

Qualitative findings from post-intervention reflective questionnaire indicated that intercultural instruction fostered a positive and engaging learning environment. The study concludes that intercultural instruction is an effective approach for improving the reading comprehension ability of EFL university students. The study further underlines the pedagogical utility of integrating intercultural content in EFL curricula to enhance students’ engagement and reading outcomes.