developing understanding through bilingual presentation of materials in an efl context

Research has extensively documented the advantages of translation in language education although limited scientific investigation exists about translation applications for critical reading of media and press texts. this study seeks to measure iranian efl students’ progress in developing understanding in critical reading of media and press texts through materials presented in both english and persian. seventy-five undergraduate students majoring in english language teaching from zand institute of higher education in shiraz participated in the study. the researchers applied convenience sampling to determine study participants. the research design incorporated pre-test and post-test measurements to evaluate how bilingual material presentation affects understanding skill growth in english as a foreign language. the research examined if using first language (sl) materials together with target language (tl) materials would improve understanding press concepts and develop analytical reading capacities while decreasing memorization. based on statistical analysis, results demonstrated that students in the experimental group who received bilingual instruction achieved better test scores compared to students in the control group. results of the study also proved that bilingual presentation of materials led to better learning and understanding of the concepts and prevented the learners from memorizing the contents of the course. the findings of the study has outstanding implications for university language teachers and students as well as material developers.