Enhancing EFL Students’ Reading Skills through the Web-Based Readlang Application

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of the web-based Readlang application on students’ reading skills in the English Education Study Program at KH. A. Wahab Hasbullah University, Jombang. The rapid advancement of technology has changed the way students learn, particularly in language education, where digital tools such as Readlang offer interactive and flexible learning experiences. This study employed a quantitative approach using a preexperimental design with a one-group pretest-posttest model. The participants consisted of 32 second-semester students of English Education who took a reading pretest before the treatment and a posttest afterward. Data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test to determine the significance of differences between pretest and posttest results. The findings revealed that all students (100%) showed improvement in their reading performance after using Readlang. The pretest mean score of 72.66 increased to 82.38 on the posttest, with a Z value of -4.941 and a significance level of 0.000 (p < 0.05), indicating a statistically significant improvement. This result confirms that the Readlang application effectively enhances students’ reading comprehension, vocabulary mastery, and fluency. Furthermore, it supports the WebBased Language Learning (WBLL) theory, which emphasizes the importance of integrating technology to promote engagement and understanding through authentic materials. The outcomes are also consistent with previous studies by Magfirah et al. (2022) and Sri Wahyuni (2023), which demonstrated similar positive impacts of web-based learning media on reading ability. In conclusion, the Readlang application proves to be an effective digital tool for improving students’ reading skills and can serve as an innovative alternative medium for English language teaching and learning in the modern educational context.