A PRELIMINARY SURVEY OF THE READING INTERESTS OF ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Abstract

This preliminary survey of the reading
interests of A.A. U. students is a descriptive study based on
questionnaires, interviews, and observations. Addis Ababa
University students were the target subjects of the study.
However, instructors, librarians and personal observations
were used as additional sources of data. The result of the
study indicates that most of the subjects do read materials
outside their courses in their free time. However, the
amount of reading is very small. They appear to have no
specific reading interests largely due to lack of variety in
the reading materials they manage to read. Their leisure
reading in English has a utilitarian purpose. That is, they
read ill English both for language improvement and for
pleasure.