Enhancing Thai EFL primary learners’ word reading ability through phonics instruction
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62819/jel.2026.1819Keywords:
phonics instruction, Thai EFL primary learners, word reading abilityAbstract
Reading words is essential to vocabulary and receptive and productive word recognition. Traditional English training in Thai elementary schools emphasizes memorization, which limits vocabulary expansion and decoding skills. This study aimed to investigate the effects of phonics instruction on Thai EFL primary learners’ English word reading ability and to examine learners’ attitudes toward phonics instruction in relation to their word reading development. A quasi-experimental pretest–posttest with a non-equivalent control group was employed. The participants were 23 Thai first-grade EFL learners divided into an experimental group (n = 12), which received phonics instruction, and a control group (n = 11), which received traditional instruction for eight weeks. The research instruments included a Letter–Sound Recognition Task (LSRT), a Word Reading Task (WRT), and semi-structured interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, while qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The quantitative results showed that the experimental group significantly improved from pretest to posttest on both the LSRT, t = 9.93, p < .001, d = 2.00, and the WRT, t = 3.33, p = .007, d = 2.77. Comparison of test performance between groups: the experimental group also significantly outperformed the control group on the LSRT, t = 2.70, p = .01, d = 2.40, and the WRT, t = 2.18, p = .04, d = 2.10. These findings indicated that phonics instruction was more effective in producing consistent and statistically significant improvement in learners’ word reading ability. The qualitative findings showed that learners developed generally positive emotional engagement toward phonics instruction. They reported increased confidence, enjoyment, and motivation in reading English words, despite some initial challenges related to cognitive load and pronunciation. The study recommends engaging phonics instruction for early primary English education to improve reading development and learner engagement for EFL teachers and curriculum designers.
References
Aiyarakarnjanakul, W., & Sitthitikul, P. (2018). Effects of phonics instruction on reading ability of young Thai learners. Thammasat University.
Bubchaiya, N., & Sukying, A. (2022). The effect of word part strategy instruction on vocabulary knowledge of Thai primary school learners (Doctoral dissertation, Mahasarakham University). http://202.28.34.124/dspace/handle123456789/1594
Chall, J. S. (1996). American reading achievement: Should we worry? Research in the Teaching of English, 30(3), 303-310. https://doi.org/10.58680/rte199615312
Dickinson, D. K., Nesbitt, K. T., & Hofer, K. G. (2019). Effects of language on initial reading: Direct and indirect associations between code and language from preschool to first grade. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 49, 122-137. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2019.04.005
Dessemontet, R. S., de Chambrier, A. F., Martinet, C., Meuli, N., & Linder, A. L. (2021). Effects of a phonics-based intervention on the reading skills of students with intellectual disability. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 111, 103883. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2021.103883
Dandee, W., & Pornwiriyakit, P. (2022). Improving English pronunciation skills by using English phonetic alphabet drills in EFL students. Journal of Educational Issues, 8(1), 611-628. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1344633
Ehri, L. C. (2014). Orthographic mapping in the acquisition of sight word reading, spelling
memory, and vocabulary learning. Scientific Studies of Reading, 18(1), 5-21.
https://doi.org/10.1080/10888438.2013.819356
Ehri, L. C. (2022). What teachers need to know and do to teach letter–sounds, phonemic awareness, word reading, and phonics. The Reading Teacher, 76(1), 53-61. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.2095
González-Fernández, B., & Schmitt, N. (2020). Word knowledge: Exploring the relationships and order of acquisition of vocabulary knowledge components. Applied Linguistics, 41(4), 481-505. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amy057
Lampai, C., & Sukying, A. (2023). Vocabulary learning through audio-visual input of Thai primary school EFL students. Journal of Education and Learning, 12(4), 26-41. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1395959
Li, S., & Woore, R. (2021). The effects of phonics instruction on L2 phonological decoding and vocabulary learning: An experimental study of Chinese EFL learners. System, 103, 102677. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2021.102677
Lakthong, T., Sukying, A., & Yothachai, N. (2025). The Influence of synthetic phonics instruction in enhancing word recognition of Thai primary school students. Forum for Linguistic Studies. 7(6): 650–666. https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i6.9756
Leelman, M. A. (2021). Effects of multilinguistic word study instruction on word reading and spelling in the first grade: increasing metalinguistic knowledge as an instructional goal (Doctoral dissertation, Boston University).
Magnussen, E., & Sukying, A. (2021). The impact of songs and TPR on Thai preschoolers’ vocabulary acquisition. Thaitesol Journal, 34(1), 71-95.
https://so05.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/thaitesoljournal/article/view/252356
Mungsanti, K., & Sukying, A. (2024). Effects of phonics instruction on Thai EFL primary students’ word reading ability (Doctoral dissertation, Mahasarakham University). http://202.28.34.124/dspace/handle123456789/2649
Methapisittikul, Y., & Sukying, A. (2023). The effects of task-related focus-on forms instruction on vocabulary development in Thai EFL primary school students. English Language Teaching, 16(5), 1-95. https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v16n5p95
Nation, P. (2022). Teaching and learning vocabulary. In handbook of practical second language teaching and learning (pp. 397-408). Routledge.
National Reading Panel (US), National Institute of Child Health, & Human Development (US). (2000). Teaching children to read: An evidence-based assessment of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction: Reports of the subgroups. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health.
Nontasee, W., & Sukying, A. (2021). The learnability of word knowledge aspects in Thai EFL high school learners. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 17(1), 34-55. https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.220180153794467
Sitthitikul, P. (2014). Theoretical review of phonics instruction for struggling/beginning readers of English. PASAA, 48(1), 113-126.
Shenoy, S., Iyer, A., & Zahedi, S. (2022). Phonics-based instruction and improvement in foundational reading skills of kindergartners in the Indian schooling context. Early Childhood Education Journal, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-022-01396-1
Teemueangsai, S., Sukying, A., & Min, C. (2025). Improving L2 vocabulary acquisition through drawing games: Insights into student engagement among Thai EFL learners. Forum for Linguistic Studies. 7(5): 655–669. https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i5.9327
Webb, S., & Nation, P. (2017). How vocabulary is learned. Oxford University Press.
Wichayut, J., & Sitthitikul, P. (2019). The effects of phonics instruction: letters and sounds on decoding and blending skills of Thai grade 3 students. Thammasat University. http://202.28.34.124/dspace/handle123456789/2649
Xie, Q., Cai, Y., & Yeung, S. S. S. (2022). How does word knowledge facilitate reading comprehension in a second language? A longitudinal study in Chinese primary school children learning English. Reading and Writing, 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-022-10360-9
Yowaboot, C., & Sukying, A. (2022). Using digital flashcards to enhance Thai EFL primary school students’ vocabulary knowledge. English Language Teaching, 15(7), 61. https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v15n7p61
Zhang, S., & Zhang, X. (2022). The relationship between vocabulary knowledge and L2 reading/listening comprehension: A meta-analysis. Language Teaching Research, 26(4), 696-725. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168820913998
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
