Paul Goldberg
About
Paul Goldberg has taught English as a foreign language in Venezuela, Spain, Korea, the US, and most recently at Kwansei Gakuin University, in Japan. His main areas of interest are extensive reading and extensive listening. Paul is the founder of Xreading, which he developed because of his desire to make graded readers more accessible for students, and extensive reading programs easier for teachers to manage. Email: paul@xreading.com.Sessions
All levels Writing for EFL success – A Novel process more
Thu, Aug 10, 11:30-12:05 Asia/Tokyo
To increase student motivation with regard to both Extensive Reading and Creative Writing, a graded reader writing competition was organized. Over the course of a semester, twelve student writers, under the guidance of their teacher completed novels, as well as cover designs and quizzes. Those graded readers, were then made available on the Xreading website so they could be read and rated by students around the world as well as a panel of volunteer judges. The presenters will discuss the process that was used, share samples, and ideas for expansion in the future.
All levels Xreading: What’s New and What’s Next more
Wed, Aug 9, 10:45-11:20 Asia/Tokyo
Xreading is digital library that gives students access to over a thousand graded readers from major publishers such as Cambridge University Press, Macmillan, and National Geographic/Cengage Learning. Students have unlimited access to all books as well as audio narrations, ratings, and quizzes. In addition, the system tracks students' reading progress (books read, words read, reading speed, quiz scores, etc.) so it makes management and assessment much easier for teachers. Since it’s launch is 2014, the system has been continuously evolving and growing in terms of the number of books and features. In this presentation, the founder of Xreading will explain the new functionality that has been added over the past year, and what is planned for the future. Current users of the system are encouraged to provide feedback and suggestions based on their experience.
College and University A textbook for Extensive Reading: A novel solution more
Thu, Aug 10, 14:45-15:20 Asia/Tokyo
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.
All levels Where can you find COVID, Ukraine, BTS and chatty mushrooms? more
Tue, Aug 8, 11:30-12:05 Asia/Tokyo
In this talk, the presenters will discuss Xreading News. This is an exciting feature of Xreading launched in April 2022. Xreading News offers real news stories each week achieving two main goals; 1- to expose students to current affairs, and 2- to expose students to more English. Five news stories from around the world, from a wide range of fields, such as Science, Technology, the Environment, and World News, are produced in graded language and uploaded to Xreading every Sunday. But how do writers select their stories? Why are some stories more suitable for Xreading News than others? Why are Ukraine and chatty mushrooms suitable and Roe Vs Wade is not? The presenters will talk about their experiences choosing, writing, and leveling real news stories. We will also look at the changes made from an original submission to a published entry and discuss why the editing decisions were made.
