The Effect of Audio-Visual Media on Eleventh-Grade EFL Students’ Reading Skills

Abstract

English plays a crucial role in global communication, particularly in the contemporary era where multilingual interactions are increasingly common. In Indonesia, English is taught as a foreign language; however, students’ reading proficiency remains a significant challenge, especially at the senior high school level. This study aimed to investigate the effect of audio-visual media on students’ reading skills. The research was conducted at SMA Negeri 2 Kutacane, Southeast Aceh, focusing on eleventh-grade students. A quantitative approach with a one-group pretest–posttest experimental design was employed. The participants consisted of students from Class XI-3, selected based on preliminary classroom observations indicating low reading achievement. Data were collected through reading comprehension tests administered before and after the implementation of audio-visual media in instruction. The findings revealed that the mean pretest score was 59.48, while the mean posttest score increased to 74.05, showing a gain of 14.57 points. This improvement indicates that audio-visual media contributed positively to students’ reading performance by enhancing comprehension, motivation, and engagement during the learning process. The results confirm that the use of audio-visual media is effective in improving students’ reading skills. Therefore, audio-visual media can be considered a valuable instructional tool in English reading classes at the senior high school level.