THE ELEVENTH GRADE STUDENTS’ READING HABIT

Abstract

Reading habits help students to be prepared for wider aspects of life since books are the storehouse of knowledge. Yet, the mindset of reading only as a hobby is still often heard among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students in Indonesia. This becomes an excuse for those who do not want to read since reading is not their hobby. This study was intended to investigate English reading habits of EFL students. A mixed-method design was carried out using a questionnaire and a follow-up interview guide. The questionnaire was distributed to 203 eleventh grade students in a public senior high school in Purwosari, Pasuruan, East Java, Indonesia. The findings showed that the majority of the EFL eleventh grade students did not indicate good English reading habits. Despite, most of the students considered reading English as an interesting and beneficial activity which was usually done in their spare time. Moreover, they indicated several problems that made them prefer to read in their first language which was mainly related to being unaccustomed to reading English materials at an early age. This study has initiated the need for parents and teachers to establish a good and serene reading environment that can encourage good English reading habits for the students.