There has recently been increased interest in extensive reading in English as a foreign language (EFL), with a number of studies being carried out on extensive English reading programs in Korea. However, most of the research was conducted over three...
There has recently been increased interest in extensive reading in English as a foreign language (EFL), with a number of studies being carried out on extensive English reading programs in Korea. However, most of the research was conducted over three months, a period too brief to provide any substantial insight into the effects of the programs. Moreover, the majority of extensive reading programs for adolescent EFL learners have used graded readers, and the potential value of children’s literature written in English as reading material has not been extensively explored, even though there are many advantages to using books for native-speaking children for extensive reading with adolescent EFL learners.
This study investigated the aspects of an extensive reading program using children’s literature in English as well as its cognitive and affective effects. In the study, the extensive reading program used various series of story books aimed at 7- to 12-year-old native English speakers, and it was conducted over a period of six months on a Korean first-year middle school female student. Before or after the extensive reading program, a survey on the background of English learning and reading, pre- and post-tests of English reading abilities, a pre- and post-survey on the use of the strategies for reading in English, and a pre- and post-survey on affective attitudes towards reading in English were carried out. During the six-month program, the researcher held 40-minute extensive reading classes with the learner three times a week and observed how she managed to read the English language story books. What the learner said during the class was recorded to analyze the changes in her cognitive and affective domains.
The main results obtained from this study are as follows. First, the learner read English story books almost every day during the program, as her interest in reading in English increased. Additionally, the composition and content of the book s written by the learner improved. This progress is based on her experience of reading various English language books to which her autonomy and high motivation led her.
Second, the extensive reading program using children’s literature in English led to overall improvement in the learner’s English reading abilities. Her reading rate increased from 122 words per minute(wpm) to 133 wpm, and the percentage of correct answers in each post-test on English vocabulary and reading comprehension was 20% higher than in the pre-tests. Furthermore, Lexile text measures(L) of the books read during the extensive program rose from the level of 300L, the level of 1st-grade textbooks for American students, to 700-800L, the level of 4th- or 5th- grade textbooks. However, this progress was gradually achieved over six months, suggesting that a long-term plan is needed to develop effective extensive reading programs using children’s literature in English.
Third, the learner used inefficient reading strategies much less than she used to before undergoing the extensive reading program. She gradually stopped reading line by line or out loud, and the difference in her reading speeds for English and Korean books decreased. On the contrary, the learner used more efficient reading strategies such as inferring the meaning of difficult words and paragraphs from context. This indicates that she learned which strategies are effective for learning to read in English during the extensive reading program and consequently tried to avoid inefficient reading strategies.
Finally, the learner’s intrinsic value and self-efficacy in reading in English increased during the extensive reading program, while her resistance to reading in English decreased. She started enjoying guessing the meaning of words on the basis of context, and her resistance to long texts and exams in English decreased. As her self-efficacy in reading in English developed, she even tried to read challenging English texts containing unfamiliar vocabulary and idioms. This illustrates that the extensive reading program based on children’s literature helps change the learner’s affective attitude towards reading in English.
These results indicate that the extensive reading program using children’s literature in English had positive effects on the learner’s cognitive and affective development with regard to reading in English. Additionally, some educational implications and suggestions can be drawn from the results. First, the extensive reading program based on children’s literature requires long-term planning to achieve progress with EFL learners. Therefore, teachers should have patience and attempt to conduct a variety of interesting activities in their extensive reading programs to encourage learners to sustain their interest in English reading and to encourage them to continue reading extensively.
Furthermore, children’s literature in English can be used as reading material for adolescent EFL learners more effectively than literature aimed at young adult native speakers, because the texts used in children’s literature are relatively shorter and easier to understand and are often accompanied by many illustrations. This can stimulate learners’ interest in the books and help them to understand their contents. Consequently, teachers need to search for information on the various reading levels and genres of books for native-speaking children.
Finally, it is very important to teach learners how to look for information on where they can obtain English books they want to read as well as to provide them with a print-rich environment. Learners should be able to find books appropriate for their reading level and corresponding to their interests in order to continue reading extensively in English outside class. Regular public library visits with learners can be a good way to teach them how to search for books and expose them to a print-rich environment. Eventually, all these efforts toward better English education through extensive reading programs using children’s literature may contribute to facilitating learners’ ability to read in English with fluency and critical insight.
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