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چکیده
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The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of culturally familiar texts on Iranian EFL learners’ reading comprehension skills. It was also aimed at measuring the effect of culturally nativized texts on reading comprehension skills of Iranian EFL learners at different proficiency levels. A further concern of this study was to investigate the attitudes of Iranian EFL learners towards culturally nativized texts. To this end, 113 EFL learners at different proficiency levels, studying at two English language institutes in Malayer and Arak were chosen through the administration of Quick Placement Test (2001). In order to measure the effect of culturally familiar texts, a group of intermediate EFL learners were taught culturally familiar texts in 10 sessions. The reading sections of two PET tests were administered to them as pretest and posttest. In order to compare the effect of culturally nativized texts on reading comprehension skills of EFL learners at different proficiency levels, one group of elementary, two groups of intermediate, and one group of advanced EFL learners were selected. The learners were taught nativized texts in 10 sessions. The reading sections of KET, PET and TOEFL tests were administered to them as pretests and posttests. At the end of the study, 60 EFL learners were given an attitude questionnaire. The data was analyzed through descriptive statistics, Matched t-test, and Independent Samples t-test, and it was revealed that: a) Culturally familiar texts have a significant effect on Iranian intermediate EFL learners’ reading comprehension test performance; b) Culturally nativized foreign texts have a significant effect on Iranian intermediate EFL learners’ reading comprehension test performance; c) Culturally nativized foreign texts have a significant effect on Iranian elementary EFL learners’ reading comprehension test performance; d) Culturally nativized foreign texts have no significant effect on Iranian advanced EFL learners’ read
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