Sessions / Poster

Extensive reading: practical classroom strategies and implementation

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.

More deadlines, more reading: ER requirements for Japanese undergraduates

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.

Integrating reading strategy instruction and extensive reading

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.

Differences in grammar and vocabulary between graded and leveled readers

In extensive reading (ER), Graded Readers (GRs), books for English learners with vocabulary control, play a central role whereas Leveled Readers (LRs), books written primarily for English-speaking children, are not always recommended due to their complex texts and low frequency words. In Japan, however, learners usually use a mixture of GRs and LRs to fill the gap below the easiest level of GRs. This study created the GRs corpus and the LRs corpus from books in popular series that are used in the initial stages of ER to explore the differences in grammar and vocabulary levels. Each corpus was composed of approximately 130,000 words. The New Word Level Checker was used to obtain vocabulary levels, and the Flesh Reading Ease was used to examine words per sentence and the percentage of passive sentences. The differences suggested that LRs were generally more difficult in grammar and vocabulary than GRs even though the same readability levels (YL) were assigned.

Creating effective Japanese graded readers for elementary learners

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.

The Global Extensive Reading Survey

This poster session will introduce the global extensive reading survey. The presenters will first outline the aims of the survey and highlight its key features. The aims are to examine the current practices of extensive reading (ER) practitioners around the world who teach English as a foreign language to illustrate how extensive reading is conducted; the materials used; the amount of time spent on ER; the types of assessment used; the level of training received; and so forth. Attendees to the poster session will be invited to complete the survey and asked to assist in disseminating the survey.

Self-regulated learning in EFL extensive reading

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.

Developing academic reading skills of NNS graduate students in STEM

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.

Interactive flipbook extensive reading- from peers to peers

Implementing extensive reading can be a challenge for both teachers and students. Teachers realise students are reluctant to read and discuss the story while students procrastinate and are not motivated to read. One solution is to encourage students to create a narrative and convert it into a flipbook for their peers to read. A flipbook offers a page-turning user experience and can be read in a linear fashion. Students work together in small groups on tasks as in script writers, illustrators, design-idea contributors, flipbook converter and promoters. Free digital technology applications such as Canva, Google form and E-certificate are incorporated by using flipbook applications. The project by a group of 15 students who are 17 years-old, produced flipbooks. Data on motivation to read, interest in themes and specific language competency was compiled through observations by the teacher and students completing a short questionnaire. The results highlight insights for teachers and publishers on ER materials. Moreover, the flipbook project integrated various skills and incorporated technological tools in an interactive, meaningful, and exciting extensive reading experience. It also enhanced a student-centred pedagogical approach facilitated by a teacher.

Race of intelligence: Humans vs. AI in the creation of graded readers

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.

Revisiting attitudes towards Extensive Reading in Vietnam

Extensive Reading (ER) has gained increasing attention as a valuable language learning activity in Vietnam. However, the implementation of ER programs in the classroom may face various challenges, such as a lack of understanding among teachers about the difference between Intensive Reading and Extensive Reading, and the difficulties in setting up and funding an ER program. This poster session will report on a replication study of Waring and Chu's (2017) research on attitudes and beliefs towards ER in Vietnam, focusing specifically on the views of teachers from a range of educational backgrounds. The study aims to investigate the current attitudes and beliefs of teachers towards ER, the challenges they face in implementing ER programs, and highlight any changes in these factors over the previous five years. The presentation will discuss the research design and the results, and the implications for promoting ER in Vietnamese language education.

Extensive reading among teachers of English at secondary schools

Extensive reading (ER) has become a vital part in the development of teaching methodologies as well as the learning process. A variety of studies have proven the benefits of ER but the questions remain as to whether secondary English teachers can work as ER models and how successfully they can implement ER in their classes. This paper aims to uncover the voices of secondary English teachers’ about extensive reading. The participants consisted of 28 secondary English teachers from different schools in Vietnam. The data were collected from an online survey questionnaire and interviews. The results show that secondary English teachers are aware of the significance of ER but they face certain difficulties implementing extensive reading for themselves and for their students. The findings conclude with discussion and pedagogical implications for teaching and learning to read in English.

School libraries collaborating with English teachers

This study is based on the practice of an Extensive Reading（ER） program in a Japanese high school library in collaboration with the English teachers and the librarian. A collection of Graded Readers（GR） in the sub 700 headwords range and authentic children's books can support high school students in overcoming their anxiety towards studying and become more motivated to read in English. This research confirmed that 5 cohort, 1,268 beginner high school students could attain upper intermediate level while reading English books at the comprehensible vocabulary level. The research revealed that it is crucial to place English books in school libraries for ER programs. The library is responsibile for the registration and management of the library collection which reduces the burden on English teachers and at the same time supports the spontaneous and continuous learning for high school students.

Speed reading and ER: A perfect combination for EFL reading instruction

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.

Extensive reading for reluctant readers at university in Vietnam

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.

Pedagogical return on an Xreading subscription based on vocabulary gain

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.

Effects of 300,000 words of ER on English proficiency

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.