scholarly journals An Investigation into the Criteria Students Use When Selecting Graded Readers

2019 ◽  
pp. 258-281
Author(s):  
Phoebe Lyon ◽  
Amber Barr
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Material Selection ◽  
Selection Process ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Extensive Reading ◽  
Reading And Writing ◽  
Writing Courses ◽  
Graded Readers ◽  
Book Selections

Material selection is one way through which students are empowered to take a more active role in their language learning. With the shifting of responsibility to the students, however, it is important to understand what criteria students are using in the material selection process. This study investigates the criteria students used when making graded reader selections for the extensive reading component of freshman level reading and writing courses at a university in Japan. Data from surveys showed that few students proved able to consistently make selections that met their expectations and that even after multiple book selections, some students continued to struggle with the task. The paper will conclude with suggestions for assisting students to make more informed choices when selecting graded readers.

scholarly journals What Makes a Good Graded Reader: Engaging with Graded Readers in the Context of Extensive Reading in L2

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Gillian Margaret Helen Claridge
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
English Learners ◽  
Extensive Reading ◽  
Transactional Theory ◽  
Reading Material ◽  
Comprehensible Input ◽  
Theory Of Reading ◽  
Reading Response ◽  
Graded Readers ◽  
The Individual

<p>It is widely accepted in the ESOL field that Extensive Reading is good for ESOL learners and there are many studies purporting to show that this is true. As a result, the publication of Graded Readers in English today is a major commercial concern, although David Hill (2008, p. 189), former director of the Edinburgh Project on Extensive Reading, in his most recent study of Graded Readers, comments that they are being produced 'in a hostile climate where extensive reading is little valued, practised or tested.' However, anecdotal evidence from teachers and researchers claims that learners do not read anywhere near the recommended one Graded Reader a week prescribed by Nation and Wang (1999, p. 355) to provide the necessary amount of comprehensible input for increasing vocabulary. If these claims and Hill's comments are true, there may be a mismatch between the kind of reading material produced for learners of English and the nature and teaching of the texts currently recommended by teachers and librarians. Such a situation would not only be a huge waste in terms of resources; it could also lead to the alienation of generations of English learners from a potentially valuable means of improving and enjoying language learning. My study investigates this discrepancy by looking at the perceptions of the main stakeholders in Graded Readers, namely the publishers, the judges and academics, the teachers and the learners, to see how they differ and why. As each population is different, the methodologies used in the study are various, making for an approach described as 'bricolage' (Lincoln & Guba, 2000a, p. 164). At the heart of the study are five case studies of learners, set against the backdrop of data gathered from all the stakeholders. As the results indicate that the purpose of the reading appears to govern the perceptions of the individual learner, I found Louise Rosenblatt's (Rosenblatt, 1978) Transactional Theory of Reading Response was an appropriate framework within which to interpret the data.</p>

scholarly journals What Makes a Good Graded Reader: Engaging with Graded Readers in the Context of Extensive Reading in L2

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Gillian Margaret Helen Claridge
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
English Learners ◽  
Extensive Reading ◽  
Transactional Theory ◽  
Reading Material ◽  
Comprehensible Input ◽  
Theory Of Reading ◽  
Reading Response ◽  
Graded Readers ◽  
The Individual

<p>It is widely accepted in the ESOL field that Extensive Reading is good for ESOL learners and there are many studies purporting to show that this is true. As a result, the publication of Graded Readers in English today is a major commercial concern, although David Hill (2008, p. 189), former director of the Edinburgh Project on Extensive Reading, in his most recent study of Graded Readers, comments that they are being produced 'in a hostile climate where extensive reading is little valued, practised or tested.' However, anecdotal evidence from teachers and researchers claims that learners do not read anywhere near the recommended one Graded Reader a week prescribed by Nation and Wang (1999, p. 355) to provide the necessary amount of comprehensible input for increasing vocabulary. If these claims and Hill's comments are true, there may be a mismatch between the kind of reading material produced for learners of English and the nature and teaching of the texts currently recommended by teachers and librarians. Such a situation would not only be a huge waste in terms of resources; it could also lead to the alienation of generations of English learners from a potentially valuable means of improving and enjoying language learning. My study investigates this discrepancy by looking at the perceptions of the main stakeholders in Graded Readers, namely the publishers, the judges and academics, the teachers and the learners, to see how they differ and why. As each population is different, the methodologies used in the study are various, making for an approach described as 'bricolage' (Lincoln & Guba, 2000a, p. 164). At the heart of the study are five case studies of learners, set against the backdrop of data gathered from all the stakeholders. As the results indicate that the purpose of the reading appears to govern the perceptions of the individual learner, I found Louise Rosenblatt's (Rosenblatt, 1978) Transactional Theory of Reading Response was an appropriate framework within which to interpret the data.</p>

scholarly journals Positive Connection of Extensive Reading and Writing Fluency in EFL Learning

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 44
Author(s):  
Nor Fitriansyah ◽  
M. Zaini Miftah
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
English Education ◽  
Reading Scores ◽  
Extensive Reading ◽  
Writing Fluency ◽  
Reading And Writing ◽  
Correlational Design ◽  
Reading Activities ◽  
Writing Competence ◽  
Efl Learning

Extensive reading and writing fluency in language learning get connected to each other. The benefits include gains in reading and writing competence and skills. However, how far they get connected in EFL learning has not been discussed so far. This study examined the connection of extensive reading and writing fluency of the thirty-two students of the English Education Department at a university in Palangka Raya Kalimantan Tengah Indonesia. The correlational design was applied in this study. The online Extensive Reading Test (ERT) developed by Extensive Reading Foundation was used to get the students' extensive reading scores. To gain the students' writing fluency scores, a Writing Fluency Test (WFT) was applied. For the data analysis, it used Pearson product-moment correlation. Results show that there is a moderate positive correlation between the students' extensive reading and writing fluency. It is indicated with rxy = 0.408 > rtable = 0.340 at 5%. In short, the extensive reading activities have a positive connection to the writing fluency of the students in language learning. Therefore, extensive reading activities should always be integrated with writing activities in the context of Indonesian EFL learning.

scholarly journals Enhancing Intensive English Program Reading and Writing Courses through Integrated-Skill Activities

2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adil Bentahar ◽  
Kenneth Cranker
Keyword(s):  
Intensive English ◽  
Extensive Reading ◽  
Intensive English Program ◽  
Reading And Writing ◽  
Writing Courses ◽  
Intensive English Programs ◽  
University Success ◽  
English Program ◽  
Listening And Speaking ◽  
Speaking Skills

In an increasingly competitive global Intensive English Programs (IEPs) environment (Benshoff, 2018), developing courses that efficiently meet student needs and equip students with skills essential for university success is paramount. Many IEPs develop reading and writing (RW) courses around one textbook for reading and another for writing, essentially separating RW skills from listening and speaking skills (Oxford, 2001). However, our university foundation-year program has started to integrate listening and speaking skills with instruction and assessment into RW courses. Instructors have observed what appear to be increased gains in learning when students pre-read, read, discuss, listen to related lectures, present, and then write about academic topics. Students’ writing reveals greater voice as they seem to understand topics more deeply and have developed greater fluency with ideas and terminology and an increased ability to paraphrase, summarize, and synthesize, aligning with findings in related literature (e.g., Horowitz, 1986). This integrated-skill approach also more closely resembles university tasks than the segregated-skill approach does. This article explains the integrated-skill approach, examines its impact on revitalizing IEP RW instruction, and showcases some sample activities. Keywordsreading and writing (RW), extensive reading, integrated-skill approach (ISA), student success, Intensive English Programs (IEPs)

Literacy in a Second Language

1989 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 145-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Grabe
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Second Language Learning ◽  
First Language ◽  
Learning Context ◽  
Second Language Literacy ◽  
Reading And Writing ◽  
Learning Contexts ◽  
Language Literacy ◽  
Do So

As literacy has emerged to become a major issue in the 1980s, and will continue to do so in the 1990s, the only sure claim to be made is that the notion of literacy is extremely complex and fraught with generally accepted “myths,” hidden assumptions, over-generalizations, and simple all-inclusive responses to the challenges presented. This scenario is no less appropriate to the second language learning context than it is to the first language learning context. Thus, any examination of second language literacy requires discussion of both first language and second perspectives. It is naive to assume that the difficulties, complexities, contradictions, and debates in first language literacy do not apply equally to the large majority of second language learning contexts. Accordingly, second language literacy will be discussed in light of first language perspectives on literacy, reading, and writing, expanding these perspectives into second language contexts. (It should be noted that two excellent reviews of reading and writing in a second language appeared in ARAL IX (Carrell 1989a, Hudelson 1989a). This review should be seen as complementary to these two earlier articles.)

Research on Material Selection with Multi-Attribute Decision Method and G1 Method

2014 ◽  
Vol 952 ◽  
pp. 20-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xue Jun Xie
Keyword(s):  
Material Selection ◽  
Selection Process ◽  
Selection Problem ◽  
Topsis Method ◽  
Attribute Weight ◽  
Multi Attribute Decision Making ◽  
Judgment Matrix ◽  
Optimal Material ◽  
Selection Of ◽  
Better Than

The selection of an optimal material is an important aspect of design for mechanical, electrical, thermal, chemical or other application. Many factors (attributes) need to be considered in material selection process, and thus material selection problem is a multi-attribute decision making (MADM) problem. This paper proposes a new MADM method for material selection problem. G1 method does not need to test consistency of the judgment matrix. Thus it is better than AHP. In this paper, firstly, we use the G1 method to determine the attribute weight. Then TOPSIS method is used to calculate the closeness of the candidate materials with respect positive solution. A practical material selection case is used to demonstrate the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed method.

scholarly journals An Attempt at Promoting Undergraduate Sudanese EFL Students’ Performance in Academic Writing Skills

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ammar Mohammed Ahmed Mudawy
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
Extensive Reading ◽  
Reading And Writing ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Holy Quran ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
University Level

The study aims at suggesting effective methods and techniques that could improve English as a foreign language EFL students’ performance in writing skills. The researcher uses the descriptive, analytical method. Four tools were adopted pretest, post-test, supporting program, and a questionnaire for teachers for collecting data. Twenty-five students in Holy Quran University, Sudan, were chosen purposively, and thirty EFL teachers at a university level were randomly selected as a sample for the study. Ninty percent of the teachers agree on the suggested program and techniques. The findings of the study indicate that: using varied techniques and activities in pre-writing stage promotes students’ performances in writing, integration of reading and writing skills in the classroom improves students’ writing skills, as well as encouraging extensive reading outside the classroom promotes students’ performance in writing skills. Accordingly, the researcher recommends that: teachers should focus on the prewriting stage through different activities as well as reading and writing should be used in an integrated way in-class writing to guide the writing process.

scholarly journals EXTENSIVE READING IN L2 LEARNING: CURRENT TRENDS AND FUTURE POSSIBILITIES

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Made Frida Yulia
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Extensive Reading ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Current Trends ◽  
Foreign Language Reading ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
L2 Learning ◽  
Language Exposure

Due to the minimum language exposure that EFL learners have, one recommended way to promote interest in foreign language reading is through Extensive Reading. This kind of reading has gained popularity over the years, ever since it was introduced to the realm of foreign language learning. Extensive Reading has been shown to bring a lot of benefits for L2 learners in many respects, and, consequently, it has been implemented in a variety of contexts. This paper aims at revisiting Extensive Reading along with its pertaining principles. In addition, it attempts to scrutinize a number of recent studies conducted in the area of Extensive Reading to discover current trends and possible areas which are open for further exploration. 

scholarly journals Listening Skill Requires a Further Look into Second/Foreign Language Learning

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hossein Bozorgian
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Strongly Correlated ◽  
High Stakes ◽  
Reading And Writing ◽  
Listening Skill ◽  
Reading History

Current English-as-a-second and foreign-language (ESL/EFL) research has encouraged to treat each communicative macroskill separately due to space constraint, but the interrelationship among these skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) is not paid due attention. This study attempts to examine first the existing relationship among the four dominant skills, second the potential impact of reading background on the overall language proficiency, and finally the relationship between listening and overall language proficiency as listening is considered an overlooked/passive skill in the pedagogy of the second/foreign language classroom. However, the literature in language learning has revealed that listening skill has salient importance in both first and second language learning. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of each of four skills in EFL learning and their existing interrelationships in an EFL setting. The outcome of 701 Iranian applicants undertaking International English Language Testing System (IELTS) in Tehran demonstrates that all communicative macroskills have varied correlations from moderate (reading and writing) to high (listening and reading). The findings also show that the applicants’ reading history assisted them in better performing at high stakes tests, and what is more, listening skill was strongly correlated with the overall language proficiency.

scholarly journals Meningkatkan Keterampilan Berbicara Siswa dengan Media Gambar Seri

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 27
Author(s):  
Noni Risnawelli
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
Reading And Writing ◽  
Initial Observation ◽  
Speaking Skill ◽  
Classroom Action Research

<p>Result of initial observation at SDN 18 Batang Anai Kabupaten Padang Pariaman indicated that 1st grade students were afraid and shy to speak in front of class. It was caused the language learning only emphasized on reading and writing skills. Speaking skill was still not being a main focus. This is a classroom action research aimed to improve students’ speaking skill. Data were colected by using test and observation. In cycle I, percentage of students’ speaking skill mean score is 53,3%. In cycle II, percentage of students’ speaking skill mean score is 86%. Hence, learning with media of picture-series can improve students’ speaking skill. </p>

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