CPlan A Causal Chain

A Casual Chain

Extensive reading: 

For my target group to increase their reading comprehension skills, I feel that they need to increase the levels of their vocabulary development. The idea is when ELLs know meanings of English words, that enables them to increase the comprehension of what they read. As an ELL myself, I tried to retrieve how I myself increased my English vocabulary as well as comprehension skills, when I tried to acquire English as a second language. I realised that growing up in an EFL context, extensive reading was what helped me increase both my English vocabulary and comprehension skills. I remember myself reading independently a lot and reading only the books available for me through my friends and the limited library we had at the time. With that experience I see extensive reading as a cause of change to make in my teaching in order to make impact on the vocabulary development of my students, and with that hopefully to effect an increase in their reading comprehension skills. 

"It is an utter necessity to become fluent, self-sufficient and independent English language readers with highly skilled reading comprehension skills. There is no point to doubt that extensive reading can be the best strategy to attain this" (Syeda Asima Igbal, 2017). 

Research over the years reveal clear links between acquisition of English vocabulary and extensive reading. For example,

• Kweon & Kim (2008) claim that second language learners acquire vocabulary incidentally through extensive reading and the acquired vocabulary knowledge is retained without much attrition.
• Wakely (2003) suggests that extensive reading leads to good vocabulary gains, though this knowledge needs to be activated, e.g. in productive exercises.
• In a meta-analysis study synthesizing data of 21 empirical studies on extensive reading in an EFL context, Liu & Zhang (2018) reveal its significant effect on English vocabulary learning. They also show that one semester (less than three months) is the most appropriate length of extensive reading instruction for vocabulary learning.

Studies also show extensive reading making impacts not just on English vocabulary acquisition, but on reading comprehension skills and other areas of second language acquisition. For example,

• extensive reading helps develop good reading habits, build up vocabulary knowledge, and enhance positive attitude toward reading (Day, 2004).
• Smith (2006) also finds that subjects who devoted their time to free voluntary reading had the greatest gains in vocabulary and reading comprehension than those who spent their time for intensive reading and follow up or supplementary activities in addition to reading.

Krashen (2004) refers to in-school free reading as the gold standard for demonstrating free voluntary or recreational reading. There are slightly three different models of in-school reading - silent reading, self-selected reading, and extensive reading. Slient reading is where both teachers and students engage in free reading for a short period of time, 5 - 15 minutes each day. Self-selected reading involves teachers holding conferences with students to discuss what was read. Extensive reading is where a minimum accountability is required, for example, a short summary or report of what was read, and a large number of reading materials is provided to learners independently (Day, 2004). With slight differences between them, they all have this in common: Students can read whatever they want to read (within reason) and there is little or no accountability in the form of book reports or grades.

So based on research evidence cited above, extensive reading which have impacts on ELLs vocabulary, reading comprehension, and other elements of English second language acquisition has the following characteristics:

• free voluntary, independent or recreational 
• part of in-class teaching instruction
• short period of time daily reading
• silent reading for teachers and students
• large number of reading materials provide
• can be be self-selected reading with other activities 

Extensive reading is offered as a cause to make effect on vocabulary development which should lead on to effect increase in the reading comprehension of  students.

   

It is an utter necessity to become fluent, self-sufficient and independent English readers with highly

skilled reading comprehension abilities. There is no point to doubt that extensive reading can be the best

strategy to attain this.

It is an utter necessity to become fluent, self-sufficient and independent English readers with highly

skilled reading comprehension abilities. There is no point to doubt that extensive reading can be the best

strategy to attain this.

It is an utter necessity to become fluent, self-sufficient and independent English readers with highly

skilled reading comprehension abilities. There is no point to doubt that extensive reading can be the best

strategy to attain this.