A short presentation on Extensive Reading on the 2nd Language English classroom. I tried to explain how my personal experience has differed or stood in contrast with some of the basic assumptions of what ER is and how it works.

1. ER: Student stories
a lesson in assumptions
Kevin Stein:
Twitter: (@kevchanwow)
email: kevchanwow@gmail

2. My
friend
TOM
Trivia
Obsessed
Messaging

5. Gains in reading speed
Average reading speed from 121—>181 WPM

6. Difficulty of texts read
From this
(Beginner Middle)
to This
(elementary early)

9. Gains in working memory
average number of words held in working memory
start: 4.4
finish: 6.5

10. The spring of 1634 arrives, but in the
prison of Lancaster Castle it stays cold.
The twenty women in the prison are dirty,
hungry, and cold.
—-From The murders in the Rouge Morgue, OUP (elementary early)

11. The spring of 1634 /
arrives /
but in the prison of /
Lancaster Castle it stays
/
cold /
the twenty women in /
the prison are dirty /
hungry and cold/

12. The spring of 1634 arrives /
but in the prison of Lancaster Castle
/
it stays cold /
The twenty women in the prison /
are dirty and hungry and cold.

13. From this
to

14. the impact of (hard?) evidence
14 research-y papers + my data
which have convinced x number
of teachers.
(where x=?)

15. How I Talk about ER
Listen to these NUMBERS!
You’ve got to do this, dude!
Let me tell you about Saki!

16. Mason and Krashen (1997) treatment:
Experiment 1: “the Sai Rishu class spent the
second semester reading graded readers, both in
class and as homework. About 100 books for
students of EFL were purchased for the 30
students in the class. Students were required to
read 50 books during the semester, and were
also required to write short synopses and keep a
diary in Japanese recording their feelings,
opinions, and progress.

17. Yamashita (2013): The class met once a week
for 90 minutes. During class, students were able
to access approximately 500 graded English
readers (a series of Oxford, Cambridge,
Heinemann, and Penguin), and were encouraged
to choose whichever books they wanted to read.
If they preferred to read their own books, that
was also accepted.

20. My friend
DAVID

21. The World (can always) be divided
into 2 (maybe 3) groups
People who wear
funny hats
People who
don’t wear funny
hats
People who have no idea what this venn
diagram is about

22. The Students:
Mimi

23. Mimi’s attitudes towards reading
I read English for pleasure: never
I read Japanese for pleasure: almost never
I use a dictionary when reading English: usually
I think reading in English is fun: almost never

25. 1000 Headwords

27. Mimi’s Progress
Reading speed: 106 —> 170 WPM
Working memory: 4.8 words —> 8.3 words
Book level: beginner high —> elementary high
Assumption: Students will be satisfied when they see
themselves improving and know that ER actually works.

28. What would you have
done?
Ways to convince Mimi of the value of ER.

29. Rei-Rei

30. Extensive reading is not just submerging
students in a bath of print.
—-Bamford and Day, p. xiii

31. What the hell is an
aeroplane?!
Assumption: Students know how to effectively use the
redundant information in a picture book.

32. Ta-Ke
it’s not
Japanese

33. Bookstrapping?
Assumption: There are i-1 level texts for all level
students.

35. _______ is ER guidance.

36. Rei-Rei’s Progress
Reading speed: 49 —> 132 WPM
Working memory: 2.4 words —> 4.6 words
Book level: beginner early (?) —> beginner high
My Stupid Assumption: Extensive reading, in and of
itself, is enough reading instruction for lower level learners

37. What would you have
done?
Ways to smooth the transition into ER for students like Rei-Rei.

38. Yu-Yu

39. Dictionary:
friend
of
foe

40. 2nd language learners who read masses of varied
and interesting i-1 material can increase their
general vocabulary knowledge.
—-Bamford and Day, p. 17

41. Do we need to train students
in guessing from context?
constipation constitution
Assumption: at the i-1 level, guessing from context is
quick and students inherently know how to do it.

42. Guessing from Context
identify the word/phrase you don’t know.
read the sentence before, the sentence, and the sentence after.
decide if the word has a + or - meaning.
decide on what kind of word it might be (a noun, a form of
transportation).
Read the three sentences again and see if you have enough
information to make sense of the passage.
If you are feeling really itchy, check the word in your dictionary.

43. Yu-Yu’s progress
Reading rate increased from 95 —> 109 WMP
Working memory: 4.7 —> 4.45
level of text read: beginner high—>elementary
early
Assumption: comprehension = how much a student
understands of a book

44. Ro-Ro

45. Grading/Evaluation
25% attendance (simply being in class)
50% in class reading (actively reading in class)
15% in class extension activities (did they do it)
10% ER class during exam week

46. “Spacing Out” is one of the
great pleasures of reading.

47. Floor Space Free
Space
Chairs and Tables

48. Assumption:
the act of reading
=
looking at a page of text and
making sense of black
squiggles.

51. miss the
simple books
of yore
Student reads
too fast
certain books
prevent retention
of new words
only willing
to read
one kind of text
only reads
super easy
texts
won't
read outside
of class
don’t want
other students
to know
what they are reading
Wants to
read shorter
texts

52. Places to find out more about ER:
ER Central
The Extensive Reading Foundation
JALT ER SIG