Extensive Reading: Students' Performance and Perception.

Reading is thought to be a crucial skill in the EFL learning process, and Extensive Reading a very useful strategy. However, very few teachers implement it on a regular basis. The process of introducing Extensive Reading (ER) is considered far too expensive, complicated, and timeconsuming. One way to encourage its use would be to more deeply understand the multiple factors influencing its successful implementation. This paper considers two of these factors, one related to effectiveness and the other to attitude. On the one hand, it examines Extensive Reading’s influence on the student’s reading comprehension performance. On the other, it explores the student’s perception of this particular strategy. The study uses quantitative as well as qualitative data from students in the first year of a scientific reading course in a Venezuelan university. Findings suggest that reading comprehension performance was essentially the same with or without an Extensive Reading Program. Nonetheless, the program did seem to positively impact participating students. The ER Group did significantly better in the post-test than in the pre-test. Furthermore, the students’ perception of Extensive Reading was very positive. Besides being enjoyable, they felt it helped them build vocabulary, reading comprehension, reading skills and confidence.

[1]  Juan Pino Silva,et al.  Extensive reading through the Internet: is it worth the while? , 2009 .

[2]  Christopher W. Storey,et al.  Starting an extensive reading program , 2007 .

[3]  Elizabeth J. Pretorius,et al.  Playing football without a ball: language, reading and academic performance in a high-poverty school , 2007 .

[4]  David Beglar,et al.  A Framework for Developing EFL Reading Vocabulary. , 2005 .

[5]  J. Yamashita.  Reading Attitudes in L1 and L2, and Their Influence on L2 Extensive Reading. , 2004 .

[6]  R. Day,et al.  Extensive Reading in the Second Language Classroom , 1998 .

[7]  James Coady,et al.  Second Language Vocabulary Acquisition: L2 vocabulary acquisition through extensive reading , 1996 .

[8]  Linda S. Lumsden.  Student Motivation to Learn , 1994 .

[9]  Debrorah Phillips,et al.  Longman Preparation Course for the TOEFL Test , 1988 .

[10]  Christina Haas,et al.  Rhetorical reading strategies and the construction of meaning , 1988 .

[11]  S. Gass.  Second Language Vocabulary Acquisition , 1988, Annual Review of Applied Linguistics.

[12]  Francis Mangubhai,et al.  The impact of reading on second language learning. , 1983 .

[13]  Deborah J. Phillips.  Longman preparation course for the TOEFL test : next generation iBT , 2005 .

[14]  Fay Shin,et al.  Books, Not Direct Instruction, Are the Key to Vocabulary Development. , 2004 .

[15]  M. Yi,et al.  PREDICTING THE USE OF WEB-BASED INFORMATION SYSTEMS: INTRINSIC MOTIVATION AND SELF-EFFICACY , 2002 .

[16]  Allen N. Mendler.  Motivating Students Who Don't Care: Successful Techniques for Educators. Solutions. , 2000 .

[17]  G. Jacobs,et al.  A Study of Extensive Reading with Remedial Reading Students. , 1999 .

[18]  Ian Tudor,et al.  Graded readers as an input medium in L2 learning , 1990 .

[19]  Ian Tudor,et al.  Extensive Reading and the Development of Language Skills. , 1989 .

[20]  F. Smith.  Reading without nonsense, 2nd ed. , 1985 .

[21]  Frank Smith,et al.  Reading Without Nonsense , 1979 .

[22]  Leonard S. Cahen,et al.  Educational Testing Service , 1970 .