INTEGRATING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO SUPPORT READING COMPREHENSION IN INDONESIAN EFL CONTEXTS

Authors

  • Puspita Mayaratri
  • Nany Soengkono Madayani UIN Sayyid Ali Rahmatullah Tulungagung

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21274/ls.2026.18.2.231-265

Keywords:

artificial intelligence, reading comprehension, Indonesian EFL, adaptive learning, vocabulary support

Abstract

Abstract

The article describes the use of AI-based tools for English reading comprehension teaching among Indonesian EFL learners. This study addresses the perennial reading challenges caused by limited lexical knowledge, inconsistent access to English, large class sizes, and limited individual feedback in the Indonesian university context. Twenty-eight undergraduate students of a Reading class of the Ushuluddin Faculty, UIN Sayyid Ali Rahmatullah Tulungagung, employed 4 AI-based applications for one semester in a mixed-methods classroom intervention: Text Inspector for text and lexical analysis, ReadTheory for an adaptive reading practice, Rewordify for vocabulary assistance, and Quillionz for the automation of comprehension questions. Quantitative results revealed that the post-test mean score was 80.1 (SD = 6.5) as compared to the pre-test mean score of 61.2 (SD=12.3); with a mean gain of 18.9. Qualitative results from students' reflection journals, teachers' observations, and students' focus group interviews found that the tools enhanced students' confidence, strategic reading behaviours, peer interaction, and autonomy in learning. Through interactive reading theory, schema theory, vocabulary learning theory, sociocultural scaffolding, adaptive learning and formative assessment, findings have demonstrated that AI-based tools are educationally beneficial if implemented with teacher mediation, clear instructions on explicit learning strategies, and mindful use of data. This article claims that AI-based reading instruction could offer consistent and individualized scaffolding to Indonesian EFL learners in addition to careful design, digital accessibility and ongoing assessments across educational fields.

 

Keywords: artificial intelligence; reading comprehension; Indonesian EFL; adaptive learning; vocabulary support

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biography

Nany Soengkono Madayani, UIN Sayyid Ali Rahmatullah Tulungagung

Nany Soengkono Madayani is a faculty member in the undergraduate English Education study program (Tadris Bahasa Inggris) at Universitas Islam Negeri Sayyid Ali Rahmatullah Tulungagung, with a research focus in English language education, an East Java, Indonesia institution formerly known as IAIN Tulungagung. Her research and publications center on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) pedagogy and applied linguistics, including work examining how online teaching practices contribute to EFL learners' demotivation, a study on the effectiveness of Instagram vlogs in improving secondary students' speaking skills, and research into the positive and negative politeness strategies lecturers use during classroom interaction. She has also contributed to the development of "Joyful Story Sheets," a set of reading materials designed to build character in young English learners, and has engaged in community service by training secondary school students in scientific writing techniques. Per her SINTA (Science and Technology Index) profile, listed under SINTA ID 6088787, she holds an overall SINTA score of 131, with 38 points accrued over the past three years; her work indexed on Google Scholar totals 22 publications, 50 citations, an h-index of 4, and an i10-index of 1, indicating an active and sustained scholarly output in English language education in Indonesia.

References

Alazemi, A. F. T. (2024). Formative assessment in artificial integrated instruction: Delving into the effects on reading comprehension progress, online academic enjoyment, personal best goals, and academic mindfulness. Language Testing in Asia, 14, Article 44. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40468-024-00319-8

Anderson, R. C., & Pearson, P. D. (1984). A schema-theoretic view of basic processes in reading comprehension. In P. D. Pearson, R. Barr, M. L. Kamil, & P. Mosenthal (Eds.), Handbook of reading research (pp. 255-291). Longman.

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

Cahyono, B. Y., & Widiati, U. (2006). The teaching of EFL reading in the Indonesian context: The state of the art. TEFLIN Journal, 17(1), 36-58. https://doaj.org/article/326c9dfb9d1b46d096823523a9ca18c8

Carrell, P. L., & Eisterhold, J. C. (1983). Schema theory and ESL reading pedagogy. TESOL Quarterly, 17(4), 553-573. https://doi.org/10.2307/3586613

Creswell, J. W., & Plano Clark, V. L. (2018). Designing and conducting mixed methods research (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications. https://collegepublishing.sagepub.com/products/designing-and-conducting-mixed-methods-research-3-241842

EF Education First. (2023). EF English Proficiency Index 2023. https://www.ef.com/assetscdn/WIBIwq6RdJvcD9bc8RMd/cefcom-epi-site/reports/2023/ef-epi-2023-english.pdf

Grabe, W. (2009). Reading in a second language: Moving from theory to practice. Cambridge University Press.

Hamra, A., & Syatriana, E. (2010). Developing a model of teaching reading comprehension for EFL students. TEFLIN Journal, 21(1), 27-40. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1129856

Holmes, W., Miao, F., Huang, R., & Zhang, H. (2021). AI and education: Guidance for policy-makers. UNESCO. https://doi.org/10.54675/PCSP7350

Krippendorff, K. (2018). Content analysis: An introduction to its methodology (4th ed.). SAGE Publications. https://uk.sagepub.com/en-gb/eur/content-analysis/book258450

Kukulska-Hulme, A., & Lee, H. (2020). Intelligent assistants in language learning: An analysis of features and limitations. In K.-M.

Frederiksen, S. Larsen, L. Bradley, & S. Thouesny (Eds.), CALL for widening participation: Short papers from EUROCALL 2020 (pp. 172-176). Research-publishing.net. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED611082.pdf

Nation, I. S. P. (2013). Learning vocabulary in another language (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139524759

Par, L. (2020). The relationship between reading strategies and reading achievement of the EFL students. International Journal of Instruction, 13(2), 223-238. https://doi.org/10.29333/iji.2020.13216a

Quillionz. (2025). Quillionz: AI-powered question generator. Retrieved January 30, 2025, from https://quillionz.com/

ReadTheory. (2025). ReadTheory: Free reading comprehension practice for students and teachers. Retrieved Januari 20, 2025, from https://readtheory.org/

Rewordify. (2025). Rewordify.com: Understand what you read. Retrieved January 30, 2025, from https://rewordify.com/

Rumelhart, D. E. (1977). Toward an interactive model of reading. In S. Dornic (Ed.), Theoretical models and processes of reading (pp. 722-750). International Reading Association.

Text Inspector. (2025). Text Inspector: Analyse the difficulty level of English texts. Retrieved Januari 20, 2025, from https://textinspector.com/

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press. https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674576292

Wei, L. (2023). Artificial intelligence in language instruction: Impact on English learning achievement, L2 motivation, and self-regulated learning. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, Article 1261955. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1261955

Zawacki-Richter, O., Marin, V. I., Bond, M., & Gouverneur, F. (2019). Systematic review of research on artificial intelligence applications in higher education: Where are the educators? International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 16, Article 39. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-019-0171-0

Zein, S., Sukyadi, D., Hamied, F. A., & Lengkanawati, N. S. (2020). English language education in Indonesia: A review of research (2011-2019). Language Teaching, 53(4), 491-523. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444820000208

Downloads

Published

2026-10-18

How to Cite

Mayaratri, P., & Nany Soengkono Madayani. (2026). INTEGRATING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO SUPPORT READING COMPREHENSION IN INDONESIAN EFL CONTEXTS. Jurnal Bahasa Lingua Scientia, 18(2), 231–265. https://doi.org/10.21274/ls.2026.18.2.231-265

Issue

Vol. 18 No. 2 (2026): Vol. 18 No. 2 2026

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Puspita Mayaratri, Nany

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Copyright

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

a. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.

b. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.

c. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).