The Benefits of Extensive Reading in EFL
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Masaryk University Pedagogical Faculty PEDAGOGICAL DEPARTMENT English Language and Literature Department The Benefits of Extensive Reading in EFL Supervisor: Author: Mgr. Naděžda Vojtková Mária Kredátusová 1 Prohlašuji, že jsem diplomovou práci zpracovala samostatně a použila jen prameny uvedené v seznamu literatury. Souhlasím, aby práce byla uložena na Masarykově univerzitě v Brně v knihovně Pedagogické fakulty a zpřístupněna ke studijním účelům. MáriaKredátusová 2 I wouldlike tothankmysupervisor,Mgr.Naděžda Vojtková for her help inconnection withmywork. MáriaKredátusová 3 Contents: Introduction 1 I. Theoretical part 3 1. Whatisextensivereading? 3 1.1 TheBenefitsofExtensivereading 3 1.2 The basic principlesofExtensiveReadingbyJulian 4 BamfordandRichardR.Day 1.3Extensivereadingvs.Intensivereading7 2. EstablishinganExtensiveReadingprogramme 9 intheSecondLanguage Classroom 2.1 Teacher’s preparation 9 2.2 Curriculum 10 2.3 Funds 10 2.4 Choosingbooks 11 2.4.1 Thenumber of books 12 2.4.2What bookstochoose? 12 2.4.3 Gradedreaders 13 2.4.4Whatexactlyhappenswhenwearereadinggradedreaders? 14 2.4.5Gradedreadersorauthentic material 15 2.4.6 Checkoutsystem 16 2.4.7 Classifyingthe books 17 2.5 Teacher’srole 19 2.5.1 IntroducingtheERtostudents 19 2.5.2 Helpingstudentstochoose books 19 2.5.3 Encouragingstudents toread 20 2.5.4 Inclassactivities 21 2.5.5 Monitoringstudents’reading 21 2.5.6 Rewards 22 II.Practical part 23 1. Alongterm project 23 2. Research 58 4 2.1 Subjects 58 2.2 Evaluation 58 2.3 Motivation 59 2.4 Monitoring 59 2.5 Results 60 2.6 Comments 62 III.Conclusion 63 Appendices 64 Bibliography 5 Introduction “The best way to improve your knowledge of a foreign language is to go and live among its speakers. The next best way is to read extensively in it” (Nuttall,168). Reading is one of the skills that a learner of foreign language should acquire. In the language classroom it is most oftentaught bycareful reading (or translation) of shorter, more difficult foreign language texts. The goal of reading is usually complete and detailed understanding. But reading is also considered by many people as a very pleasurable free time activitythat broadens ones knowledge andvocabulary.However,if you ask pre-intermediate learners of English whether they like reading in a foreign language their answer will tendtobe mostlynegative.Students whoare learning toread in English usually dislike it and the time they spend reading is very limited. Stanley, Graham. “Extensive Reading”.BBC /BritishCouncil teachingEnglish–Reading.7May 2007.<http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/think/read/extensive.shtml>. Suppose youare a student of an EFL class where readingis beingtaught. What you will probablyencounter is a standard procedure of readingfor comprehensionconsisting of pre-, during and after-reading stages with the reading focused on teaching of a particular language area or reading skills.Vaezi,Shahin.“Theories of Reading2”.BBC /BritishCouncil teachingEnglish–Reading.7May2007. <http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/think/read/reading_tips.shtml>. This procedure that may be called intensive reading has proved to be beneficial for learninglanguage but it is far remote from the experience one encounters whenreading literaturefor pleasure.AsAldersonandUrquhart claim: “Such a pedagogic practice--of focusing on the language of a text--may be justified as a language lesson, but it may very well be counterproductive as a reading lesson. Often what is known as "intensive reading" (as traditionally opposed to "extensive reading") is actually not reading at all: the lesson consists of a series of language points, using texts as points of departure. Reading texts, in other words, are sources of language exercises, rather than reading exercises” (AldersonandUrquhart qtd.inSusser1). 6 If one is asked to fulfil a task after reading and has to bear this task in mind while reading,the purpose of readingis divertedfrom its principal aim i.e.toreadfor pleasure and information. Considering these propositions the students’ answers to the question whether theylike readinginEnglish donot appear that surprising.After all,students did not have the real possibility toestablishthe attitude towards readingas an engaging and pleasurable activity. Their idea of reading is associated with tasks that have to be fulfilled,theyviewitas oneoftheexercisestheydoduringclass. The aim of this thesis is to present an alternative approach to intensive reading, an approachthat will not focus onexact translationof the text but that stresses the pleasure of reading - Extensive reading. Extensive reading involves students in reading large quantities of books at the level appropriate for them; only one totwo words per page shouldbeunknowntoareader.The primarygoalofExtensivereadingisreadinginorder togaininformationandtoenjoytexts.A variety of books that cover various topics are providedandstudents choose titles accordingto their interests. Students whofinda book difficult or not interesting might stop reading and choose another book instead. Their readingis basedonchoice andpurpose that are the basic elements of real-life reading (Bamford, Extensive Reading Activities 1). Noexercises,no questions at the endof the chapter, and no looking up every word in a dictionary are required. “It is the kind of readinghighlyliterate peopledoallthetime”(Krashen, Power of Reading 1). ER programmes have become verypopular inmany countries over the last decades. The success that lies behind this approach is that students do not feel the pressure of requirements andare aware of their ownchoice.It is ‘strictlyforbidden’ togive students gradesor anyrewardsafterreading,thereadingshouldbesolelyvoluntary. Presently,there have beenmanycomplaints about our students’ lack of independent reading at the primary,secondaryandevenuniversitylevel.Students seem not tohave developed the habit of reading. Steven Krashen, who calls this situation ‘a literacy crisis’,sees the cure “in doingone activity,anactivitythat is all toooftenrare inthe lives of many people: reading” (Krashen, Power of Reading 1). As Bamford suggests EFL teachers shouldpay attentionto developing a habit, indeedlove,of readingin their students (Bamford, Extensive Reading: What Is It?” 1). If students are not given the opportunitytoexperience readingin Englishas a pleasurable anduseful activity and on 7 the other hand are exposed to texts that are above their level and that they have to translatewordbyword,theywillhardlycreatea positiveattitudetowards reading. Extensive Reading programme offers a solution how this change may be done. The reading material is deliberately chosen to be easy for student and therefore larger amounts of text are read. Students have the possibilitytoenjoyreadingwhat strengthens their confidence inreadingandincreases their motivationtoreadfurther.Andthis is in facttheonlywayhowtheycanbecome fluentreaders–byreading. 8 I. THEORETICAL PART 1. What is extensive reading? “We learn to read by reading” (Nuttall168). Extensivereadingisalanguageteachingprocedurewherelearners aresupposedtoread large quantities of material or long texts for global understanding, the principal goal being obtainingpleasure from the text (Bamford, Extensive Reading Activities 1). The readingis individualized,what means that students choose books theywant toread,they read it independently of the teacher and they are not required to do any tasks after reading. Moreover, they are encouraged to stop reading whenever they consider the material not interestingor too difficult.Extensive readingcanbe introducedto anykind of EFL class whatever the content,intensity,age of students or their language level,the onlyconditionis that students alreadyhave a basic knowledge of foreignlanguage and areliterateinit(Bamford, Extensive Reading Activities 1). ExtensivereadingbelongstoFreeVoluntaryReadingapproaches thatsharethe common idea of independent, voluntary reading. Other examples of FVR are Sustained Silent Readingor Self-SelectedReading(Krashen, Power of Reading 2). 1.1TheBenefitsofExtensivereading Extensive readingis atopicthathas beenwidelydiscussedoverlastdecadesandits benefits have beengenerallyapprovedbymanyresearches.Bamfordstatesthatstudentswhoread more will not only become better andmore confident readers,but they will also improve their reading, writing, listening and speaking abilities and their vocabularies will get richer (Bamford, Extensive Reading Activities 1). Bamfordpraises the motivationaspect of Extensive reading,seeingits primal benefit indeveloping positive attitudes toward the foreign language and increased motivation to study this language (Bamford, Extensive Reading Activities 1). 9 1.2The basic principles ofExtensiveReadingbyJulianBamfordandRichardR.Day Itwill beusefultofamiliarizethereader withthe basic principles ofextensive reading approachas theyare presentedin Extensive Reading Activities for Teaching Language by JulianandRichardR.Day. 1. The reading material is easy. Learners read material that contains few or no unfamiliar items of vocabulary and grammar.(There shouldbe nomore thanone or twounknownvocabularyitems per page for beginners andnomore thanfour or five for intermediate learners).Students would notsucceedinreadingextensivelyiftheyhave tostrugglewithdifficult material. 2. A variety of material on a wide range of topics is available. There shouldbe a varietyof materials available inthe library for students tochoose what theyreallylike.This contains gradedreaders,magazines writtenfor language learners at different ability levels and children’s literature.