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A STUDY OF THE READING HABITS AND INTERESTS OF URBAN WORKING PROFESSIONALS, EXECUTIVES AND MANAGERS

Irene Ong Pooi Fong - Department of Management, The University of Sheffield Programme, Taylor's Business School
ABSTRACT This study was undertaken to examine the reading habits and interests of urban working professionals, executives and managers in the Klang Valley. With an overall insight into the reading behaviour of this group, it is greatly hoped that there will be a greater awareness among corporate individuals and organizations as regards the importance of reading in knowledge acquisition and knowledge management. Reading is a vital behavioural factor in a knowledge-based society and an emerging knowledge economy. A total of 299 responses were collected in this study. Generally, the reading attitude is very encouraging and a wide variety of materials was read, ranging from local newspapers, magazines, journals and books to foreign publications. There are also significant relationships between the gender, race and level of management of respondents and their reading pattern. The results of this study indicated that seniority plays quite a major role in influencing the reading pattern. It was also revealed that there is a strong possibility of the presence of five major categories of readers based on the attitudes and intensity of their reading activities. INTRODUCTION Reading is an aspect associated with literacy. However, the reading process is not simple in its nature. It does not merely involve recognizing a single character and pronouncing it correctly or to recognize and pronounce a few characters that are arranged in a particular manner, but more importantly it is the ability to understand the meaning of these arrangements. According to Bullock (1975), reading is more than a reconstruction of the authors' meanings; it is the perception of those meanings within the total context of the relevant experiences of the reader that is a much more active and demanding process. Here, the reader is required to engage in critical and creative thinking in order to relate what he reads to what he already knows. The civilization of mankind today demands that one should not only know how to read and be literate but also be functionally literate. Functional literacy is acquired as Gray (1956:p.24) puts it when a person has acquired the knowledge and skills in reading and writing which will enable him to engage effectively in all those activities in which literacy is normally assumed in his culture or groups. In short, reading is a complex process that requires the mental capacity, perception and experience of an individual who is conditioned by his or her own distinct cultural environment.

Importance of reading

Reading has come to hold the most significant place in education as a means of communication in a highly literate society. Mann, in his study (1971), stressed that the book is still very much part of people's lives in our modern society and in spite of the invention of the latest audio-visual materials, the book in its ordinary conventional form is still the most important means of communication ever invented. Mann further stressed that reading is important for acquiring knowledge and information. The enrichment in knowledge would, in turn, enable one to present oneself more confidently. According to Dato' Dr Salleh Mohd Nor in his paper, "Reading in the Context of Management", which was presented during the National Seminar on the Promotion of Reading Habits in Malaysia held from 20-21 June 1994, there is no substitute for reading when it comes to gathering information or keeping abreast of development. Information may appear in different media but the point is that one still has to read. The great advantage of reading is that there is much more material written in all forms than that on tape and video that one would listen to, and the perception of the ear to respond to critical information is not as effective as that to the eye. Reading contributes not only to an individual's well-being, self-development and progress but also to the whole nation and the world. Gordon (1976) stated that the thirst for reading and a wider dissemination of books is a sign of progress in the world. As for now, reading helps to develop workplace literacy where personnel need to have the ability to read and write workplace materials. Jorie W Philippi (1993) stressed that there is a shift toward self-directed teamwork and emphasis on quality production. This shift is necessary for competing in a global economy. It has created job tasks that employ applications of job-specific literacy tasks whereby one of the tasks is that workers must be able to use job-reading processes for locating information. They need to be able to identify job needs and efficiently use basic skill application or workplace literacy (i.e. reading, writing, speaking, listening, computation and problem solving) to complete job tasks. Thus, with these skills, they will have a sense of competence and confidence, independence and better control over problems and issues in their workplace. Reading problems However, reading as a practice and art has tended to diminish (Hewett, 1960). In the opinion of Asheim (1956), reading as a habitual activity is normally confined to a relatively small section of the literate population, and continued serious reading is limited to an even smaller segment within this group of readers. On the local scene, the habit of reading does not appear to be a prominent feature in the lives of most Malaysians. This situation was validated when Prof. Atan Long conducted a study on reading habits and interests of Malaysians in 1982. In his study, Atan Long found that Malaysians had poor reading habits

and did not like reading. He warned that the apathy towards reading, if allowed to carry on, would create wide rifts in the socioeconomic and intellectual development of segments of the population. More recently, Dato' Dr Salleh (1994) reminded the public, especially individuals involved in management, such as the executives and managers of the corporate society, to emphasize reading. Furthermore, with the Information Super Highway and the Multimedia Super Corridor under construction, these professionals would be engrossed heavily in networking and managing information. Dr Salleh warned too that if they were not capable of reading the appropriate information in a timely manner intelligently, they would not be able to go side by side with development. This situation would have to be looked into seriously as we enter the 21st century because reading for knowledge and information will become a critical source for competitive advantage besides development (Yeoh, 1995). Objective of the study Many studies have been done on the subject of reading habits and they involved different categories of individuals. With this interest in mind, a similar study is carried out to investigate the reading habits in the business environment involving urban working professionals, executives and managers. This study aimed to gather and analyse relevant data that will provide the necessary information so that a description of the reading activity of professionals, executives and managers can be obtained and inferences on the relationship between variables concerning the habit of reading can be made. In brief, the study hoped to answer the following questions: a. How regularly do executives and managers read books, magazines/journals and newspapers? What are the types of reading materials used? b. What are their reading preferences and interests with regard to the reading subject matter? c. What are their purposes and motivations for reading? Do they read to acquire new skill and knowledge or to improve their present ones? d. What are their opinions and attitudes towards reading as a pastime activity? Thus, this survey hopes to elicit the reading habits of the respondents, their objectives of reading, their attitude towards reading and their reading preferences. It is greatly hoped that the findings of this study will create a better understanding and further insight into the pattern of the reading behaviour of executives and managers. Thus, this will help to heighten awareness on the current situation faced and generate more commitment from business corporations to encourage reading among their personnel.

Significance of the study It is an undeniable fact that reading is important. In Malaysia, during the early 1970s, the reading habit was stressed because reading has socioeconomic impact. As Malaysia ventures into a new era of a fully developed nation by the year 2020, she needs individuals who are progressive in striving for self-development. To ensure progress, a good reading habit is important. Literacy development has gone beyond the survival stage to levels of empowerment and human development. Professionals, executives and managers are individuals who play the key role in enabling the nation to achieve her vision. They may have been exposed to various management courses and leadership training, but they must not overlook the impact of reading. According to Yeoh (1995), many managers are not avid readers although they should actively seek new knowledge and acquire more information through the habit of reading. When they have a broader outlook and greater knowledge inculcated through reading, they will have better perspectives to make vital business and investment decisions. He further added, "Managers need to read a greater variety of books. They should be able to term themselves as 'renaissance managers' who are not only well-versed in corporate strategy, information technology or business economics but are also equally adept at other fields like international geopolitics, sociology, etc. Such readings would then enable the busy corporate manager to be a critical manager" (p. 48-49). Thus, a culture of continual lifelong learning and continuous improvement needs to be cultivated. Our companies must become learning organizations. We need to develop our capabilities and knowledge quickly if we want to stay ahead and advance to the next stage of industrialization. According to Stan Davis, author of the best-selling book, 2020 Vision, information and knowledge are vital success factors to have in any business (Yeoh, 1995). Therefore, the quest for knowledge should never end. LITERATURE REVIEW Research on reading Reading is one aspect that has received increasing attention in research studies in recent years. Reading studies that were summarized and reviewed in the Journal of Educational Research (1962, 1965 to 1967) and in the Encyclopedia of Educational Research (1969) cover various aspects of reading including, sociological, psychological, physiological and pedagogical. One of the earliest comprehensive studies on the reading habit was the one done by Jenkinson (1940). This classic survey noted that there was a difference in reading interests and tastes between the genders. Other studies carried out on gender preferences were by Fendrick (1941), Wall (1948), Pafford (1959) and Yarlott and Harpin (1971).

Sharon (1974) did a study on non-book reading habits and found that the most common non-book material read among adults in the United States was the newspaper. Sharon stated that an average of 35 minutes was spent on looking at a newspaper on a typical day. On the other hand, 25 per cent of the American population read magazines and each individual spent four to six minutes reading the magazines on a typical day (Cole and Gold, 1978). On book-reading habits, Mann (1971) reported a study done by the European Research Consultants Ltd. in 1965 on book reading among 2300 adults. Sixty-nine per cent of them did not read a book for the past three months. Later in 1975, a study by The Gallup Organization reported that six per cent of the Americans read less than six books in a six-month period. The Poll further added that the book readers in America were largely young, college educated workers with high income and involved in white-collar jobs. According to Lau (1981), readers of higher socioeconomic status read more than those of lower status, and book reading decreases when readers get older (Sharon, 1974). As for studies done on the purpose and motivation of reading and the attitude towards reading, various dominating motives were given. For example, information-getting, recreational, aesthetic and critical understanding of the book (Butler, 1940) and the desire to know, to be curious, to be well informed and to understand rather than to be ignorant (Gates and Jennings, 1961) were some of the motives. Shri Nath Sahai (1971) studied the reading purposes. It was found that some read to further their education and knowledge, some to meet the practical demands of the vocation and to improve upon their occupational status, some to meet their intellectual curiosity and others to satisfy their recreational interest and pass their leisure. Studies on reading attitudes have not featured very prominently in reading research literature and this could be an important area of research in the sociology of reading. One study by Englander (1960) stressed the importance of attitude as an important factor in encouraging reading and he found that an improved attitude in conjunction with improved reading skill would make an individual a more effective reader. The local research findings Prof. Atan Long (1984) gave a similar analysis on the reading habits and interests of Malaysians. His study found that ethnicity and the language used influence the patterns of newspaper, magazine and book readership. The effect of education is clearly seen whereby, in general, readership of newspapers and magazines was much lower for people who received only primary education. The attitude of the people towards reading was quite positive. About one-fifth of the subjects ranked reading as their first choice activity, second only to the more popular activity of TV watching. Newspapers were most read (97%), followed by magazines (67%) and books (42%). The data also indicated that those who read most frequently (heavy readers) were from the high socioeconomic status, middle-aged and had an English educational background. Other local studies include those carried out by Rita Vias (1988) and Lim (1974).

Hypotheses Generally, the research findings in the above review implied that reading is accepted as an important activity practised for different reasons by individuals from various backgrounds. There were specific reading preferences, patterns of reading and attitudes towards reading among the individuals and these were found related to certain aspects such as gender, race and educational background. The following hypotheses have been formulated with the aim of examining functional relationships between selected variables concerning the habit of reading and to examine the validity of the research findings at this point of time. Hypothesis One: The habit of reading is significantly related to or different from job/profession (levels of management), educational background and family status. Hypothesis Two: Reading preference (types and titles of reading materials, subject matter) is significantly related to or different from gender, race and job/profession (levels of management). Hypothesis Three: The attitudes towards reading are significantly related to or different from gender, race and job/profession (levels of management). RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Research design The study involved a survey of urban working professionals, executives and managers in the private sector. Research instrument A structured questionnaire was designed to elicit three types of information from respondents: a. Opinions in order to gain an insight into the respondents' attitudes towards reading. Section A contains 28 statements that attempt to obtain this information (Refer Appendix 1). The scale used is the seven-point Likert scale that measures the degree of agreement or disagreement of the respondents. b. Information on current behavioural pattern and reading interests. Section B contains 15 questions and statements that examine these aspects. The questions are closed-ended consisting of dichotomous and multiple-choice responses. c. Demographic information. Section C contains 12 questions and statements in close-ended format with dichotomous and multiple-choice responses. Sampling design

Using simple random sampling, a total of 299 sampling units were selected and conducted during the month of November to December 1996. These are the professionals, executives and managers (ranging from junior to senior management) who were working in the Klang Valley. Data collection Questionnaires were handed out with the assistance of colleagues and friends. Several visits were also made personally to selected business organizations and corporations. Data analysis The data were analysed by using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). The hypotheses were tested by a number of statistical analyses: the Frequency count, Cross-Tabulation, T-Test, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Reliability test, Factor and the Quick Cluster Analysis. RESEARCH RESULTS The Reading Habit This section looks into the time spent by respondents on reading, the sources of materials, the usage of Internet and their purposes of reading. Time spent reading in a week Most of the respondents did not have a specific time for reading. TABLE 1 - Time which Respondents Normally Read Time Breakfast Lunch break Tea time Dinner After dinner Anytime TOTAL No. 16 6 1 1 172 299 103 0.3 57.5 100.0 Per cent (%) 5.4 2.0 0.3 34.4

A total of 172 of the respondents (57.5%) stated that they read any time in a day (see Table 1). However, many of them (34.4%) read after dinner, because they may have more time to read after they return from work. On the other hand, some read briefly in the morning during breakfast (5.4%). Table 2 explains that on the average, they spent more than four hours reading in a week (51.2%). This is definitely a positive sign! Those who read less than an hour only accounted for 2.7 per cent. TABLE 2 - Average Time Spent on Reading in a Week Time < 1 hour No. Per cent (%) 8 2.7

1-2 hours 44 14.7 3-4 hours 94 31.4 > 4 hours 153 51.2 TOTAL 299 100.0 Sources of reading materials The most popular sources for obtaining their reading materials are the bookshops, vendors or book rental outlets. They either buy the materials on a day-to-day basis or subscribe monthly. This accounted for 52.8 per cent. The next source will be the offices where they work (23.4%). Most places of work do have newspapers and magazines ready for their staff to read during breaks. TABLE 3 - Sources of Reading Materials Time No. Per cent (%) 8.0 52.8 11.0 100.0

Friends & neighbours 24 Bookshops/Vendors/ Book rental outlets 158 Coffee shops 3 1.0 Clubs 5 1.7 Libraries 33 Offices 70 23.4 Others 6 2.0 TOTAL 299 Usage of Internet

There are only 53 respondents (17.7%) who actually use the Internet to obtain information on reading materials or to assess information as shown in Table 4. TABLE 4 - Usage of Internet Usage Yes No TOTAL No. 53 246 299 Per cent (%) 17.7 82.3 100.0

Various topics are assessed frequently and range from subjects like information technology, telecommunication, business and economics, politics, industrial inquiries to world affairs, news, self-development, sports, health planning, cars and even entertainment! Purposes of reading The three main purposes for reading are to obtain information and knowledge on specific subjects of interest (29.8%), for general information on current affairs (29.4%) and for pleasure (22.4%).

TABLE 5 - Purposes of Reading Purpose No. Per cent (%) 22.4 29.4 3.0 29.8 15.4

Pleasure 67 General information 88 Study/Exams 9 Specific subjects 89 Job-related 46 TOTAL 299 100.0

Reading Interests The respondents' interest in materials like newspapers, magazines or journals and books is viewed from the point of their preference, types and titles of the reading materials and subject matter that they are keen on and read frequently. Newspapers Two categories of newspapers were looked into: a) Local newspapers, and b) Foreign newspapers. Local newspapers As seen from Table 6, the most popular newspapers read are the English ones. The Star accounted for the highest level of readership (66.2%), followed by the the New Straits Times (57.5%). As for the Malay papers, Berita Harian and Utusan Malaysia have an equal level of readership (14.0%). Sin Chew Jit Poh seems to be the more popular paper for those who read Chinese newspapers (13.7%). As for Tamil Nesan, it has only two readers, accounting for 0.7 per cent. TABLE 6 - Readership of Local Newspapers Titles No. Per cent (%)

Berita Harian 42 14.0 Utusan Malaysia 42 14.0 Nanyang Siang Pau 29 Sin Chew Jit Poh 41 New Straits Times 172 The Star 198 Malay Mail 56 Tamil Nesan 2 Others 18 6.0 TOTAL 299 Foreign newspapers

9.7 13.7 57.5 66.2 18.7 0.7 100.0

Only a relatively small number of the respondents read foreign newspapers, totalling 92 persons (30.8%). Asian Wall Street Journal is the paper most read (22.7%). There are other foreign newspapers listed. Some are reading materials for foreign expatriates. To name a few, they are USA

Today, Financial Times, South China Morning Post, L'EquiPE and some Japanese titles.

TABLE 7 - Readership of Foreign Newspapers Titles No. Per cent (%) 22.7 2.7

Asia Wall Street Journal 68 London Times 3 1.0 New York Times 4 1.4 The Straits Times (Singapore) 8 Others 9 3.0 TOTAL 299 100.0

Topics of newspapers Table 8 presents the topics that are read by the respondents. TABLE 8 - Topics of Newspapers Topics No. Per cent (%) 82.9 58.5 38.5 16.1

Local news 248 Foreign news 199 66.6 Business/Stock market 175 Leisure columns 115 Sports 69 23.1 Editorial 48 Book reviews 16 5.4 Others 4 1.3 TOTAL 299 100.0 Clearly, the four major topics read news, the business and stock market columns. Other topics mentioned are information technology and readers' Business magazines / journals

are the local news, foreign page and the leisure health and medical issues, views.

Out of 299 respondents, 110 of them did not read business magazines (36.8%) whereas 189 did (62.8%). Among the titles listed, Malaysian Business is most read (32.4%), followed by Business Week (20.7%). Other titles read are Malaysian Industry, Far Eastern Economic Review, ASIA 21, Forbes, Economist and Asian Inc. Almost half of the respondents (157 individuals or 52.5%) read a wide range of magazines or journals related to their job. For example, those who are involved in information technology and computer read magazines like Telecom Asia, PC World, Bytes, Computer World and Computime. Those who are involved in the accounting profession read ACCA magazines, MIA Journal, Malaysian Accountant and Akauntan Nasional whereas magazines such as Electronics Engineers, Electronics Today, Semiconductor International, Electronic Design, Institute of Engineers,

Malaysia and Technical are mostly read by those who work in the technical, electronics and engineering industry. Other magazines listed include Bankers Journal, The Edge, Quality Review and CIB News. Professional books The readership level of professional books is presented in Table 10. TABLE - 10 Readership of Professional Books Topics No. Per cent (%) 46.5 25.8 12.0 9.7

Management 139 Leadership 77 Human resource/Training 36 Environment 29 TQM 47 15.7 Sales/Marketing 58 19.4 Science/Technology/IT 89 29.8 Others 14 4.7 TOTAL 299 100.0

Generally, only 41 respondents did not read any professional books (13.7%). Since the respondents were mostly managers, it is reasonable that management was the topic most read. Other topics of interest were psychology, philosophy, labour market issues and finance. Influence of Certain Factors on the Habit and Interests of Reading This section gives a deeper insight into the habit and interests of the respondents' reading activities. It will look into the relationship of certain selected variables such as gender, race and levels of management of their job or profession to the habit and interests of reading. Guided by the hypotheses (one and two) that have been formulated earlier, this section will be used to examine any significant pattern. Time spent on reading in a week Using Cross tabulation and chi-square, the significance of relationship between three variables and the time spent reading is examined. The variables are marital status, number of children and levels of management. TABLE 11 - Cross Tabulation between Selected Variables/Items with the Time Spent on Reading in a Week Item cross tabbed with time spent Marital status No. of children Levels of management P-value Significant/ Not significant Not significant Not significant Significant

0.4486 0.6590 0.0197

Table 11 shows that there is no significant relationship between

the marital status and the number of children of the respondents and the time they spent reading in a week. Regardless of their marital status and the number of children they have, respondents spent from three to above four hours a week reading. However, there is a significant difference in the time spent due to their levels of management. The higher the level, the more time would be spent on reading. Clearly, those in the middle management increased their time for reading from three to four hours (25.9%) and to more than four hours (56.5%). Senior-level respondents show a higher increase, from 26.8 per cent to 62.5 per cent. TABLE 12 - Influence of Levels of Management on the Time Spent reading in a Week Levels Junior Middle Senior 3.1% 3.4% <1 1-2 17.7% 14.3% 10.7% 3-4 42.7% 25.9% 26.8% >4 36.5% 56.5% 62.5%

Local newspapers Generally, there is a significant relationship between the race or ethnic group and the language medium of the newspapers. Generally, Malay newspapers are mostly read by the Malay respondents, Chinese newspapers by the Chinese and Tamil newspapers by the Indians. However, there is no significant relationship in the readership of English newspapers whereby they are read by all the ethnic groups. For the Malay newspapers as an example, both the Berita Harian and Utusan Malaysia displayed significant relationships (both have p-value of 0.00); Berita Harian has a readership of 45.8 per cent among the Malays but only 2.6 per cent among the Chinese and 15.4 per cent among the Indians. English newspapers like the New Straits Times and the Malay Mail displayed no significant relationships with the different races (each has a p-value of 0.6903 and 0.3679 respectively). However, The Star shows a higher level of readership compared to the other two titles. Table 13 gives a closer picture of the above situation. Topics of newspapers The relationship between the genders of respondents and the topics they read most frequently in the newspapers was looked into. Topics that displayed significant relationships are sports (p-value=0.00), business/stock market (p-value=0.00), foreign news (p-value=0.0079) and leisure columns (p-value=0.00). Sports, business/stock market and foreign news are more favoured by males whereas the leisure columns are more favoured by females. TABLE 14 - Readership of Newspaper Topics with Regard to Gender Topics Local news Male (%) 82.4 Female (%) 84.0

Sports 30.7 6.4 Business/Stock Market 67.8 Editorial 15.1 Foreign news 71.7 55.3 Book reviews 3.4 9.6 Leisure 21.0 76.6 Others 2.0 TOTAL (persons) 205 94 Business magazines / journals

38.3 18.1

It was found that the gender and levels of management of the respondents have certain degree of influence on the types of business magazines or journals that are read. Generally, males read more business magazines than females for almost all the titles that are listed. The relationship between gender and the magazines has a p-value of 0.01. TABLE - 15 Readership of Business Magazines/Journals with Regard to Gender Titles Male (%) Female (%)

Business Week 24.9 11.7 Malaysian Business 36.1 24.5 Fortune 7.3 9.6 World Executive Digest 21.0 16.0 Asia Business News 17.1 8.5 Harvard Business Review 2.0 Others 9.3 2.1 TOTAL (persons) 205 94

3.2

A p-value of 0.00 was recorded for the relationship between the levels of management and the magazines. It was discovered that more senior managers read more business magazines. Middle management recorded a higher level of readership for all the titles as compared to the other levels. It is a point to note that Fortune has a bigger appeal to senior level whereby 17.9 per cent of them read this magazine but only 6.3 per cent recorded for junior level and 5.4 per cent for middle level. Job-related magazines / journals All gender and races of respondents have no distinct difference in reading job-related magazines or journals. However, there is a relationship between the levels of management and these magazines (p-value=0.0001). Magazines which contain titles related to the nature of their jobs are read by those from the middle management (57.8% or 85 persons). Junior level and senior ones recorded 35.4 per cent (34 persons) and 67.9 pre cent (38 persons) respectively. Professional books With regard to gender, both males and females do not display a big difference in the readership level on topics like leadership, human resource/training, environmental issues, total

quality management, sales/marketing and other topics. TABLE 16 - Readership of Business Magazines/Journals with Regard to Levels of Management Titles (%) (%) (%) Junior Middle Senior

Business Week 14.6 21.8 28.6 Malaysian Business 16.7 34.7 53.6 Fortune 6.3 5.4 17.9 World Executive Digest 14.6 22.4 19.6 Asia Business News 4.2 20.4 16.1 Harvard Business Review 3.1 2.7 Others 6.3 6.1 10.7 TOTAL (persons) 96 147 56

TABLE 17 - Readership of Professional Books with Regard to Gender Topics Male (%) Female (%)

Management 50.7 37.2 Leadership 25.4 26.6 Human resource/Training 10.2 16.0 Environment 9.8 9.6 TQM 17.6 11.7 Sales/Marketing 19.0 20.2 Science/Technology/IT 35.6 17.0 Others 4.9 4.3 TOTAL (persons) 205 94 On the other hand, there is a difference in the topics of management (p=-value=0.0406) and science/technology/information technology (p-value=0.018). In both cases, males read more on these topics compared to females. All races do not have a distinct preference on the listed topics except for topics on leadership (p-value=0.0219) and science/technology/ information technology (p-value=0.0228). In both cases, Malays and Indians specifically have lower readership levels compared to the Chinese. As for the different levels of management, all respondents from the three levels have no significant relationship with the books read. All of them believe that the topics listed are equally essential or appropriate to be read, regardless of the seniority of their positions. Attitudes towards reading Overall, the 28 statements that were constructed to evaluate the attitudes of respondents towards reading as an activity are reliable. The reading attitude scale displayed a Cronbach's Coefficient Alpha of 0.6798, that is, bigger than 0.5. The general attitude Generally, the respondents showed a positive attitude towards

reading. Many believed that reading is an enjoyable activity. For example, 78 per cent of the respondents agreed that they always tried to read whenever they had the time and 78.5 per cent enjoyed reading a lot. On the other hand, 62.2 per cent of respondents disagreed that they only read if they did not have anything else to do. Many respondents believed that reading played an important role in their profession. The majority (87.3%) agreed that they could be more competent in their job with the new knowledge acquired through reading and 97.3 per cent agreed that reading could enhance their job-related knowledge and skill. It is a point to note is important although (64.9%) actually made whenever they had the that most respondents thought that reading they are busy. More than half of them sure that they read and 78 per cent read time.

Relationship of certain factors on the attitudes toward reading The influences of certain variables on the attitudes of reading were examined using the T-test and the ANOVA analysis. This is to validate hypothesis three. Relationship between gender and the attitudes toward reading It was discovered that there is significant difference between the two genders with a few attitudes. Females (mean=2.5213) tended to disagree more that they read only materials that are related to their job or career as compared to males (mean=3.0439). They also disagreed more than the males about enjoying sports more than reading (females displayed a mean value of 2.4468 while males had a mean value of 2.8390). Females tended to enjoy reading more and read whenever they had the time (mean=5.6596 and 5.4574 respectively) compared to their male counterparts (mean=5.1073 and 5.0488 respectively). However, males are more enthusiastic about reading for the latest information about business (mean=5.5366) compared to females (mean=5.1915). Reading books was too time consuming for males (mean=3.5805) whereas females did not think so (mean=3.0957). Relationship between race and the attitudes toward reading It was found that Chinese respondents tended to agree more that they read only if a topic interests them (mean=4.9421) as compared to Malays (mean=4.4583), Indians (mean=4.3846) or the other races (mean=3.8182). Both the Chinese and other races (who are mostly foreign expatriates) tended to have a higher degree of agreement that their busy schedule discouraged them from reading (mean=4.0579 and 4.3636 respectively). Malay (mean=3.3333) and Indians (mean=3.6154) tended to agree less. Relationship between levels of management and the attitudes toward reading Using the ANOVA, it was found that there were significant

differences between the three levels of management and certain attitudes. From Table 19, it can be noted that junior level professionals tended to agree more that they read only if a topic interested them and when they did not have anything else to do. They also tended to enjoy TV more than reading. On the other hand, more senior personnel had a stronger appeal to reading - they believed that reading could enhance job-related skill and they always made sure that they had the time to read. They also did not agree that reading a book is time consuming. TABLE 19 - Table of Mean for Selected Reading Attitudes with Regard to Levels of Management Reading attitude VAR05 VAR10 VAR12 VAR16 VAR20 VAR21 VAR22 Junior 5.0208 5.1458 3.5625 5.8438 4.2083 3.4375 4.5208 Middle Senior 4.0536 4.5357 2.8214 6.2321 3.3571 2.9286 5.1964

4.8095 4.8163 3.3129 6.0272 4.2653 3.6122 4.8435

The classification of respondents according to their reading attitudes Using the Factor and the Quick Cluster analysis, attempts were made to classify the respondents into specific categories as regards their reading attitudes. According to the Factor analysis, there are five factors that were identified that accounted for 46.3% of the variance in the criteria (reading attitudes) variable. The Eigenvalues for each factor are: Factor 1: 5.89282, Factor 2: 2.36286, Factor 3: 1.80434, Factor 4: 1.56909 and Factor 5: 1.33670. Based on the factor loading, variables that have factor loading of more than 0.5 (to be significant enough for selection) were selected. The variables involved are presented in Appendix 1, Table 20. Rearranging the factors and variables, certain dimensions or categories of respondents have been identified and named. (See Table 21 in Appendix 1). In conclusion, there are five categories of readers that can be identified: (1) The non-readers who believe that reading is a boring activity and a waste of time. (2) The marginal readers who do not have much interest in reading. They would rather do other activities than read and only read if it is really necessary. (3) The avid readers who actually love reading. Reading is their favourite hobby. (4) Those who read for job-related needs who specifically read

because they believe that reading plays a vital role in their job as regards the knowledge and skill that can be acquired through reading. (5) Those who do not deny that reading is important but find that they do not have the time. These may be those who are involved heavily in their work. From the Quick Cluster analysis, four clusters were identified whereby variables with loading of above five were grouped into their respective clusters. Table 22 in Appendix 1 shows the selected clusters and variables. Referring to Appendix 2 and from the analysis done on the factor scores, Cluster One can be identified as those who believe reading is important but are too busy to read (2.7% of the respondents fall into this cluster). Cluster Two, which accounted for 60.8 per cent of the respondents, are the avid readers whereas Clusters Three and Four can be categorized as the marginal readers (36.0%) and the non-readers (0.5%). CONCLUSION The study was undertaken to examine the reading habits and interests of urban working professionals, executives and managers ranging from junior to senior management in the Klang Valley. It specifically looks into the respondents' reading behaviour, purposes, attitudes and the reading preference to obtain a better understanding and insight into their reading pattern. It is hoped that the findings of the study will increase the awareness among the corporate sectors regarding the importance of reading in developing thinking individuals, who in turn, become strategic human resources that will give the competitive edge to the organization in this information age. Implications of the study This study has brought to light some of the salient points of reading habits and interests of the majority of urban working professionals, executives and managers. It is very encouraging to discover that many of the professionals, executives and managers have a positive outlook on the importance of reading since knowledge through reading among this group gives a strategic position for an organization. Stronger emphasis by the middle and senior levels of management on reading revealed that there is a substantial awareness among this group of individuals on its importance. However, there is a lack of reading among the junior level individuals who may not be aware of the impact of reading for their self-development. Management, specifically at the higher level, has a role to play to encourage wider reading among the executives. One area that the management can look into is to have more materials made readily available to them in their places of work, for example, by subscription to or setting up of libraries of knowledge centres in their organization. A certain amount of resources needs to be set aside for this purpose. Organizations

must look upon this as a form of long-term investment as knowledge and information will enhance their workforce and give them the competitive edge in the long run. Reading materials need to be made easily accessible, specifically foreign publications. With globalization, knowledge about foreign happenings (business or non-business) is important for us to compete effectively with other global competitors. Emphasis should be placed on the environment and information technology since these are current issues that will have significant impact on the operations of the organization. Motivation can also be given to employees through continuous training and orientation programmes where the idea of reading as a constant practice can be imparted to them. Organizations may consider encouraging their employees to attend seminars on reading, which are not meant only for academicians. Some organizations have their own editorial departments that publish bulletins and newsletters for their employees. These departments can be used more effectively to disseminate knowledge and information. It is disappointing to note that Internet usage among the professional individuals is still low although computer networking has become more prominent in information search. Better information systems may need to be implemented to encourage better networking. There is also a tendency for female executives and managers to have less interest in business-related materials and topics such as information technology. Women, on the whole, should keep themselves abreast of the business world. Acquiring new and timely knowledge and information, especially in business-related issues, is essential to all corporate individuals. Suggestions for future research This exploratory study also has some implications for future research. Due to time and cost constraints, the sample size in this study is quite restricted. The scope of the research has been substantially wide too. Thus, future studies should contemplate a larger sample size and usage of a stratified sampling method. The study should be more focused, for example, concentrating on a particular industry or a certain level of management. Reading habits and interests in other parts of the country can also be carried out to help shed light on whether the reading behaviour in a different setting will give rise to different results. The questionnaire developed in this study has room for improvement. More relevant aspects and attitude statements can be included to give future studies a more comprehensive approach.p REFERENCES Asheim, L (1956). What Do Adults Read? Adult Reading, 55th Yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education, Part II, University of Chicago Press, pp. 5-28.

Atan bin Long, et al. (1984). A Survey on the Reading Habits and Interests of Malaysian People, KL: DBP. Bullock, A (1975). A Language For Life: A Report of the Committee of Inquiry Appointed by the Secretary of State for Education and Science, London: Her Majesty Stationery Office. Butler, H. (Jan 1940). An Inquiry into the Statement of Motives by readers, Library Quarterly X, pp. 1-49. Cole, J and G, Carol S (eds) (1978). Reading in America, Washington D C: Lib. of Congress. Englander, M E (Feb 1960). Changes in Affect Attributed to Ins. In Reading Improvement at the College Level, Journal of Educational Research LIII, No: 6, pp. 231-26. Fendrick, P (Mar 1941). Newspaper Reading Interest of High School and College Students, Journal of Educational Research XXXIV, pp. 525-30. Gates, A I and Jenning, F C (1961), The Role of Motivation, Development in and through reading, 60th Yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education, Part I, University of Chicago Press, pp. 109-20. Gary, W S (Feb 1959). Summary of Investigations Relating to Reading July 1, 1958 to June 30, 1959, Journal of Educational Research LIII, No: 6, pp.203-222. Gordon, N R (1976). Books As A Way of Life: Reading in a Changing World, ed. Mohrhardt, Verlag Dokumentation Publication. Hewett, R P (1960). Reading and response, London: George G Harrap. Jenkinson, A J (1946). What do Boys and Girls Read? An Investigation into the Reading Habits with some Suggestions about the Teaching of Literature in Secondary and Senior Schools, 2nd Ed., London Methuen. Leng, I J (1974). Children in the Library, Cardiff: University of Wales Press. Lim The Eng (1974). A Study of the Reading Habits and Interests of 6-Form Students in English Medium Schools and their use of the School Library Facilities, Kuala Lumpur: University Malaya. Mann, H P (1971). Books, Buyers and Borrowers, Andre Duetsch. Pafford, M K (Oct 1959). Some Indications of Literacy Interests Among 6th Formers and Undergraduates, Research and Studies, University of Leeds, Institution of Education, No: 20, pp. 30-37. Philippi, Jorie W (1993). Acquiring and Using Literacy Skills in the Workplace. In: S R Yussen and M C Smith (eds), Reading Across the Life Span, Springer-Verlag. Rita Vias (1988). Problems and Recommended Solutions in

Promoting Reading in Malaysia-How to Promote Reading Habits in Asia and the Pacific, Report of the 21st Training Course on Book Production in Asia and the Pacific, Tokyo, 13-31 October. Sahai, S N (Sept 1971). Personality Trait as Determinants of Reading Purpose, Research in Librarianship III, No: 18, pp. 161-75. Sahai, S N (Dec 1971). Sex, Age, Education, Occupation and Income as Determinants to Fiction Reading Behaviour, Annals of Lib. Science and Documentation, Indian National Scientific Documentation Centre, Delhi XVIII No: 4, pp.177-80. Salleh Mohd Nor (1994). Reading in the Context of Management, Proceedings of the National Seminar on the Promotion of Reading Habits in Malaysia, June. Sharon, A T (1973-74). What Do Adults Read? Reading Research Quarterly, 9:2, pp. 148-169. Wall, W D (1948). The Newspaper Reading of Adolescents and Adults, British Journal of Educational Psychology XVIII, pp. 24-6. Yarlott, G and Harpin, W S (Nov 1970). 1000 Responses to English Literature (I), Educational Research XIII, No: 1, pp. 3-11. Yarlott, G and Harpin, W S (Feb 1971). 1000 Responses to English Literature (II), Educational Research XIII, No: 2, pp. 87-97. Yeoh, M (1995). Vision & Leadership: Values and Strategies Towards Vision 2020, Pelanduk Publications. APPENDIX 2 List of VAR01 VAR02 VAR03 VAR04 through VAR05 VAR06 VAR07 VAR08 VAR09 VAR10 VAR11 VAR12 VAR13 VAR14 VAR15 VAR16 VAR17 VAR18 VAR19 VAR20 VAR21 VAR22 VAR23 Attitude Statements I think I have enough reading in school or university. I don't care much for reading. I read only materials related to my job/career. I am more competent in my job with the new knowledge acquired reading I only read when a topic really interests me. My busy schedule discourages me from reading. Bookshops are one of my favourite shopping spots. I always read whenever I have the time. I read to keep myself abreast of the latest information on business. Getting information from TV is faster and more enjoyable for me. I will try to get reading material if it is good. I only read if I don't have anything else to do. I always encourage others to read. I don't spend my money buying a book or magazine. I usually don't have much time to read the newspaper thoroughly. Reading can enhance my job-related knowledge and skill. I enjoy sports such as golf more than reading. I read only during my lunch/coffee/tea breaks. Reading sends me to sleep. It usually takes me a long time to finish a book. Reading a book is too time consuming for me. I always make sure that I have time to read. I will only go to the bookshop/library if I need to get a particular

reading VAR24 VAR25 VAR26 VAR27 VAR28

material. I read to seek new knowledge and more information relating to my job. I like reading but I do not have the time. I enjoy reading a lot. I have a hard time focusing when I am reading. Reading is important but I am too busy.

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Reading habits and interest of children aged 5 - 9 years It is appropriate to discuss reading habits and interests with a review of activities that of interest to children. Table 1.4 illustrates the activities of children aged 5 to 9 years in order of importance.

Base: All aged 5 - 9 years Table 1.4 Activities of interest for children aged 5 to 9 years

Chart 1.5 shows the principal types of reading material preferred by children aged 5 to 9 years. Comics is the main type of reading material children prefer (41 percent), followed, at a distance, by books (26 percent), newspapers (10 percent) and magazines (6 percent). Table 1.6 provides data on the incidence of reading of the various types of reading material by gender, age group and location.

Chart 1.5 Types of reading material read

Base: All aged 5 - 9 years Table 1.6 Types of reading material read by gender, age group and location

Reading habits and interest of children aged 10 years and above Chart 1.7 shows that the types of reading material chosen by Malaysians. The majority of Malaysians read newspapers (79 percent). This is not surprising taking into consideration the pricing, language and circulation and they are the most easily available reading material. Books occupy second position (52 percent) followed by magazines (47 percent) and comics (32 percent).

Chart 1.7 Types of reading material read

Table 1.8 provides data on the types of material read by gender, age group and location. It can be seen from the standpoint of gender, males have a greater preference for newspapers and comics; females on the other hand prefer magazines. Both males and females show almost equal interest in books.

Table 1.8 Types of reading material read by gender, age group and location

The data linking age with types of reading material read gives some interesting results. Charts 1.8 (a), 1.8 (b) and 1.8 (c) display the data in graphic form. The following points can be noted: Those in the age group 15 to 44 years prefer newspapers; subsequently interest declines. Magazines are read mainly by those in the age group 15 to 34 years after which interest declines more rapidly than interest in newspapers. Interest in books and comics declines after the age of 24 years; the decline is more rapid for comics.

Chart 1.8 (a): Newspapers

Chart 1.8 (b): Magazines

Chart 1.8 (c): Books

Chart 1.8 (d): Comics

Generally, it can be said that as Malaysians grows older, interest in all types of reading material declines. While this is understandable in respect of comics, the decline in interest in newspapers, magazines and books is particularly intriguing as it defies popular assumption that those in the older generation have more time at hand that they will take up reading of any type of reading material to fill the spare time. It should be however noted that Malaysian society is newly literate, and the older generation are less educated than those in the younger age groups, except for those in the higher income brackets. In terms of geographical location, the reading of newspapers, magazines and books is more prevalent in the urban areas. Comics are the preferred reading material in the rural areas. Newspapers are the popular reading material in the urban areas. http://ultibase.rmit.edu.au/Articles/may00/thiyag1.htm

The English Reading Habits of ELLS Students in University Science Malaysia Author: Ms Sarjit Kaur & Ms Rosy Thiyagarajah University Science Malaysia Keywords: University Science Malaysia, literacy, TESOL, ESL, postgraduate students, English proficiency test, foreign students. Article style and source: Peer Reviewed. Original ultiBASE publication. Paper presented at the "Sixth International Literacy and Education Research Network Conference on Learning", Bayview Beach Resort, Penang, Malaysia 27 - 30 September 1999. Contents
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Abstract Introduction Purpose of study The USM ELLS degree programme Conducting the survey Results and discussion

Perceptions of reading ability Motivation to read in English Preparation time spent on courses Conclusion References

Abstract Academic success at the tertiary level is likely a multidimensional phenomenon that includes language proficiency, learning and study strategies and certain personal characteristics (Stoynoff, 1997). As reading is part of academic literacy, lecturers in local universities usually have high expectations of a student's ability to cope with the demands of reading in English. However, a survey conducted among eighty first year students enrolled for the Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature Studies (ELLS) programme at the School of Humanities, USM revealed poor reading habits and that the students' perceptions of their reading ability did not commensurate with the expectations of the lecturers. Results of a questionnaire and structured interviews (with a subgroup of 15 students and course lecturers) provided valuable insights about the reading readiness of students about to embark on an academic life. The findings of the survey will help to raise awareness among students and staff about potential reading difficulties and the crucial role that reading plays in the achievement of academic success. The results of this study have implications for admission decisions, academic advising and orienting of new students into the programme. Introduction What are the reading habits of Malaysian students at the university? Will efficient readers achieve higher levels of academic achievement? How do our students perceive their reading ability? When we (with other colleagues of the English section) interview prospective students for the B.A. in English Language and Literature Studies (ELLS) programme, we always seem to ask about their reading habits. We constantly probe into the fabric of interweaving factors of their reading dimension hoping that they will elaborate on their favourite books and authors and comment on their leisure reading interests. During the interviews, we discovered that many of the students read very little (except for some who read the daily newspaper) and seem uncomfortable when asked about their reading interests, citing the usual reasons of the lack of time and access to reading materials to account for the little time spent on this activity. Of course, there have been instances when students have come prepared to these interviews and go to great lengths to explain a Shakespearean play or Dickens novel (often having read the simplified version) to impress us. How much do Malaysians read? According to the last National Literacy Survey carried out in 1996 by the National Library, the average Malaysian reads only two books a year! This is an improvement compared to an earlier survey in 1982 which revealed that an average Malaysian read a mere page or two a year. The Sunday Star newspaper (8th August, 1999:p2) reports that "the poor reading habits among Malaysians was common knowledge but, in true Malaysian fashion, it took an official survey to jolt the education sector that something had to be done fast." When the survey findings hit the headlines, the Education Ministry came up with the NILAM (Nadi Ilmu Amalan Membaca or Sapphire) programme in 1998 to nurture the reading habit among school children. In this reading project, students are awarded marks for the number of books they read and the

Education Ministry has suggested an award ranking system for primary and secondary schools. However, many schools have yet to start the programme and those that have are still in the infancy stage. Various reasons for setbacks in the implementation of this reading programme have been cited, among which include the recent economic downturn making a national launch impossible. Many teachers have also expressed confusion about the concept and are unsure about implementing it in their schools. Studies in the past have shown that the exam-oriented educational system in Malaysia promotes rote learning and that there needs to be a paradigm shift in how we view education and about the way we teach ((Chitravellu, 1997; Osman, 1997). The Education Minster, Datuk Najib Tun Razak, has frequently commented in the local media that most students read only to pass exams and do not read for pleasure. He has been instrumental in implementing many projects aimed at improving students reading ability in the country. Reading skills are important through out our lifespan, particularly as we respond to new demands and changes in jobs and reading for pleasure or recreational has been found to improve reading comprehension, writing style, vocabulary, spelling and grammatical development (Krashen, 1993). The positive and rewarding effects of recreational reading have been demonstrated in numerous studies (Burgess, 1994; Krashen, 1984, 1993) Over the past over the past twenty years, increasing numbers of Malaysians have enrolled in institutions of higher learning in the country. Admission decisions are usually made on the basis of the applicants academic performance in standardised national exams like the A levels or the STPM (Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia). Hence, identifying the reading habits of university students will have tremendous significance on the local universities and for the students themselves. Most attempts to predict the academic performance of local university students have not focussed on the students reading habits. As Stoynoff (1997: 2) notes,"academic success is likely a multidimensional phenomenon that includes language proficiency, learning and study strategies, and certain personal characteristics." The intent of the present study is to investigate the students reading habits and their perceptions of their reading ability. We have defined reading habits as regular tendencies in reading behaviour. top Purpose of study The purpose of the present study was to find out answers to the following questions: 1. 2. 3. 4. How much time do university students spend on reading materials in English? How do university students perceive their reading ability? What motivates them to read? How much time do they spend on preparing for their courses?

The USM ELLS degree programme The BA Honours in English Language and Literature Studies (ELLS) programme, designed to be in line with the national education policy and the aspiration of the nation to make English the effective second language, is a degree course which was first offered by the Centre for Languages and Translation, USM. It has taken into consideration the objectives of the KBSM (New Curriculum for Secondary Schools) and has also included a literature component that will equip the graduates with the required knowledge and skills. The programme aims at meeting the current shortage of good teachers of English in the education system and producing competent teachers qualified to teach English as well as literature in English as required in the KBSM programme

Admission into the ELLS programme is based on the students STPM results, candidates sponsored by the Ministry of Education and candidates with recognised teaching qualifications or its equivalent (USM Handbook for BA ELLS programme, 1989). It is also stipulated in the programme that candidates must pass all courses offered for the degree course and that they must satisfy all coursework requirements. The course structure requires students to take 111 units over the three year duration. Top Conducting the survey The sample consisted of 63 students enrolled in the B.A.ELLS programme. These students were selected because they were first year students and they were new to academic life in a university. Also, a majority of them have worked as primary school teachers. A total of 63 questionnaires were administered during one of their foundation course lectures. Both teachers personally administered the questionnaires. A survey entitled The Reading Habits of ELLS students was developed for this study. It consisted of 5 demographic questions (gender, race, age, level of education and teaching experience), 1 question about their frequency in reading, 1 question on their perceptions of their reading ability, 1 question on their motivation to read and 2 questions on preparation time spent on their courses. In addition, structured interviews were conducted with 20 students to elicit more detailed information about their reading habits. Top Results and discussion The questionnaire revealed that the majority of students (82.5%) were females, were in the 25-29 age group, possessed a Teacher Training Certificate and 41.2% had 3-5 years of teaching experience. It was interesting to discover that two students had nineteen years of teaching experience and one had twenty-two years. Table 1: Students frequency of reading Hours per week less than 1 hour Reading materials Comic books Letters Journals 1 2 hours 3 5 hours Magazines Literary works and ELT books Newspapers Novels Percentages of students 60.3% 38.1% 38.1% 33.3% 69.8% 28.6% 25.4%

The information gleaned from the questionnaire (refer to Table 1) revealed that while many students preferred spending as much as 3-5 hours per week on reading yet the breakdown of the responses indicated that 69.8% of them spent this amount of time on literacy works (i.e. poetry and drama) and ELT books, 28.6% on newspapers, 25.4% on novels and 25.4% of the students responded nonapplicable regarding the frequency of reading novels. Although many students claim to read literacy works and ELT books yet it was revealed during the structured interviews that they face tremendous problems in coping with reading literary texts prescribed by their lecturers saying they were still not very confident. Some of the comments: "Reading literature is tough! I am blurred/shocked/devastated" "Its something very new." "The more were read the more we do not know." The above comments related to plays, like "King Lear and "The Importance of Being Earnest" and some selected poems (21 in numbers) by Spencer, Kipling, Browning and Sassoon. We were also informed that before coming to the university they had more time to read the various types of English newspapers (e.g. The Star, New Straits Times, etc.) but now they have no time and preferred to watch English news over TV or read the newspaper in the common room. Only 25.4% responded that they read novels (some last read a novel six months or three months ago). Favourite types of novel were horror stories (by Stephen King) romance and mysteries. During the structured interviews some said they rented books from bookshops and only one student (female) said she frequented her hometown library. The reasons for little reading of novels were time constraints, marital responsibilities, limited interest and the high price of imported books. Students reported the money spent on book purchased ranged from only RM3.90 RM5.00 per book (usually from the Popular Bookshop in town). Gallik (1999) in a study on the recreational reading habits of college students in central Texas also found that only 35.2% of her respondents read novels. Only 1-2 hours per week were spent on the reading of magazines: female students favouring magazines like Cleo, Home Scene, Motherhood and Readers Digest, while the male students read Time, Newsweek, etc. (while not subscribing to them). top Perceptions of reading ability Generally the ELLS students perceive themselves as being efficient readers of the various types of reading materials like newspapers, magazines and letters. Table 2 below summarises the findings of responses to questions of students perceptions of their reading ability: Table 2: Perceptions of Reading Ability Reading Materials Very Quite Efficiently Efficiently Efficiently (%) (%) (%) Perceptions of Reading Ability Not very Efficiently (%) Not Efficiently (%) N/A (%)

Newspaper 25.4 Magazines 15.9 Comic books Letters/email/chat rooms Novels Literary works 16.9

41.3 41.3 24.8

28.6 25.4 20.8

3.2 14.3 13.7

5.8

1.5 3.1 19

21 20.6 3.2

35 31.7 7.8 32 20.6

19 27 35 44.4 33.3

9.5 11.1 48.6 20.6 22.2

3.2 4.8 4.8

6.3 9.6 1.6 1.6 19.1

ELT books 1.4 Journals -

Although 41.3% of them claim to read newspapers and magazines efficiently, only 31.7% claim to read novels efficiently. It is interesting to note that 48.6% of the students do not rate themselves as highly in reading and comprehending literary works. Similarly 44.4% rate themselves as only quite efficient readers of ELT books. In Freidberg and Mahanaimis study (1998) on the reading habits of 47 third year medical students in Israel during an integrated endocrinology course, it was revealed that 93.2% of the students had difficulties reading the prescribed course texts. This indicates that generally undergraduates find reading course texts problematic. During the structured interviews the respondents claimed their reading difficulties were caused by the linguistic load, semantic problems, terminology and unfamiliarity with content areas. Students reported that they could not understand terms like "soliloquy", had little or not enough exposure to poems before and found analysing and criticising poems and novels a problem. They said they were not coping well, were struggling and were at a loss sometimes. Some felt handicapped by their level of English language proficiency in the reading of literary works. Interviews with other colleagues (four lecturers) in the ELLS programme provided us the same comments i.e. that students have problems grappling with long texts, terminology and unfamiliarity with poems and plays. Students are not independent readers and rely heavily on lecturers explanations and handouts. Top Motivation to read in English The questionnaire revealed that most of the students were aware of their roles as mature students and showed very positive attitudes towards reading. 85.7% of them read in English because they feel it can improve their English Language proficiency. Similarly 74.67% of them read in order to get good grades in all their courses and 71.4% read in English because they want to become good English language teachers upon graduation. As in other studies conducted among mature learners at Malaysian universities (Kaur and Che Lah, 1999; Kaur and T.Mahadi, 1998), we found that these learning traits truly reflect their Asian characteristics of being goal-oriented and wishing to succeed at the university. Only 42.8% of the students were motivated to read because they enjoyed reading.
Top

Preparation time spent on courses The responses of the survey showed the majority of the students (84.1%) spent 6-10 hours more a week in doing assignments while 33.3% of the students reported they spent 3-5 hours preparing for tutorials. 42.8% of the ELLS students claimed to spend 3-5 hours reading relevant course texts and 41.2% of them spent that same amount of time making notes for their courses. 46% of the students claim that they spend 3-5 hours a week researching in the library. Very little time seems to be spent working on the computer as 49.2% of the students said they spent from less than 1 hour to 2 hours on the computer. This can be attributed to the fact that most of their course assignments are usually submitted at the end of each semester. Students report that they face difficulties with regard to reading because of several factors. Amongst them are their inability to recall information; new terminology; inability to concentrate; and regressive reading habits. Top Conclusion The findings of this survey lead us to conclude that ELLS students need to improve their reading habits. Prior to their entry to USM they have not read much (except while studying in secondary schools). It will be beneficial to have a record of their reading habits in order to make predictions about their academic success in the ELLS programme. Both researchers and other course lecturers concur that generally their expectations of their students reading ability, have not been met. It would be helpful to course lecturers and administrators to have a heightened awareness of the reading difficulties faced by our students. One of the steps taken to minimise reading problems would be to incorporate study skills components within the courses or to make reading lists (in particular literature texts) more manageable. Course outlines are already provided online via the computer. Students could enter the university better equipped for success if detailed reading lists (particularly for literature courses which entail the reading of lengthy novels) for lectures and tutorials could be sent to successful applicants of the ELLS programme before they are admitted. Students should be encouraged to use the Internet as a tool to tap valuable reading resources or participate in relevant discussion groups. This activity can assist in the promotion of autonomous learning and make students more independent and resourceful. We hope our "reluctant readers" will continue to read after graduation when the pressure to read is absent thereby helping to foster a reading culture in our society. Top References Burgess, A. 1987. A Clockwork Orange. New York: W.W. Norton. Friedberg, M and Mahanaimi, D. 1998. Reading Habits of Third Year Medical students during an Integrated Endocrinology Course. Medical Teacher. March 1998, Vol. 20 Issue 2, p 133. Gallik, J.D. 1999. Do they read for pleasure? Recreational reading habits of college students. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy. Vol. 42, Issue 6, p. 480. Kaur, S and Che Lah, S (1998). The Sociocultural Development of Mature Learners at the University. Paper presented at the Malaysia International Conference on Languages, Literatures and Cultures (MICOLLAC). The Mines Resort Hotel, Kuala Lumpur. 10-12 May 1999.

Kaur, S and T.Mahadi, T.S. (1998). Challenges Faced By Malay Employees in Using English at the Workplace. Paper presented at the 3rd International Conference: "On the Role of Language in a Borderless World: Harkening to the Voices of Asia". Nikko Hotel, Kuala Lumpur. 10-12 May 1998. Krashen, S. 1984. Writing: Research, Theory and Applications. Torrence, CA: Laredo. Metsala, J.L. and McCann, A.D. 1996. Childrens Motivations for Reading. Reading Teacher. Vol. 50, Issue 4: p360. Stoynoff, S. 1977. Factors Associated with International Students Academic Achievement. Journal of Instructional Psychology. March 1977. Vol. 24, Issue 1:p56. The Sunday Star. 1999. Nurturing the Reading Habit. The Star Education: 8 August 1999:p2. USM Handbook for ELLS students. School of Humanities, USM, p 14. Top

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