"DIGITAL EXTENSIVE READING AMONG ENGLISH-MAJOR UNDERGRADUATES IN THE MEKONG DELTA: MOTIVATION, CHALLENGES, AND CONTEXTUAL CONDITIONS"

Abstract

"Digital extensive reading (ER) is increasingly central in English-major programs as universities shift from print-dominant to blended print-digital ecologies, yet how specific digital formats and reading conditions relate to motivation for Vietnamese undergraduates in the Mekong Delta remains underexplored. Using a quantitative, cross sectional survey, data were collected from 167 English-major undergraduates in Cohort 49 at a Mekong Delta university via a structured Likert-scale questionnaire, and analysed using descriptive statistics at item and cluster levels. Descriptive results show generally positive motivation toward digital ER, with the strongest appraisals for hypermedia and for outcomes aligned with autonomy, competence cues, relatedness, and intention to continue reading digitally; linear and hypertext formats are viewed positively but with greater dispersion, suggesting sensitivity to screen optimisation and navigational coherence. Challenges concentrate in distraction and multitasking, usability and layout on small screens, and reader comfort and health, alongside moderate constraints related to access, study environments, and course-level support, indicating systematic frictions that can impede sustained engagement. At the same time, students broadly endorse the important roles of technical reliability and usability, ergonomic conditions, and cognitive fit (difficulty, link/media load, cross-text integration) in sustaining attention and motivation during digital ER. Overall, motivation is strongest when multimedia is relevant and platform features provide clear, informational support for choice and progress, but durable engagement appears to depend on managing attentional, intertace, and ergonomic constraints in everyday reading ecologies. The study offers implications for course design, platform selection, and student guidance, while contributing context-specific evidence for integrating digital ER in English-major programs in the Mekong Delta."