ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: Reading and writing are interrelated skills that should be mastered by EFL students. The ability to write is highly influenced by reading skills. Thus, those two skills need to be mastered simultaneously. This study investigates the role of collaborative summary writing to improve their ability in understanding reading texts. The emphasis of writing summaries collaboratively is significant since it helps the students to master the skills with the guidance of a teacher and peers as the primary stage before the students master the skills independently. Thirty university students participated in the present study for about two months. The students were assigned to read some texts during the study. Then, they wrote the summary of the text in pairs and in groups. The students were asked to show their comprehension of the text by writing the important points from the text. The results of the summary writing were compared and discussed with other groups. The students then reflected their results of summary writing through a questionnaire. The data were analyzed through descriptive analysis. The results showed that collaborative summary writing helps the students to understand the text better. The activity helped them to achieve the goal of communication in reading texts.
