The Benefits of Extensive Reading
I’d like to pass on the main points of an article about the benefits of extensive reading I read recently.
The article, by Professor Richard Day, is a summary of recent studies on the impact of extensive reading on learning English in an EFL context. The impact was measured in two areas: language improvement and pupil attitude and motivation.
Language Improvement: Reading comprehension and reading speed increase significantly. Listening , speaking and writing abilities also show marked improvement. Finally, there is significant vocabulary growth, due to the fact that in reading, learners encounter the same words repeatedly in context, which is the key to increasing vocabulary.
Attitude and Motivation: Extensive reading is shown to result in considerable improvement in pupil attitude and motivation towards learning a second language.
To EFL English teachers who regularly do readers in class, the results of these studies probably come as no surprise. To those teachers who for whatever reason don’t work with graded readers, the results of these studies suggest that they should try it. From my own personal experience, I would say, ‘Come on in! The water’s fine!’
