3. Extensive reading and EFL learner’s development
There is a great deal of evidence that extensive reading has a powerful impact on language learning. The more someone reads, the more they pick up items of vocabulary and grammar from the texts, often without realising it, and this widening language knowledge seems to increase their overall linguistic confidence, which then influences and improves their skills in other language areas, too. Scrivener, 2005
Theoretical support for extensive reading in the field of L2 research comes from the Krashen's (1982) input hypothesis, the notion of which is that receiving comprehensible input enables a learner to acquire the target language and/or the reading hypothesis (Krashen, 1993) postulating the facilitative effect of extensive reading on various abilities/skills such as reading comprehension, writing style, vocabulary, grammar, and spelling.
Regardless of whether or not one thoroughly agrees with these hypotheses, increasing interest in extensive reading has been observed among researchers and educators involved in L2 instruction. This is evidenced, for example, in the publication of special editions on extensive reading (The Language Teacher 1997, 21. No. 5; 2007, 31. No 5) and collections such as Bamford and Day (2004).
One of the general principles for language pedagogy proposed by Ellis (2005) endorses the importance of massive amounts of input for second language acquisition. Extensive reading was identified as one of the easiest ways of pedagogically implementing the input-rich learning environment.
Furthermore, research has reported beneficial effects of extensive reading on various aspects of L2 ability, for example: reading comprehension and ...
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...reading summaries or special writing tasks that are connected with certain reading texts. Yet, there is a danger that writing summaries can discourage students from reading so a teacher should be cautious when using them and students should know the reason for it. Krashen (ibidem) also adds that there is no convincing evidence that extensive reading complemented by writing summaries improves writing skills more than extensive reading itself. He believes that 'language acquisition comes from input, not output, from comprehension, not production' (Krashen, ibidem). Nevertheless, combining the reading and writing tasks in the language classroom seems to be beneficial for the students as reading helps them to build their writing competence. On the other hand, it increases learners' ability to think and develops their metacognitive skills (Lems, Miller and Soro, 2010).
In the article 10 Benefits of Reading, the author Lana Winter-Hebert of Lifehack.org explained why reading is a mental exercise and can improve your mental ability. My reading habits are fairly frequent. I read a lot of magazines and online articles, but I never miss out on a good novel. The atmosphere of a bookstore or library is so comfortable and that drives me to read more, too. I am currently reading two books; The Name of This Book is Secret and If I Should Die Before I Wake. Considering I am constantly reading as recreation or school-wise, I think I read enough.
Karen Bromley (2014) in the chapter “Active Engagement with Words” begins with the harsh reality of students who cannot “read well enough to be successful” (120). She acknowledges that a large vocabulary is key to successful reading due to a number of factors, including: it boosts comprehension, improves achievement, enhances thinking and communication, and promotes fluency (121). Therefore, Bromley advocates that educators equip students with strategies for tackling words, strategies that actively engage students and begin with teacher modeling (direct-instruction). Bromley discusses the three tiers of word types, pointing out that tiers two and three (multisyllabic) cause the most problems for adolescent readers. To approach these words students need attention to the linguistic and non-linguistic aspects, the literal elements (spelling, pronunciation, graphics, meaning, and grammatical function) and then the more inferential and contextual aspects (visual, auditory, or sensory image that connects to the word, for example). Active engagement, the use of metacognitive strategies, is advocated by Bromley because it relies on students’ own knowledge and equips them with strategies they can use on their own when they encounter unfamiliar words. Such strategies covered in this chapter include: KWL (Know, Want to know, Learn), Teach-Teach-Trade, A Word A Day (www.wordsmith.org/words), Root Words, and Digital
Rasinski, T., & Hoffman, J. (2003). Oral reading in the school literacy program. Reading Research Quarterly, 38(4), 510-522.
Writing and Reading across the Curriculum. Laurence Behrens and Leonard J. Rosen, Boston: Pearson 2011. 274-279
Trepanier, K. G. (2009). The effectiveness of the orton gillingham instructional program when used in conjunction with a basal reading program. (Order No. 3355062, Walden University). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, , 101. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/305080674?accountid=458. (305080674).
Begrens, Laurence; Rosen, Leonard J. Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. 7th ed. New York, Longman, 2000. 320-322.
We go to school to learn and in our English classes we learn valuable skills like analyzing and understanding books. We need to be taught how to assess books so that we may further our education beyond the classroom. The lessons in high school gave me a foundation of understanding but I was able to further enjoy books and the knowledge I gain from them because I was taught how to learn as I read. Reading is scientifically proven to improve brain connectivity and cognition. Researchers at Emory University say, “there was a
Using reading strategies successfully is important in constructing meaning from text. Good readers employ many strategic reading skills automatically throughout the reading process, before, during and after. Some of these skills are cognitive which involves cognition or thinking, while others are metacognitive involving reflection or thinking about thinking. Strategic readers employ both cognitive and metacognitive skills, including but not limited to, previewing text, understanding text structures, activating prior knowledge, making connections, making predictions, drawing inferences, summarizing, and monitoring comprehension (Tompkins, 2011).
I will preface this literacy narrative by a warning: this is not, in any way, an essay about my positive academic experiences with reading and writing. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE reading, but this fondness was not rooted in me because of school. Writing, on the other hand, has been the bane of my scholastic journey since the start of my high school years. This could explain why I waited until my very last quarter at university to take my required writing class.
Research supports a strong correlation between reading skills in the first and second languages. The better
... for teachers to choose materials that will hook students and motivate them to engage in their own learning. Teachers should provide multiple learning opportunities in which stu¬dents can experience success and can begin to build confidence in their ability to read, write, and think at higher level. By connecting strategies for learning, such as searching, compre¬hending, interpreting, composing, and teaching content knowledge, students are given the opportunity to succeed in their education. These elements include: fundamental skills such as phonemic awareness, phonemic decoding, and other word analysis skills that support word reading accuracy; text reading fluency; strategies for building vocabulary; strategies for understanding and using the specific textual features that distinguish different genres; and self-regulated use of reading comprehension strategies.
How can what we know about the development of readers inform reading comprehension instruction? Reading instruction typically starts in kindergarten with the alphabetic principle, simple word blending, and sight word recognition. Texts read by early readers usually include very little to comprehend. As children develop reading ability, they are able read more complex texts requiring greater comprehension skills. Separate and explicit instruction in reading comprehension is crucial because the ability to comprehend develops in its own right, independent of word recognition. The ability to read words and sentences is clearly important, but as readers develop, these skills are less and less closely correlated with comprehension abilities. (Aarnoutse & van Leeuwe, 2000) While no one would argue that word blending and sight word reading skills be omitted from early reading instruction, vocabulary and listening comprehension may be at least as important in achieving the even...
Good reading skills are very important in learning languages. Reading improves spelling because as students learn to sound out letters and words, spelling comes easier. It helps to expand the vocabulary, since the best way to acquire a large vocabulary is to read. Students learn new words as they read and put them in their mind for later use. . They also unconsciously absorb the information about things like how to structure the sentences, how words are used in different contexts, and it gives a better understanding of the word usage and definitions than the cold facts of a dictionary. It improves a person’s vocabulary and knowledge without the person even knowing it. Even if students do not understand every word, they will hear new sounds, words and phrases which they can then try out, copying what they have heard. They can comprehend ideas, follow arguments and detect implications. Reading texts also provide good models for English writing. Krashen (2004) found that reading is extremely important in learning English, since it is the only way to “become a good reader, develop a good writing style, an adequate vocabulary, advanced grammar” and the only way to “become a good speller”.
Wise (2014), discusses that within the twenty first century in which the efficient completion of tasks is essential, speed reading is extremely advantageous. Not only does speed reading allow for the quicker acquisition of knowledge, it has shown to influence the brains functionality. Thus, one displays enhanced memory abilities, a higher level of attention and focus as well as a heightened problem solving ability (Wise, 2014). Despite the advantages of an increased reading speed, there is a large and significant disadvantage (Bell, 2001). The danger of developing a rapid reading rate, is that one’s level of comprehension is severely compromised. Therefore, a speed reader would not acquire an adequate amount of information when reading swiftly. It is possible that this disadvantage will have a detrimental effect on the precise completion of various academic and recreational tasks (Bell,
It is necessary to draw a distinction between foreign language and second language learning. According to (Wisniewski, 2007), a language lear...