The Effect of Computer-Assisted Whole Language Instruction on Taiwanese University Students’ English Learning

The purposes of this study are: (1) to investigate students’ perceptions of computer-assisted whole language instruction; (2) to examine the effectiveness of whole language instruction on students’ reading improvement; and (3) to determine the difference between basic-level and advanced-level students’ improvement in reading skills. A total of 212 freshmen (98 low level and 114 high level students) were quasi-randomly selected as the participants of the survey study. Instruments included a questionnaire and the English Entrance Examination. The results of the study indicate most students evaluated the instruction positively. While the significant difference in the gain scores of the t-test reveals that integrated instruction is effective in improving students’ reading ability (p=0.00), basic-level students had much greater improvement than advanced-level level students, whose scores even showed slight regression.