This presentation will describe a framework for a longitudinal L2 motivation study based on a three-year voluntary ER circle project co-hosted by four private universities in Japan. Drawing on Dörnyei’s complex systems theory, we have employed a mixed approach that integrates both quantitative and qualitative analyses of learners’ motivational changes over the long term. We will make an interim report of our analyses and discuss challenges ahead both in terms of educational practice and research design. So far, a quantitative analysis of periodical questionnaires shows an increase in the comfort level of the participants while a decrease in the anxiety level. However, the descriptive statistics of the reading data show an overall decline in reading amount, which indicates difficulties in maintaining long-term motivation. Individual-based qualitative analyses of questionnaire surveys as well as personal interviews are employed to identify the motivational and demotivational factors.

Studies found that multimodal texts are more attractive to students and have been helpful in engaging reluctant readers (Serafini, 2012; Thompson & McIlnay, 2019). For regular texts to receive similar reactions from less engaged readers, multimodal responses as during- or post-reading activities may need to be introduced. This presentation reports the experience of a group of English department students in adapting some self-made reading materials like poems and short stories produced by other students into other modes such as short movies, audiobooks, and video books. The adaptation process took place in four months under a project called EDAP ( English Department Adaptation Project). Data was collected using ethnographic data collection methods such as observation, in-depth interviews, and students' self-reflection on reading and adapting the texts. The multidimensionality of their experiences was reflected in the level of engagement and in the depth of their comprehension of the reading materials.

Research demonstrates that ER aids development of reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. Class time is precious, ER learning is not easy to assess, and a broad reading library is expensive to maintain. Administrators also need to be convinced of ER’s usefulness for student success. This poster gives examples and explains how I have set up my university courses to incorporate ER into all aspects of my curriculum, from the syllabus and grading/assessment rubrics to the warm-ups and lesson plans. I will report on what has worked well and what has not worked for my students and my ongoing process of evaluation. Poster audience will gain a greater understanding of ER and its role in the development of students’ critical thinking skills, will come away with specifics as to how ER can be used in their L/S and R/W classes, and will learn about available online resources for graded readers.

In this study, data was collected from 445 students over nine years to assess how frequent deadlines on ER assignments affect undergraduates’ L2 reading motivation and the total number of words they read. Each student participated in a mandatory ER program in one of four conditions: (a) physical books with an end-of-semester deadline to reach a target word/book count or (b) biweekly deadlines, and XReading (an online ER platform) with (c) end-of-semester deadlines or (d) biweekly deadlines. Students also completed an L2 reading motivation questionnaire at the beginning and end of each academic year. Analysis revealed effect sizes for students using XReading reading were larger than students using physical books and students with more frequent deadlines reading more than students facing only end-of-semester deadlines to reach the same word count. Furthermore, reading more words correlated with a slight increase in L2 reading motivation.

This study investigates how the implementation of extensive reading and reading strategy training in a Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) program fostered undergraduate students' reading comprehension and strategy use. The research employed a quasi-experimental design, with 60 Japanese students being divided into control and experimental groups. They were tested with pre- and post-reading comprehension tasks and assigned to do pre- and post-standardized reading strategy questionnaires. The results reveal that the experimental group, who received reading strategy instruction and engaged in extensive reading, exhibited an increase in top-down reading strategy use. Although the intervention of reading strategy training and extensive reading in CLIL had a positive effect on reading comprehension, the impact was found to be non-significant when compared to traditional reading instruction. The findings have implications for CLIL teachers and curriculum designers, as they shed the light on steps to incorporate extensive reading and reading strategies in CLIL programs.

Extant studies have demonstrated that college students generally perceive extensive reading positively, particularly those from English major. However, a little is known the perceptions and practices of non-English major college students after four months taking an extensive reading course. 86 colleges students with diverse disciplinary and cultural backgrounds participated in this study. They took extensive reading course as an elective subject in partial fulfilment for their bachelor's degree. They were asked to select a book based on their interest and recorded what they read, when, and amount of time spent for reading the book during four months. After implementing extensive reading for four months, the participants were asked to complete a questionnaire that looked at their choice of books, opinions and attitudes towards extensive reading, level of enjoyment, and their language learning growth based on their own judgement. We found that in terms of book selection, the participants selected books based on personal interests, cultural backgrounds, or academic requirements. The participants who viewed reading as a task or chore did not experience the same language acquisition benefits as those who viewed it as a pleasurable activity. The participants who found that reading was enjoyable, they were more likely to continue reading and spend more time engaged in the activity. This increased exposure to the language may lead to greater language acquisition. These findings are pivotal to further explain what works in conducting extensive reading for non-English major college students.

Implementing a reading programme for college students has always been a challenge as getting students motivated to read requires consideration from many aspects. This collaborative project investigates the similarities and differences of the reading habit between 18-19 year old urban college students from intact classes in Indonesia and Malaysia. Two same multiple-choice questionnaires, one for Indonesia and the other for Malaysia, were created on google forms and sent to 30 college students in Indonesia and Malaysia respectively. The responses from the 13 questions in the questionnaire are used to compare the reading habit and motivating factors to read for these 60 students. The insight gained can assist course coordinators to organise, implement and monitor reading programmes more effectively.

Studies show that Extensive Reading (ER) helps students to improve their reading skills, vocabulary, and understanding of other cultures. However, teachers have doubts about how to conduct ER programs and students might not be familiar with ER. Hence, collaborative learning in a form of mentoring both for teachers and students, Literacy hERoes is put forward to help introduce ER. This presentation showcases the activism of Literacy hERoes who joined in the IERA Goes to School (IGS) Program in 2022. They were actively involved in the program with the support of the IGS Program Team. Using data resulting from the reflection sheets and focus group discussion sessions, we will also discuss the merits and the lessons learned along with challenges they faced in this program. As a result, these LHs can take advantage of their involvement for their future learning.

Reports and arguments supporting positive effects of ER tend to highlight gains in reading speed, but the research base on how reading speed improves among L2 readers, both in general and among those that undergo ER activities, is still limited. This presentation reports on an explorative efforts to identify reader variables associated with reading speed gains among participants in an EFL reading course at a Japanese university (n=24). The two-semester course aimed to improve the students’ reading speed and other skills, and utilised an online ER platform, which recorded student access and activity logs and, among other things, produced reading speed estimates for each e-book they completed reading. Employing a data-mining approach, the presenter compared the students’ reading speeds at the outset and end of the course, and looked for variables linked to speed gains. Findings and their implications are shared at the presentation.

This presentation will report on a study that extends an earlier pilot study on extensive reading and TOEFL ITP progress. The pilot study found only a small correlation between score achievement on the test and the amount of extensive reading and listening on an eight-month intervention. For the current study, reading, listening, and TOEFL ITP data for two cohorts in the same program (280 subjects in total) were considered. During the intervention, students in these cohorts were more strongly encouraged to make use of the audio (reading while listening), and they were occasionally asked to read non-fiction graded readers in preparation for in-class activities. The results of the current study will be discussed, along with how the program has attempted to find a better configuration of program elements to help students see greater scores on the TOEFL ITP, the largest institutional measurement tool of student English proficiency improvement.

It is understood that extensive reading can be an effective way to expose students to texts that reflect cultural practices and perspectives. This presentation reports an experience using Xreading materials to teach western society and culture that integrated some components of extensive reading. Fifty-five sophomore students from the English Literature program at Universitas Negeri Surabaya were assigned to read a selection of fifteen graded readers that address various topics on Early American history and multiculturalism in America. The students were given the freedom to select the texts to read and were asked to comment on the readability of the texts based on vocabulary and familiarity with the topic. They were also encouraged to make connections with the texts through online forums. Student responses revealed that the selected texts were relatively at their reading level. The simple language and new vocabulary provided a challenge that did not hinder understanding and helped maintain students’ interest. Students’ familiarity with the topic was also addressed in that they could see the connection between the texts on American history. In addition, familiarity with British history also made it possible for students to build a connection to the texts on Early American history. The personal connection was also built through online forums where students responded to each other’s comments.

This presentation examines the effects of Literature Circles specifically constructed to analyse the English-language novel Pachinko. The LCs included in this study are made up of 24 senior year Korean university students majoring in science and engineering – a group traditionally considered less exposed to reading fictional literature, in comparison to their peers. The post-reading student-survey results showed that the reading experience, combined with the LC activities, improved the student’s ability to read and to discuss literature in English, the overall effect being that students observed increased confidence in their broader English usage. Results also showed that 80% of class students did not find Pachinko difficult to read. This suggests that Extensive Reading conducted without graded readers can be a success in the EFL classroom. Lastly, this presentation will recommend a number of English-language texts that are appropriate, in terms of both educational purposes and cultural content, for EFL students participating in ER streams.

Extensive Reading has been a compulsory subject in the English Education Department of a private university, Indonesia. Following pleasure reading activities, integrative-post reading activities, recreating a new script from graded readers adaptation and performing mini drama, were implemented. The present study aims to portray the practices from the teachers and students’ point of view. Ninety six of first-year students participated in this study. The instruments were teacher’s field note and questionnaire. The collected data were then analyzed thematically. This study reveals that most students perceived positively towards the integrative-post reading activities. It facilitated them to collaborate in groups and enhanced their integrated skills, which are writing and speaking, as well. Similarly, the teacher noted that it was challenging but at the same time boosting their confidence and competence. The implication of this study is for providing a sustained integrative post reading activities in ER class for a comprehensive ER practice.

The benefits of ER are now well established (Nation & Waring, 2020) and language courses which include an ER program developed with a principled approach can provide learners with quality opportunities to improve their language proficiency (Nation & Macalister, 2021). When the Foreign Language Division at a women’s university in Japan was established in 2018, its staff envisioned utilizing ER to provide its students with quality opportunities to improve their language proficiency. This presentation reports on how an ER program, now in its fifth year, was set up and maintained for 700+ first-year students in a university-wide compulsory English course. It describes how the ER program started with printed graded readers in 2019 and transitioned to digital graded readers with Xreading in 2020. It details how the program is managed, how it navigated the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, students’ achievements, and students, teachers and administrators’ perceptions of the program.

Students should read comfortably and at an adequate speed when doing ER. Reading duration, time-on-task, and effort are measures of reading engagement promoting reading comprehension. In the digital era, ER has shifted to online platforms. This study investigated the relationships between the reading speed, engagement, and reading comprehension of 34 Thai university students using XReading for six weeks. The time spent and number of activities were also collected using separate record forms. A Likert-scale questionnaire assessed the participants’ reading engagement. A Pearson r correlation revealed positive relationships between comprehension and indicators of reading engagement; namely, time-on-task (r = 0.62, p = 0.00), and reading engagement (r= 0.80, p=0.00) and reported no correlation for reading speed (r = -0.06, p = 0.77) and the numbers of activities (r = 0.08, p = 0.66). The implications for online ER practices and their limitations will be discussed.

Limited availability of graded readers in Japanese highlights the urgent need for the development of reading materials to promote extensive reading in Japanese language education. To address this issue, we have developed new graded readers specifically designed for beginner-level learners. Through this process, we gained valuable insights into what it takes to create effective reading materials. In order to make the content easier to understand and more engaging for learners, we took into account the following factors: control of vocabulary and grammar, story content, number of characters, story flow and structure, background knowledge, and illustrations. In addition, we also considered obtaining permission from relevant individuals for the content of the stories, as well as the needs of readers with disabilities. Our findings will be useful for future development of graded readers.

This is a practice-based ER report at a 2-year college in Japan. Self-regulated learning was introduced to build students’ reading habits. During the initial four months, an instructor monitored their learning, employing a monthly self-reflection sheet to record the number of words read, their reading habit, and their next target. During the following semester, students read autonomously with the target number of words, which was also a requisite for their credit. The semi-structured interviews were conducted after each semester. The results illustrate that those who have kept reading for a year did not focus on the target number and credit, whereas those who mainly aimed to reach the target number stopped reading when they reached the goal. This study suggests that a longer-term intervention from an instructor is necessary for students at the remedial learning stage, and the semester goal should be set per their reading proficiency.

The challenges faced by non-native speakers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) in reading scientific research documents are well known. These include limited specialized vocabulary, little familiarity with the structure of such documents, their level of detail and formality, limited knowledge of the complex English, and few strategies and tactics to help them read more efficiently and effectively. Thus, preparing such students for the challenges they will face in successfully completing their studies and beginning their careers is increasingly important. This presentation will provide an overview of a reading course in which STEM Masters students read and analyze an authentic research document from their field. Ways to assist students improve their specialist vocabulary, knowledge of the organization, structure and language of research documents, and reading speed and comprehension will be discussed. In addition, the presentation will also offer a variety of pre-reading, on-task, and post-reading activities intended to improve comprehension.

This research project investigated the students’ flow experience (FE) when reading extensively and conditions that enabled their FE. The participants were 36 Indonesian university students who studied at an English department and enrolled in two reading classes. They read extensively and individually chose books which were available in X-Reading. The data of this study were collected by distributing surveys and observing students’ ER. The findings showed that when reading extensively, the students did experience flow and it happened mostly due to their interest in their reading material. In general, the students read more in the second semester than in the first semester. Although students read more words in the second semester, the correlation between FE and the sum of words that the students read was weak. The goal condition of FE was also found as the lowest variable in both semesters. The findings indicated the importance of guiding students to set their weekly goal and motivate their ER practice to facilitate opportunities for FE and increase the quality of their language learning.

In terms of implementing extensive reading (ER), instructors often let students choose what they want to read. Thus, instructors do not exercise any control over the difficulty level of students’ reading materials. The present study is a four-year investigation of ER with restriction, which attempts to address this issue by setting restrictions on students’ choice of reading materials. 206 third-year Japanese university students participated in this study. The first group (free-reading group) was permitted to read books of any length, whereas the second group (restricted-reading group) had to choose books of at least 1,000 words in length. The findings revealed that both groups read a similar number of books over the same period of time. However, the restricted-reading group read more words than the free-reading group because the restricted-reading group had to choose books of at least 1,000 words in length. Requiring students to read longer books might encourage them to read more and thus reach their reading goal more easily.

Extensive reading (ER) has been well-documented as a robust tool for developing EFL students’ L2 skills. For a large portion of its existence, ER research and approaches have relied heavily on paper-based materials. However, appropriate paper-based graded readers for students are often limited at Japanese universities. Thus, this research project aimed at supplying 50 Japanese EFL students with access to a digital library, allowing them to use any device for reading eBooks that aligned with their reading interests and abilities. Through a mixed-methods approach, the participants of this study were surveyed about their attitudes toward graded readers via an online extensive reading digital library utilizing a modified version of Yamashita’s (2007) Reading Attitudes Survey and an open-ended questionnaire in order to get a better understanding of how cognitive, affective, and behavioral factors play a role in extensive reading mediated by technology.

Extensive Reading (ER) is considered one of the more effective ways to develop reading skills among students as they are exposed to large amounts of meaningful input that is selected by them. The purpose of this study was to investigate students' learning experience, interest, and preference relating to the implementation of a virtual library (VL) within an academic English program. The implementation of the VL was primarily to promote and monitor the ER habits of students. The study involved first-year (N = 137) female students from a university in Japan with an average CEFR scale range of B1 – B2. Participants completed an online survey in the final quarter of the 2022 academic year after actively using the VL for a period of two quarters (14 weeks). The implications of this study’s preliminary findings and the related dynamics regarding the implementation of a VL, more specifically X-Reading (www.xreading.com) will be discussed.

Learning reading is sometimes a scourge for students from Gen-Z, especially in the post-covid-19 situation where the learning process is still limited. This presentation examines students' preferences and reflections on reading courses. A survey-questionnaire and interviews were conducted using a sequential explanatory design. 99 respondents Indonesian students participated in this study. This study revealed five findings regarding students' preferences toward their reading activities which cover reading book genres and resources that they prefer. Moreover, reflections covering students' reading awareness and their expectations of reading courses are elaborated in this presentation. This study's findings offer recommendations for teachers in organizing reading courses, demonstrating that learning to read entails not only theoretically learning several reading strategies, but also practicing them to improve their ability to fully understand the context of reading pleasantly and realizing that learning reading is more than just reading and answering reading questions.

Although many textbooks to practice conversation are available on the market, many that are based on themes may not appeal to, or may not be suitable to students in different cultural contexts. Reading Circles, an activity in which learners read a story and then discuss it according to clearly defined roles, can be an alternative to develop higher-level conversational skills such as expressing an opinion, agreeing or disagreeing, and summarizing a text. A Reading Circle can be based on any text, but graded readers are easy to use and control for level of difficulty. This presentation covers selection of stories, roles in a Reading Circle, how to conduct them, and shares student feedback from a class of advanced learners at a public university in Japan.

Reading skills textbooks are often inadequate in catering to the needs for students with various reading ability levels, content-related suitability, the and aims of the course. This research context involves 3rd year Japanese university English majors undertaking a 15 week Rapid Reading course. In order to address the related issues and course goals, an online reading system using the Xreading website was implemented as the core reading material, and included supplementary activities. Course evaluation was conducted by administering a Likert scale questionnaire and indicated positive results in terms of reading skills, vocabulary, satisfaction of reading materials in terms of genre, reading level and speed, and advantages in using features of the website. The presenter aims to highlight key features of the course, evaluation methods, questionnaire results, suitability, and practicality of the Xreading website from both the student’s and teacher’s perspective.

Studies (Kirchhoff, 2013; Arai, 2022) show that English learners experience "flow" (Csiksentmihalyi, 1990) during extensive reading (ER), but positive effects on performance have not been confirmed. This study addressed three questions: (1) whether learners experience flow in in-class ER, (2), whether learners who do engage in more out-of-class reading than those who do not, and (3) how reading attitude (RA) (Yamashita, 2007) of learners who do differs from those who do not. Of the 31 participants in this study, eight experienced flow, and the average number of words and time spent on out-of-class ER was higher for them compared to those who did not. Additionally, those who experienced flow had higher average values for several components of RA. Further research is needed to determine whether experiencing flow during in-class ER enhances out-of-class ER performance. Additionally, more investigation is required to identify the components of RA that facilitate flow in ER.

This study investigated the multidimensional effects of extensive listening (EL) on learners’ language gains, selection of study materials, practice styles, and their perceived effectiveness of EL. Fifty-five university students took part in a four-month EL experiment. Each week students kept a listening log recording what materials they selected, how they practiced, and how much time they practiced. Students also reported the content they practiced to their instructor at the weekly meeting. Language gains were measured through a pre-test and a post-test on students’ aural vocabulary test (Listening Vocabulary Levels Test, LVLT) and general listening comprehension (TOEIC). The perceived effectiveness of EL was collected through a 32-item questionnaire. Overall, students made significant improvements on their aural vocabulary knowledge and listening comprehension, which were consistent with their perceived effectiveness of EL. The questionnaire results revealed that most students liked and were able to select their study materials that suited their language levels and interests. In addition, EL was found to be a very individual activity because many students were reluctant to share or discuss with their friends about what they had practiced. Their practice style was mainly a combination listening plus viewing. Some issues encountered in the implementation of EL were discussed and suggestions were made.

"Links" is a new four skills textbook with a built-in ER component through Xreading. This presentation compares the experience of students and teacher in the implementation of Links in two classroom settings: An intact class of mainstream students and a class of so-called ‘retaker’ students who have failed the course at least once before. Classes of retakers often require special considerations because of their previous negative learning experiences in English classes in particular and or anxieties in educational settings in general. Thus, retaker and mainstream classes will be compared qualitatively on affective and motivational measures, such as willingness to complete extensive reading and attitudes toward extensive reading, as well as quantitatively on performance measures, such as amount of reading and reading speed. Finally, I will present observations, successes, and challenges of adapting Links to each of the classes from an instructor’s perspective.

Previous Extensive Reading (ER) studies almost exclusively focus on English language learners and tend to be limited by their lack of control over how the ER treatment is conducted and assessed. Furthermore, studies that investigate the possible effects of different styles of ER, including Extensive Listening (EL) and Audio-assisted Extensive Reading (AER), are few. The goal of this study was to investigate the possible effects of monitored ER, EL, and AER on the vocabulary acquisition, reading rate, and comprehension of learners of Japanese as a foreign language (JFL). Using an experimental design, data collection for the second year of this three-year project (currently including data from 150 elementary and intermediate JFL learners) has been completed. Current data indicate mixed results from these three modes of ER. Pedagogical implications and future directions will be discussed.

Reading strategies, particularly the ability to guess meaning from context, are valuable tools for developing vocabulary knowledge. The current research project, supported by a Japanese federal grant, is investigating how access to an integrated dictionary during ER affects learners’ usage of these reading strategies. First-year English majors use the ER application Xreading which now offers instructors the option of allowing learners to access glossary definitions while they read. At the start of the year, learners completed a survey of how often they use particular reading strategies. Using contextual clues and guessing meaning were among the strategies learners used most regularly. Pre- and post-tests were also given to determine how accurately they were able to guess meaning. Interestingly, results indicated that the experimental groups with access to the integrated dictionary showed greater gains in this ability. Later stages of this research will include replication, the addition of follow-up interviews, and the inclusion of non-English majors.

Extensive reading (ER) is promoted in the first-year university EFL communication course by integrating ER interactional activities while adopting an English for Specific Purposes (ESP) textbook. ER is activated in class through three ER interactive activities: (1 ) doing the sustained silent reading (SSR) with graded readers, (2) using a "learners' newsletter," a compilation of class affective states showing communicative success and challenges in ER speaking activities, and (3) doing "timed writing" to prepare learners mentally for the ER interactive task. The weekly logs and final interview revealed that interactive engagement increased when ER interactive communication activities were implemented consistently and supplemented with interactional strategies as scaffolders. Similarly, the language learning strategy shifted from translating to using simple words and gestures, thus changing views on learning English communicatively. This presentation discusses classroom practices of integrating ER interactive activities based on graded readers in the EFL communication course.

This presentation will focus on implementing and maintaining an online extensive reading (ER) program using Xreading in a private Japanese women's junior college and university. The program is designed to increase reading fluency and is part of all compulsory first-year reading (4) and four skill (5) classes. Reading is done outside class time, and students must read 180,000 words to achieve the maximum score, comprising 10% of the total course grade. The presenter will discuss the different approaches of specific teachers and challenges in online ER. In addition, the results of a questionnaire administered last year to 81 first-year students (TOEIC 175 to 965, Mean = 466.49) to evaluate the program will be shared, highlighting the perceived benefits of ER, such as vocabulary acquisition and reading fluency. Additionally, students' attitudes and engagement with ER, as well as the impact of teacher practice and quizzes on motivation, will be discussed.

In learning a foreign language, students’ language input can be obtained through extensive reading (ER) as they have more opportunities to engage with vocabulary and grammar of the language. Many studies have explored the benefits of ER for reading skills, but few discuss about its effect towards students’ grammar. This study focused on the perceptions of 20 Indonesian university students of the practice of ER in learning English grammar. The data was taken from students’ weekly learning log that reports their ER practice and an online questionnaire that probed into their perception about the effectiveness of ER in grammar learning. The study adopted a qualitative approach and content analysis was used to analyze the data. The results show that most students were benefited from ER practice in improving their grammar; however, some reported difficulties in implementing ER. The study recommend implementing ER in students’ English grammar learning.

Over the past three years, students hired as “Community Literacy Activists” (CLAs) worked to write graded, young adult multicultural stories based in various Asian countries in both English and Japanese. The processes involved students writing original stories, simplifying them and translating them between English and Japanese. An illustrator team completed illustrations and a team of voice actors created the audio books. Students tagged their work records with project tags. Another team of CLAs were tasked to use Chat GPT and other AI tools to create similar stories for other country settings. Similar tags were used to track the time and cost of creating stories with AI. In the spring of 2023, we hosted an event where university students (including CLAs) were invited to use Chat GPT and other AI tools to create similar stories for other country settings. AI prompts and tools were recorded in the process of creating stories with AI and similar tags were used to track the time on different tasks. CLAs who experienced both human and AI processes were invited to participate in a recorded focus group. The results of this comparison will be the focus of the poster, with Implications drawn for student-authored graded readers, both with and without AI assistance.

Speed reading and extensive reading have been used in both L1 and L2/FL instruction for many years. Past research has found out that the two methods are beneficial for EFL reading fluency development (Waring, 2006; Renandya, 2007; Macalister, 2010; Nation & Tran, 2012; 2014; Day, 2015). More recently, Nation and Waring (2020) call for a component of extensive reading programs that targets reading speed. This study attempts to respond to this call and seeks to determine whether a combination of speed reading and extensive reading produces optimal results. In the three-month experiment, one group of participants did speed reading twice a week while the other did both an extensive reading program and a speed reading course. The results showed that both groups improved on the post-test, but the one that had extensive reading combined with speed reading attained a larger improvement on reading comprehension while maintaining to read at similar speeds as their counterparts. The findings suggest that a combination of extensive reading and speed reading extends the impacts of the two methods on EFL reading fluency development.

Reluctant readers are probably one of the most problematic issues for reading instructors and English language teachers. Fortunately, research has found a positive correlation between intrinsic motivation and reading achievement (Wigfield, Gladstone & Turci, 2016). In other words, if reluctant readers are intrinsically motivated, their reading performance will improve. This study examines the effectiveness of extensive reading as a strategy to motivate reluctant EFL readers to read. The subjects were English-major students at a university in Vietnam. The experimental group had an extensive reading program for three months while the control group just followed the usual English program. A reading motivation questionnaire adapted from Schutte & Malouff (2007) was delivered to the participants before and after the treatment. Pre-tests and post-tests were used to measure their reading fluency. The questionnaire data indicate that by the end of the extensive reading program, most of the students in the experimental group had positively changed their attitudes towards reading. The results of the pre-test and post-test show that their reading performance improved significantly. These findings suggest that extensive reading can motivate reluctant readers and enhance their reading fluency to a great extent.

The present study explores Japanese EFL language learners’ preferences for extensive reading books—graded readers or non-graded readers— in the period of more than two years. Many researchers insist that graded readers (GR) play an important role when institutions implement an extensive reading program. However, in the Japanese context, some language learners have negative impressions toward GR for various reasons. GR sometimes prevent them from reading extensively. For instance, high schools in Japan use too advanced GR as a reading assignment during long vacations and students tend to have an unsuccessful reading experience due to finding numerous unknown words. As a result, they often end up having negative images toward GR. This qualitative research explores how GR and non-GR books influence Japanese EFL language learners reading motivation based on interviews to those who have practiced extensive reading more than two years. The results suggested both GR and non-GR are necessary even in the beginning of their learning stage.

The purpose of this study is to describe how the extensive reading program was conducted in higher education and what the students’ perceptions about the program. The descriptive qualitative study used observation, questionnaires, and interviews to collect data. The data was taken from activities in the extensive reading program, which is one of the courses included in the curriculum of the program from 2009 to 2022. The participants were undergraduate students of English Education Department from a State University in Indonesia. The research findings indicate that the extensive reading program could be conducted as an independent course within the curriculum, through offline, online, blended, and hybrid learning. The study also showed that the extensive reading program stands out as a program that can cover the four language skills as well as improving students' vocabulary and grammar use.

The aim of extensive reading is to enable students to read fiction and non-fiction more efficiently. Non-fiction texts, such as biographies, instruction manuals, news reports, advertising, etc., follow the same basic structure as works of fiction. Why is this? Cognitive scientists have demonstrated that the human brain comprehends, analyzes, memorizes, learns, and teaches others through stories. This process of story creation and sharing is as much a part of our human nature as language and walking on two feet. Although we all have this natural ability to follow, retell, and create stories in our first language, when processing language stories through a second or third language we may find it harder to follow the narrative plot. This presentation introduces a series of activities to help students identify the stages of the plot of books they have read and then to consolidate their understanding through creating their own stories collectively.

Many studies have found the benefits of extensive reading (ER). However, many teachers still need to learn what ER is and its benefits. In this presentation, we will share our experience introducing ER to English and non English teachers through a workshop sponsored by the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture. The workshop was held for three days and was attended by more than 2000 teachers from all over Indonesia. From the workshop, we learned that most participants were interested in implementing ER principles. They shared their plans on how to integrate ER into their subjects. However, they admitted that their biggest challenges are the limited time and lack of sources. This shows that implementing ER synergically at schools needs long-term commitment from teachers and school policymakers.

Leaders in the field of extensive reading such as Nation, Waring, Day, Bamford, Robb, and others have emphasized the principle of having students pursue personal interests by freely choosing from a wide range of fiction and non-fiction books. This presentation explores a different approach by explaining—in detail—how extensive reading can also be used to support content in a CLIL curriculum. Juntendo University’s semi-intensive first-year English program of 200 students in Tokyo recently underwent extensive reform and shifted from using a commercial EFL textbook to focused study of liberal arts areas such as natural history, earth science, sociology, and zoology. It subsequently adapted its extensive reading so that about half of the assigned online books are thematically related to particular content topics. This allows students to see target vocabulary in new contexts, re-encounter concepts central to content, while improving reading skills and reading speed. It also resulted in 140% higher one-year ITP TOEFL gains compared to previous years.

This research investigates how Japanese EFL learners improved their reading fluency in an extensive reading and listening program, which is designed based on the findings from research emphasizing the importance of bottom-up processing (Kadota, 2015). It consists of 12 sessions in four months including lectures and tasks to develop students’ lower-level language processing, such as phoneme, word recognition practices, and syntactic analysis. The participants were the students who expressed an interest in enrollment in the program. They were required to read more than 10,000 words per week. In this presentation, we will discuss how well the tasks worked and the reading fluency of the students improved, analyzing the results of the tasks including the scores from pre/post tests, the word per minute (WPM) of timed reading exercises, and the responses of the pre/post questionnaires, which asked about their beliefs and attitudes toward reading in English.

Situated in a post-secondary EFL classroom, this qualitative study explores two first-year non-English department students’ reading motivation sources. The students did extensive reading that was embedded in an English class and used the Xreading platform to provide reading materials and record the students’ reading. Data was collected from students’ reading record in Xreading and interviews with the students. From the data analysis, it was evident that students developed a book selection strategy that potentially improved their internal reading motivation. The students also benefited from the reading target set by the teacher and the self-monitoring of their reading progress in Xreading. The reading target was able to motivate the students externally. This study concluded that freedom of book selection and reading target served as a source in motivating students to read. More pedagogical implications will also be discussed.

Extensive reading can be the best way for the first year university students to develop their language competencies. However, most of them do not read in English extensively once they leave the classroom. This study explores the implementation of extensive reading through ReadTheory.org. Studies into the use of gamification, “the use of game design elements in non-game contexts” (Deterding et al, 2011, p.9) for language learning, has found positive results on language development and enhancing learner engagement toward the learning process. This research presents the results for a study into the use of a gamified reading website, Readtheory.org, that incorporates the use of gamification elements of badges, knowledge points (KPs), levels, and feedback to enhance reading comprehension. This study examines 40 undergraduate university students’ attitudes, motivation, autonomy, and perceptions toward enhancing their extensive reading skills through ReadTheory.org. The data were collected from students’ interviews and questionnaires. The findings showed that students' attitudes are high toward the gamified platform and that the utilization of ReadTheory motivates students to read independently using the website inside and outside the classroom. The main advantage of ReadTheory is it can be easily used anywhere-anytime, a better alternative to traditional reading methods and it can be adopted to enhance student’s reading comprehension.

English has become one of the most popular languages worldwide. However, many students, especially those who are not English majors, face significant challenges when it comes to reading and comprehension. These challenges may include limited vocabulary, grammatical difficulties, and ineffective learning strategies. As a result, the motivation to improve reading skills among students is often low. Nevertheless, the importance of reading skills cannot be overstated, as they are essential for future career success and personal growth. To address this issue, the researcher plans to use Facebook as an extensive reading tool to increase the reading motivation of non-English major college students. This innovative approach takes advantage of the unprecedented development of social networking applications. The study will employ method triangulation to collect data, including interviews and document analysis of portfolios from 40 to 45 students in two English classes next semester. The findings of this research are expected to gradually facilitate students' reading learning in classes and serve as a reference for other ESL or EFL lecturers to conduct further in-depth research.

In this presentation I will discuss how prior reading experience and assessment influence the level of agency learners feel when part of an extensive reading programme, using the lens of Activity Theory (Galperin, 1969). Activity Theory takes the position that human activities should be understood as systemic and socially situated. For example, the extensive reading approach argues for learners selecting their own reading material and reading at their own pace (Day and Bamford, 2002). However, little is known about the factors that influence learners' reader selection and how students engage with graded readers, as a socially situated and systemic activity. The data in this presentation is taken from interviews with seven participants in an extensive reading programme at a private university in central Taiwan at three stages of the second semester (beginning, middle and end). Data was transcribed and coded for themes. Findings reveal that prior experience reading in English, selecting appropriate reading material and assessment negatively affect the agency learners feel they have when engaged in an ongoing cycle of selecting reading material and poring over text.

The article investigates the experiences and perspectives of students in relation to extensive listening, a technique used to enhance listening skills. The study is based on qualitative research methods, including interviews and focus group discussions with a diverse group of students from higher education institutions. The study aims to understand the effectiveness of extensive listening in improving students' listening skills, and how students perceive and approach extensive listening activities. The article explores the factors that influence students' attitudes towards extensive listening, such as their motivation, prior listening experiences, and the relevance of the listening material. The findings of the study reveal the benefits of extensive listening, including its impact on students' listening skills, motivation, and overall language proficiency. The study also highlights some of the challenges that students face in implementing extensive listening activities, such as finding appropriate listening material and managing time. The article concludes by emphasizing the importance of taking into account students' perspectives and experiences in designing extensive listening activities and promoting this technique as an effective method for improving listening skills in higher education institutions.

In this presentation, the researchers will describe the results of a study aimed at investigating whether and how foreign language (FL) reading anxiety could be mitigated through extensive reading (ER) among Japanese college EFL students. FL reading anxiety decreased significantly according to the results of FLRAS (Foreign Language Reading Anxiety Scale), which were conducted before and after the ER activities were introduced. In the researchers’ previous study, in which questionnaires were conducted with students in pre-intermediate course, significant differences were observed only in the items related to negative affective factors such as “fear” or “worries”. However, in this study with students in upper-intermediate course, significant differences were also observed in the items related to the positive affective factors such as “pleasure” or “enjoyment”. This could suggest that the aspects of reading anxiety ER could mitigate may differ depending on the factors such as students’ learning experiences or proficiency levels.

The present study explored students’ attitudes towards the Extensive Reading activities in General English courses among non - English majors in Vinh Long province, Vietnam. The method employed was conducted quantitatively by questionnaire. The results revealed that the students had a positive attitude toward reading graded readers and gained more self-confidence in their English communication. These students also showed good performances in the final examination. Moreover, students could be aware of how to choose appropriate books to read and how to use information, vocabulary, and model sentences. They also kept doing the reading process after finishing the English courses. However, some students found difficulties with graded readers without a teacher’s supervision and follow-up activities. The study ended with discussions, pedagogical implication, and research limitations.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate vocabulary size gain by students using extensive reading (ER) through xReading, an online library coupled with a quiz program designed to motivate, verify, and track students’ ER achievements. The participants were 63 first year Japanese university students enrolled in a basic compulsory English course where the Start with Simple Stories (SSS) and Sustained Silent Reading (SSR) approaches were implemented. The participants had to take a 4-level Vocabulary test measuring the vocabulary size gain using a bilingual Vocabulary Level Test at the beginning and at the end of the first and second semesters. This test divides words into different levels based on their frequency and is most suitable for measuring vocabulary size and vocabulary knowledge of elementary and intermediate learners of English as a foreign language. It was first designed by Paul Nation (Nation 1993) and later adapted by McLean, S., & Kramer, B. By the end of the academic year, results show a significant vocabulary size gain especially in the more advanced terms.

The current study aimed to identify the effects of 8 months of ER on English proficiency. The participants were university students in Japan who took the same compulsory English class and were required to complete 150,000 words of ER per semester. To examine the effects of ER, the TOEIC Listening and Reading test was employed for measuring general English proficiency, and a self-paced reading task was carried out to measure participants’ reading speed and comprehension. Measurements were obtained at three time points: the beginning of the spring semester, the end of the spring semester, and the end of the fall semester. Our results found significant differences between time points both on the total scores of the TOEIC test and in reading speed (WPM). We concluded that 8 months of ER enhanced learners’ reading speed as well as overall proficiency.

Many language teachers want to make Extensive Reading a part of their classes with the knowledge that it will benefit their students’ language development. However, due to the curricular and textbook requirements of some institutions, it can be difficult to implement extensive reading into a general English course. This presentation describes the development of a four-skills, oral communication coursebook seamlessly integrating an ER program through Xreading.com. The book is designed with a task-based approach and features engaging and relevant topics for learners.

University students wishing to study abroad need to meet minimum language proficiency levels on tests such as IELTS. Japanese students have struggled to meet these minimum levels despite wanting to study abroad. To address this issue, ten Japanese students who wished to study abroad participated in an extensive reading project for one academic year to improve their IELTS reading scores. Extensive reading was monitored through use of a daily reading log and journal. Participants had full autonomy to choose reading material, but were also provided with a subscription to the Xreading online graded reader library. Participants took the IELTS test twice during the year. Seven of the participants obtained IELTS reading scores of 5.5 or higher, and six obtained overall band scores of 5.5 or more by the end of the year. Extensive reading helped bring participants’ dream of studying abroad closer, but this was dependent on the amount read.

To many scholars (e.g., Hu & Nation, 2000), extensive reading (ER) helps readers develop robust vocabulary, acquire a strong writing and grammar foundation, and build key connections with academic disciplines such as the sciences, goals that numerous international students hope to achieve in intensive English programs (IEPs). To foster learner autonomy and reflective practice, effective L2 reading instruction must rely on metacognition, or thinking about thinking (Chick, 2013). Many college instructors, however, continue to deviate from the true essence of ER by overemphasizing quizzes, teacher-selected books, and detailed reading logs (Bentahar & Cranker, 2021). These practices both contradict the essence of ER and seem to deprive L2 readers of key opportunities for integrating speaking and thinking into the ER experience. In this session, the presenter will share proven classroom-based ER activities that 1) build upon IEP students’ preferences and 2) cement the reading-speaking-thinking connection in the language classroom.