Experiment 2: Extensive Reading In A Prestigious University And A Junior College

Procedure

Subjects. Four intact classes of EFL students were used, a total sample size of 128 students, two classes from the English literature department at a highly regarded four-year university, and two from a junior college. The experimental classes in each institution read from graded readers; the students from the four-year college were able to move to authentic texts the second semester. Students read at their own level and at their own pace. Extensive reading was the main part of the course.

When students finished a book, they wrote a summary of the book in English (from a half to a whole page), then wrote an "appreciation" of the book in Japanese as well as reflections on their reading comprehension. Students also chose one book each week and told a partner about the book in English. Thus, as in our previous study, there was some "accountability", but this accountability was low pressure.

Regular classes were taught the traditional way, focusing on direct teaching of reading comprehension and intensive reading of short, difficult, assigned passages, which necessitates a great deal of dictionary work.

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