Learning advanced reading in English lessons

Orientation to Extensive Reading

Students, teachers and the administration need to be introduced to what you plan to do in class. If other teachers are to be involved they must be positive about the program. Having the administration of your school / class on board is also important. If books are needed they administration could help supply the need, and if this isn't possible investigating local libraries or literacy societies is always useful.

Find Learner Level

Choose a series of graded readers which will match all the levels in your class. Ensure enough interesting books match each level.

Teacher - Learner - Text Interaction

The teacher must be positive about books and their own experience with reading; books should be introduced to the learners and displayed attractively; learner choice should always be guided by level and learner interest.

Read in Class

The teacher models and reads with students in class. This time should be relaxing, and the focus is on reading (not vocabulary or answering questions about the book.)

Ensure Purpose

Is the reading time enjoyable? Are there other activities in class which promote reading i.e. having a `one book a week' goal, putting opinion slips in books for students to fill out, having linked discussion activities related to their reading material, announcing student voted book awards etc.

Support

In class introduce strategies which will help with their reading such as fluency and vocabulary techniques. A library orientation at the school or community library would be a valuable lesson and finally, ensuring that the students progress through the graded reader levels is always motivating.

Success, Confidence and Increased Proficiency

The result of a good implementation plan for extensive reading should be greater student autonomy. They should have the skills, knowledge and resources to strike out on their own.

It is important to be conscious of issues that may arise when implementing an extensive reading programm. While every context varies, the following are important considerations which are necessary for any teacher, or proponent of extensive reading, to be aware of.

1. Problem: Reading Books Is “Too Hard”

Firstly, teachers may avoid asking students to read books because the learner's vocabulary is low. This, however, leads to a vicious cycle whereby learners do not have enough vocabulary to read, but there is not enough reading in order for learners to learn more words. As a consequence, students rarely associate reading with an enjoyable activity. Reading is viewed as `too difficult', and texts they are given are often unimaginative and not conducive to enticing learners to read for pleasure (take a look at any low level course book and the reading passages there).

Solution

By using graded readers that have been chosen to match the reader's level, reading will no longer be viewed as a difficult task, and will help in building the reader's confidence. Graded come in multiple levels readers (Oxford and Cambridge have excellent choices and levels), with many different books at each level. This gives the students a lot of choice, and importantly, the ability to engage in English at the level perfect to them as individuals. The book can match the learner rather than the class, and for learners on either extreme of the reading ability in the class, this has got to be good news. Those who are bored with `easy' class material can stretch themselves, and those who struggle can finally read without relying exclusively on translations. The reading material should consist of 98% known vocabulary (Nation & Hu: 2000), and focus is on meaning rather than language. This means that only 2 out of 100 words should be unknown to the reader. More than that and the reading can become work and not pleasure.

2. Problem: Reading Is Not Valued

If reading is not valued in the learner's own culture, if they don't have they skills to read in their own language, or if they simply don't enjoy reading, then these are major problems which are going to effect the successful implementation of a reading programm.

Solution

Number one of Ray Williams (1986) `Top ten' principles for teaching reading is that “In the absence of interesting texts, very little is possible.” In saying that, just buying books is not enough either. The books should be attractive, interesting, within the learners capabilities, displayed prominently, and discussed. Some students, especially those who feel as though time spent on extensive reading is `doing nothing', will also need some outcome-based reasons for participating actively.

Reading at home with the learners' young children will help towards the estimated 1000 hours of tutoring that typical middle class (L1) families provide for their children before school even starts. (Adams; 1990, cited in Grabe: 1995) By being a confident parental reader, your children will find school easier

You can read and improve English anywhere and anytime. There is no dependence on having a fellow speaker, listener, or audience.

3. Problem: Time

The final issue I see as being a stumbling block to the implementation of extensive reading is that of time, or the illusion of time. By `illusion of time' I mean that I believe there is an assumption that learners can read at home, so it is unnecessary to take up classroom time with this type of activity. By prioritising time in the classroom, something that all teachers must do, it is likely that reading will be assigned as homework. This is not bad, but neither is it a good idea, especially in the initial stages of a reading programme. In order for students to value reading, and commit their personal time to reading, they must see that the teacher is willing to commit their class time to it. As Green (2005) noted upon analysing the Hong Kong Extensive Reading Scheme, reasons for unsuccessful implementation were:

Reading was simply not done in class

Reading was done, but there was no reading support in terms of help in choosing appropriate books, or conferencing.

There was no teacher model.

By being implemented from the `top down' (the administration wanted a reading program), teachers at the bottom were not committed to it.

The atmosphere was `austere' and violated the `reading for pleasure' principle.

Solution

Obviously, spending time in class, particularly when introducing extensive reading to the students, is important. Students will need assistance in deciding their initial reading level should graded readers be used, pre-reading discussion is very important (Tsang 1996), and linking other in class activities with reading such as pair, group or class discussions on books that have been read will all help increase the importance of reading in the eyes of the student. The idea that students will simply start taking books home to read, and actually read them without sufficient orientation to the objectives, is a hopeful but probably unrealistic, fallacy.

4. Ongoing Motivation

Some students will need a motivating goal beyond just `reading' and this can be difficult to balance with the idea that reading should be for pleasure. Some great ideas could be:

Put opinion slips in the back of a book. When students finish the book they can make a comment about whether they liked it or not, if they thought it was easy or hard, or if they want to read it again. Other students can check these opinion slips before they read and see if they agree or disagree.

Book awards can be held at the end of a school term and the students can vote on their favorite books. You can have best fiction, non-fiction, adventure categories to suit your readers.

After reading a book students can sit in pairs and talk about the stories. As an informal discussion, students can really enjoy this. If your students struggle to speak then begin with prompts on the board; My book was about / I really liked (disliked) it because / My favorite character was…

Having a goal number of books per week can be motivating for some students, though be careful not to make it a strenuous goal to reach. Remember that ultimate goal is to enjoy reading.

2.3 Selecting reading materials for high school pupils

Appropriate reading materials constitute an essential foundation of any ER program. Students need a large quantity of engaging, approachable, readily available materials if they are to read extensively. This section of the article discusses some points to consider regarding the type and quantity of ER materials. ER materials should most often be at students' independent reading level. Reading level can be divided into three categories: frustrational, instructional, and independent. Students find frustrational level materials too difficult to understand, even with assistance from teachers and other resources. Instructional level reading materials can be difficult for students, but can become comprehensible with significant assistance from teachers, peers, and other resources, such as online dictionaries. Normally, students find ER materials to be at the third reading level: their independent reading level. In other words, students can comprehend the materials with little or no outside assistance. Students make such materials comprehensible by using clues, such as contextual clues, and their knowledge of the content area. Furthermore, some language items need not be understood in order to comprehend and enjoy a reading text. Day and Bamford (1998) suggest that reading materials below students' independent level can also be suitable for ER.

Reasons for the potential suitability of such easier materials include:

a. Less challenging materials build students' confidence. Students reading in a new language may lack confidence.

b. When students understand the language of what they read, they can devote more cognitive resources to other activities, such as considering how ideas and information in the reading connect to their own lives.

c. Language challenge can be introduced to easier-to-read materials by adding additional activities.

For instance, during or after reading, students can take part in peer speaking activities in which they discuss ideas from the reading in groups of two to four. As stated above, an ER program needs materials at and perhaps below students' independent reading levels. This becomes complicated because in every class, even in programs that use streaming to group students according to language level, students in any one class will probably be reading at somewhat different levels, and students' levels are likely to rise as they read more. Thus, materials should be at a variety of reading levels, so that all students have materials at their independent reading level. Students may turn away from reading if the materials are too difficult. As a side point, when students are keen on a topic, an author, or a particular book, they will put in the effort necessary to comprehend materials above their independent reading level. For instance, students can bring instructional level materials down to their independent level by rereading or by consulting online dictionaries and peers. This leads to a second point about characteristics of ER materials: interest level.Students may hesitate to read unless they find materials that interest them. Two areas in which students' interests may diverge are topics and text types. As to topics, some students enjoy reading about our fellow animals, while others enjoy materials about food, fantasy, Facebook, or families. The list of interests is long and growing. In addition to topic, students also vary as to the types of text they prefer to read. For instance, some students prefer mysteries, while others are keen on adventure. Furthermore, students' interests can change. Indeed, one role for teachers and peers in an ER program involves introducing new topics and text types. Several means exist for teachers to learn what students want to read. First, teachers can observe what their students past and present read in various languages. Second, the International Reading Association's website offers lists of books popular among different age groups and their teachers (International Reading Association, 2014). However, books enjoyed by first language readers may be at the frustrational level of students of the same age reading in a second language. Third, teachers can consult librarians. Last but not least, teachers can collaborate with students to create, administer, and analyze a survey of reading interests. For an ER program to succeed, students need materials that they are capable of reading and want to read. Below are 16 ideas for finding such materials, in addition to the standard route of schools and other educational institutions purchasing the materials.

1. Online materials are becoming increasing available. These materials often come with audio accompaniment. Unfortunately, any list of sources of online materials quickly goes out of date. Consult colleagues, librarians, and students for the latest information. One source is Extensive Reading Central (n.d.). Of course, online resources require reliable hardware and internet connections.

2. Students can become keypals, i.e., internet friends, with students their age in other locations. These locations can be other classrooms, schools, cities, or even countries. Social networks offer a related source of reading materials. Of course, especially with younger students, care must be taken, as the internet can be a dangerous place.

3. Former students can donate materials that they no longer want.

4. Similarly, graduating students can donate books as farewell gifts to the school and as a way to leave a bit of themselves behind. They might also want to write a message to future readers of the books and include their name in the books they donate. For example, in their notes to future readers, graduating students could explain why the books meant something special to them when they were younger. 5. Teaching and administrative staff can contribute books. Maybe after a thorough spring cleaning, they have books that they no longer have space for. Some adults use the “Ten Year Rule,” i.e., if they have not read a book in ten years, it is time to pass it on to someone more likely to read it.

6. Students' family members may have reading materials to donate. As with any donation solicitation, it is important to specify the types of books requested; otherwise, many of the donated books will not be appropriate to your students.

7. Old magazines, yearbooks, etc. can also become ER materials. Anything that students might enjoy reading is fine.

8. Civic organizations, foundations, embassies and consulates, and companies are eager to help education, and almost everyone agrees that reading is fundamental to education.

9. Teachers can exchange ER materials with colleagues. After one class has read many of the books in one classroom's collection, why not exchange some of all the books with another class?

10. Subject files can be compiled with articles from newspapers and magazines. Such files allow students to pursue their interest in particular topics. Students can help find and bring in new articles for a particular file, and then can suggest new files on different topics.

11. Second-hand book shops and families' moving sales can be treasure troves of reading materials.

12. Students can swap books with each other. To facilitate the swap, they can draw numbers to decide who can choose which book or who swaps with who. If Student A receives a book that Student B wants, Student A can bring the book for the next swap session. After students read the book they received in the swap, they can give their reaction to the person with whom they swapped. Swapping can be a regular affair to encourage students to think ahead about which books they might want to swap with classmates. A good time for swapping is just before a school break, to help students gather reading materials to enjoy during the break.

13. Student writing, after it has been polished and suitably published, and teacher-written materials tailored especially for students offer rich veins of ER materials. 14. Libraries and bookstores. For instance, some public libraries periodically have book sales. What the public libraries in one town do is to invite teachers to shop one day before the sale is open to the general public. That way, teachers have the best choices in order to stock their class library. Bookstores often have special bargain sections with reduced-price books.

15. Some bookstores will give students a tour - highlighting areas of the store of specific interest to a particular class or to particular students - and a special discount after the tour. Some students, even older students, have never been to a bookstore, may not know how they are organized, and may not feel comfortable spending time reading and browsing.

16. On students' birthdays, students and their families can donate books to the class library. These can be a new or gently used, but they should be ones that students believe will be enjoyed by classmates. Students whose birthday falls on a date when school is not in session can donate on their “half birthday,” i.e., the day six months before their birthday.

Along the same lines, students or others can donate a book to honor:

a. a friend, relative, teacher (such as on the teacher's birthday or a holiday.

b. a favorite author's birthday, e.g., Roald Dahl. If students cannot afford to purchase even a used book for the class library, some options are:

- The students tell the teacher the title of a favorite book, and the teacher purchases it using money from special funds, such as a budget for purchasing books or money from the school's Parent Teacher Association.

- These students select from donated books, read a few, and then choose the one that will have their name on it.

The following questions and suggestions guide students to choose appropriate materials on their own well.

1. What types of books do you enjoy - fiction, non-fiction, comic books, encyclopedias, joke books? Look for that type of book.

2. What topics do you enjoy? Look for more books on those topics.

3. Who are your favourite authors? Can you find more books by them?

4. What is a tv show, video game, or movie that you enjoy? Can you find books that are connected to them?

5. Does the book have pictures, drawings, and other visuals? Do they help you understand and enjoy the book? Are you comfortable reading a book that does not have many visuals?

6. What length of book do you like to read?

7. What about the size of the print? Is it too big, too small, or just nice?

8. What books do your friends and other classmates enjoy?

9. What books do older students and adults say that they enjoyed when they were your age?

10. If you have already read a book, would you enjoy reading it again? Sometimes, you can enjoy a book just as much or even more the second or third time you read it.

11. Spend about five minutes reading a book before you decide to choose it. Is the book interesting? Is it understandable?

12. Try the “Five Finger Test.” Open the book to any page and start reading. Every time you meet a word or term that you do not know, put a finger on that word. If you run out of fingers on one hand before you finish the page, the book may be too difficult for you to enjoy. To say the same thing another way, if there are five or more unknown words on a page, you may want to wait a few months before you read that book.

13. It is okay to change your mind. Maybe after you have read a book for a while, you will change your mind about it. Maybe when you are choosing books, you think you like a particular book, but after reading it some more, you change your mind. That is okay. Stop reading that book and start reading another. Therefore, choose more than one book. Then, if you decide that you do not like a book you chose, you have other books to read.

Outcomes of the second chapter

First chapter mentions about the role of extensive reading in class, while this chapter shows the role of teacher in extensive reading . Many researchers stated that role of teacher model in extensive reading is essential . Because students tend to imitate their parents and teachers. And this factor can effectively helps to input extensive reading in classes. It means in order to make students read for pleasure teachers should start it first, they should choose a book which is suitable for their level and start to read it. On each lesson they can bring that book and retell them interesting points of book. Every time they can mention that, this book is really improving their comprehension as it is written in very simple language which even does not demand usage of dictionaries. This arguments can catch students' attention and make them to read that book.

Some possible techniques for implementing extensive reading during classes were given in second chapter . It also provided information about problems which don't allow teachers to use extensive reading during their class and possible solutions for each of them. Problems like time, less motivated students or books which are difficult to read for students, can be solved by teachers' professionalism.

The last point discusses some points to consider regarding the type and quantity of extensive reading materials. This materials should most often be at students' independent reading level. It means it is better to let them to choose their books on their own but if they can't choose them or are confused among books teachers can help them to make a decision. In order to help them teachers may ask some questions about their favorite genre, their favorite author or their favorite movie or cartoon as they may have written version also like comics, we can ask them what kind of length of book do they like as most of them find it difficult or boring if it is too long and don't finish their books. Some students tend to imitate others in this situation it is better to ask them what kind of books do their friends or relatives read ? If they found that book interesting they may also read it.



CHAPTER 3. USING EXTENSIVE READING IN PRIOR CLASSES

3.1 Tips and activities for developing extensive reading among students

In order to ensure that the extensive reading process remains fun, here are some activities. Teachers can use these with single learners, or with a class full of students (so long as everyone is reading the same book)!

Activities before reading

Contrary to popular belief, we can judge a book by its cover (well, at the very least, we can make a guess as to its contents). We should ask our learners to describe what they think the book is about, based on the cover. Then, make them vote on what they think is the most likely story they'll read inside. Based on the winning story, divide the class into groups and ask them to come up with an ending. Ask them to present to the rest of the class.

We can also give our students information on a particular character. Ask them to walk around the classroom and talk about their character to the other learners. Encourage our students to add some strange information - the stranger the better - to their character descriptions. Then, get them to write down everything that they have learnt from each other. Finally, get them to vote on what they think to be true or false. Whilst reading the book, get them to check for the truth.

Put many titles on a desk and they discuss which covers are best.

They look at many covers and blurbs and then are tested on what they remember (Which story will probably have a ghost? Which story is about a ship?)

Have a `Book Hunt”, Make a quiz with questions they answer by finding the book. Which book has 5 stories? Which book is s love story with Maria and Felix? Which book did David Andrews write?

Copy several illustrations form books, ask the students which book they come from and why.

Predict the story from the title and cover, art work. Predict when , where it takes lace, the characters etc.

Look at the cover and blurb, then make questions about the story before reading. They read and find the answers to their questions.

Predict the story by looking only a chapter headings

If the book is a movie or classical story, show a trailer for the movie.

For famous stories ask students what they already know about the book, author, plot etc. e.g. Romeo and Juliet, Jane Eyre, Shakespeare, The Jungle Book, Charles Dickens.

Before-reading activities help the students to become familiar with the vocabulary they will meet in the reader. This can be done as a class or by asking students to familiarize themselves with this vocabulary before they read the book. Here is an example of activities from

Prediction activities help build and reinforce background knowledge which is a vital part of the comprehension of a text. Students can predict what's going to happen in the story using some simple activities.

Use the book title or cover to guess about the story.

Use the short summary on the back of a reader to guess what the story is about.

Ask learners to make a list of vocabulary they expect in that story. If they find them they check them off.

Teacher puts key words on the board and learners try and guess what the story is about.

Ask them to predict the story from the chapter headings (if there are any).

Learners make true/false predictions about the story. The students then read and check.

Activities whilst reading

Once learners have started the book and have some idea of the plot and who the characters are, they can use this knowledge to their advantage. Provide learners with a list of personality traits for each horoscope sign and ask them to attribute a sign to each character and to justify their answers. They can work in groups or discuss ideas as a class. We could even create a quiz called “Who?”. The learners must decide which character would behave in a certain way or say a particular sentence. For higher level classes, learners can create their own quizzes.

We could also ask learners to create alternative endings to chapters that they have read. Get them to present this to the class. Ideas can be serious, weird or comical - it's their ending and their choice! There are no right or wrong answers.

We can integrate extensive reading with extensive listening also.

Make notes on the main characters' personality and actions as they read for later analysis

If they are listening to a story, stop them at key moments and they imagine what sounds the characters can hear, and what they may see and smell

Make comprehension questions at different cognitive levels

Literal - Who fell off the cliff? What time did John arrive?

Logical inference - Who is he waiting for? Why doesn't he take the bus? Who probably feels tired?

Opinion - Is he doing the right thing? Would you have done that if you were her?

Lead to personal experience - How do you travel to work? Have you been to this place?

Stop and write questions a detective / reporter / a character may want to ask. Read on to find out.

Have students read the same book with different tasks. - word and phrase hunter , character recorder, plot keeper, culture finder. After reading, they share and compare.

After reading a chapter the teacher makes some true/false questions. The team with the most correct answers wins.

Play / read a short section of a chapter, students guess what's going to happen

Pick out key sentences from the story. Who said it and why?

While-reading activities take place at any stage where the learner is still reading the book. These activities may be continuous activities, such as keeping a reading journal or predicting what comes in the next section of the reader

Students keep a log of the main characters and their relationships in a visual `web' diagram starting with the story title in the middle. As they read, they add the add descriptions of the characters, settings and events. Below is an example.

Two students each have a different story book, of approximately the same level. After reading the first chapter of their book, they relate the events to their partner. They then exchange books and the read the second chapter of their partner's book. They then relate the events in Chapter Two and exchange and repeat with Chapter Three and so on.

Learners keep a log of the plot as they are reading, for example, by summarizing each chapter in a single sentence after they read it, or keeping a note of the key events as they happen. However, because not all stories are linear (with flashbacks, and two or more things happening at the same time) this task can be challenging for lower level learners.

Learners record new words (or idioms and other expressions) they meet when reading (or after reading). The teacher can set them a goal (for example, 10 words or expressions per book) or let them decide as they read. However, just writing words down doesn't mean they have been learnt. Learners need to review them.

Activities after reading

Ask your learners to draw posters or cartoon strips of the story. They can either orally describe what is happening in their poster, or they can draw speech bubbles in their cartoon strip that show the characters speaking.

Mini plays are also useful for checking how much a learner has understood of the story. Divide the class into groups and ask each group to act out a chapter. Allocate the task in front of the other groups, and don't give any advance warning (this will help us to see who has fully understood the contents of the graded reader).

Lastly, we can make flashcards with the titles of each chapter, or with a sentence describing the main idea in a chapter. Get our learners to put them into the correct order. Encourage our learners to swap their flashcards with each other.

Discuss if the title, art work and cover match the story

They retell the story as a chain. Student 1 says the first event in one sentence, the second the next and so on.

Write an ordered summary of the story in one line sentences. Cut it up and students re-order it.

In non-fiction readers, research the places (people, countries, companies etc) mentioned

Write a review and post it on the web

After reading a book, they watch the movie (if available). They discuss the differences.

Photocopy the art or chapter titles from the book, they put it in order or use them to re-tell the story using them

Give a list of adjectives describing characters from the book (daring, stubborn), the decide who it is

Predict what happens after the end of the story, or write a synopsis of the sequel

Play `who am I?' as students guess who others are talking about. This could be yes / no questions only.

Students pretend to be a character and are interviewed afterwards - especially good with crime stories.

The make a time-line of events - useful for stories with flashbacks

Transfer information from the text to a map, chart or table (useful for non-fiction work)

Re-write / re-tell part (or all) of the story from a different character's perspective.

Analyze each key moment and decide if you would have done that in the same situation.

Students find their favorite picture / scene / chapter and tell others about it.

Students write a letter to one of the characters in the story

Make a profile of the characters - their habits, hobbies, what they eat, their work, clothes etc.

Students research something form the book - Christmas, a festival etc.

Musical chairs. Students sit in a circle facing the middle. One person stands in the middle and asks question such as If you know the main character's name, change chairs Students race to the empty chairs. The one left standing makes the next question. E.g. If you read book xyz, change chairs.

Learners re-read the book, then listen to it (or watch the video), or vice versa. Here are some suggestions for some activities.

Re-read the book looking for things such as `cultural information'; `good ideas'; `examples of being a good person', and others.

Re-read the book to look for specific language, such as emotions, nouns, verbs, and so on.

Build reading speed by re-reading a section of the book, then re-reading it again 2-3 times.

write a short dialog or perform a skit or role-play based on one section of the book. They could also write a radio drama based on the story.

1. Book reports

Book reports should be short. This booklet contains two examples. The book report form on page ?? is for lower level learners. The one on page ?? is for learners at a higher level. Learners can also record their book reports and thoughts in a reading journal.

Here are some other ideas on how learners can report on a book they have read.

Spoken reports. Learners can take turns giving a spoken report to the class. Beginners can first write a short report and read it aloud. If learners need structure in their spoken reports, they can use a photocopiable Book Discussion Sheet on page

4-3-2 reports. Students prepare a four minute report on a book for homework and give the report in class to a partner. The student then gives the same report in three minutes to a different student, and then in two minutes to a third student.

`The book and me' reports. Learners write how a book is relevant to their lives, how they identify with the characters, and whether the book taught them anything.

Poster reports. Learners create posters about a book, which are displayed on the walls around the classroom for others to see and ask questions about.

Here are some activities which will be done through all skills.

Reading

Use the graded readers as free enjoyable reading / listening with no tests and follow-up language work or reports

Read stories aloud to students (either as they read) or as a listening task. Especially good for younger learners.

`Buddy reading'. 2 students select the same book and exchange impressions.

Building reading fluency

Try re-reading 10% faster.

Read against the clock.

Race read your partner to a certain part of the book (make sure they understand it)

Read for 10 minutes, then re-read the same section and try to go 20% further

Record your feelings of the book as you read and re-read the same story to see if your feelings are different

Listening

Use the CD with graded readers as Extensive Listening (listen 2 levels lower than their reading level)

They listen to one chapter of a story each week. Followed by discussion, comprehension and prediction activities.

Listen and repeat (shadowing). Gradually increase the speed if possible.

Study the intonation and pronunciation on the CD especially spoken dialogs and plays.

Stop at a key moment in the story and the students predict what will happen next.

Have students listen globally first (overall understanding), then re-listen for local (detailed) information.

One student listens to the story, the other reads it. Compare understanding.

Teacher reads part of the text aloud while making mistakes, students listen for errors.

Speaking

Students read the same book and discuss the plot / their feelings, their favorite character / scene etc.

They make a role-play of a section from the book taking on their character and tone. Use their words or ones from the book. Enact in front of the class.

Students enact a scene relating the same emotion of the characters (for fun, emotional scenes can be done in a different tone - e.g a romantic moment in an exciting tone, a sad moment in a happy one.)

10 questions. If students have read the same book then one student thinks of a character or place, the other guesses using yes/no questions only. Are you old? Do you have a sister? They have only 10 guesses.

Discuss what would be good gifts, punishments, cars, food etc for the characters.

Writing

Re-tell the story in their own words. This is writing practice becoming speaking and listening practice. Listeners think of 2 questions as they listen

Write a different ending to the story

Re-tell the story as if it were a character's diary

They can make a short poem about the story, or from one character to another (good for romances)

They make a map of the places in the story and follow the route

Analyze the characters based on their actions, words and so on. Who do they know is similar to them?

Write part of the story as a screenplay

Make a questionnaire based on a class reader

Write a report on places in the story (or the life of the author of a classic story)

Compare the original story with the graded reader

Compare how the same book from different publishers is different or similar.

Make a class quiz about `who said what?' or other aspects of the story.

Write an imaginary day with one of the characters.

Write a letter / email to one of the characters

Write to the publisher / author telling them what you think of the book

Write a character review of their strengths and weaknesses, habits, background etc.

When students are ready to start extensive reading program, here are some activities which can be useful to make the process more interesting and effective.

As we all know, while a few students are always enthusiastic about reading, most are reluctant to do it regularly.

While there were ideas that worked outside the classroom, what has been most successful is incorporating the reading into the course content. In other words, connecting the out-of-class reading as much as possible with in-class activities. With these activities, here are some simple activities were the most successful. After all, extensive reading is about enjoying the books, not remembering all the details. Find below a brief summary of some more successful ideas. As for the classroom activities, as always, the ones that were the most student-centered and interactive were the most successful. Hopefully, as teachers will find them useful, or they will at least promote some discussion on the topic.

1. Mingle activities recommending books

These are in-class speaking activities where students repeat 5min interviews exchanging information with different students on a book they liked. Before doing the interviews, students prepare a few basic points about their book (eg. title, level, why they liked it). During the interviews, students are also asked to complete a simple check sheet about the students they interview (see Fig.1 below). After a number of interviews have been completed, students report to a partner about the most interesting books they found out about. They can also rate their books with scores out of five which can later be tallied to give a class top 10 recommended book list.

Figure 1 A book I recommend

2. Mini-poster presentations

These are project-type activities where students prepare and deliver simple 3min poster-presentations on a book they read. During the presentations, students move around other students, and in pairs, take turns presenting and listening to other presentations. They are also asked to make brief notes on selected information they get from other student's talks. Presentation content focuses on student's general opinions of their books (rather than specific plot details etc.) including a giving a book rating. Posters are also kept simple, with photos of the book cover in the middle surrounded by 3-4 other bullet points, for example, level, number of words, genre (see Fig.2 below). Having the students print out their posters in a smaller A4 size lets them hold the poster in one hand while presenting.



Figure 2 Mini posters

3. Assign reading questions the week before

Give students a single question about a book they are to read for homework each week. They then come prepared to talk about their answer for 5min with a partner in the next lesson. The question should a general one and not too specific eg. Who was your favorite character in the book? Or, what did you like about the book? Or, were you surprised by the ending? The questions can be the same every week. With this, the students don't have to be reading the same book, but if you can assign the same book to everyone (ie. you're using an online reading platform), then the questions can lead to more in-depth group discussions.

4. Recognize top readers

While it's important to be reminding the less motivated students to read more, don't forget to also recognize the students who are reading a lot. One way is to send out a group email to the students every month announcing the top ten ranked readers for that month (ie. the ten students who read the most words). Not only can this promote friendly competition between students (or even classes), but seeing students get recognition can also have a positive effect on the less motivated readers. To be on the safe side, it's a good idea to get the student's approval to send out these mails at the beginning of the course.

5. Have students choose their books in class

Use the final 10min of class to have students choose the next book they will read for homework. Not only does this give students a clearer goal for their weekly reading, it also lets the teacher give advice on selecting levels and books. It is especially useful at the beginning of a course where students are unsure about the concept of extensive reading and how to choose books (or in the case of using an online platform, how register and use the system etc.). For print-book readers, this could be where you give all the students a tour of the school reader library. It's also good to have students choose their books before a long break between classes eg. choosing 4-5 books to read over summer.

6. Do short in-class reading sessions

This is similar to the point above. Have students actually do 10min of their reading in the final 10min of class. This can give them a taste of the reading they'll be doing for homework. Also, seeing other students doing the reading can have a positive effect on the less motivated students. The teacher can also be available for advice and support if needed (eg. helping to change books if they're too difficult).

7. Mini-book reviews

Have students write short book reviews on a book they read. As with the mini-posters above, the review content needs to be simple and limited to general opinions about the book. After writing their reviews, students leave them on their desks and move around the other desks to read other student's reviews. As with mini-posters above, students make brief notes on selected information they get from other student's reviews (see fig 3 below).



Figure 3

8. Regular words-read deadlines

Making the reading a small part of the course grade is always a good way to get students reading more. But, rather than having one reading deadline at the end of the course, divide their reading into a number of shorter deadlines. Not only will this likely get them to reading more regularly, it will reduce last minute `cram reading' at the end of the course when books are likely less available.

9. Hand-made reading monitoring sheets

Have students monitor and log their own weekly reading progress. Sometimes having them track their own reading data can be motivation in itself. Even if an online platform can tally all their data, it's also good to have them physically log and tally it on a weekly basis. At the beginning of the course, give students log sheets that let them progressively tally their reading totals and make graphs of their progress (see Fig.4 below). Students submit the completed sheets at the end of the course.



Figure 4 weekly reading

10. Book recommendations from the teacher

Make an effort to read some of the books in your library. Always be on the look out for ones your students might be interested in. Make a habit of making recommendations to the students either in class or by email. Telling them why you liked the book can be also be good motivation. Maybe you can also recommend books more relevant to your course content (eg. travel, business related topics, or non-fiction). Maybe you notice many students trying to read books that are too difficult, then recommend more level-appropriate books.



3.2 The results of the experimental study

Experimental study was held at school № 7 with students of 8 B and 8 A class. During the experiment special attention was paid to those students who were inactive during the lesson and students who are eager but afraid of speaking in English, or have some difficulties in writing because of weak vocabulary, in both classes. With 8 A class lesson conducted as it was written in curriculum, which means students worked with their student book and did exercises. Students of this group seemed to loose their interest towards subject as it was always same structure on each lesson. As style of teaching was not changed, their knowledge and academic performance remained steady. Students' academic performance is illustrated in figure 5 and figure 5.1 below.

Figure 5 A.P of 8 A



figure 5.1 A.P of 8A

figure 6 A.P of 8 B in the beginning of the year



figure 6.1. A.P of 8 B in the end of the year

As we can see active students stayed active during a month, and passive students also didn't make any progress as well When it comes to class 8 B, we managed to see progress in their academic performance (figure 6 and 6.1). That group was very weak and unwilling to study in the beginning, and the reason of that was their knowledge. They were one of the laziest students of school who didn't want to learn new vocabularies and do homework as well.

Pictures above clearly shows some students' progress as in the beginning they had only low marks but after our experiment they became more active, and started to get less red marks than before.

For extensive reading program I chose the book myself, as students hadn't read any kind of literature before and they had no idea about best or interesting book. First, I gave them small texts on interesting topics with vocabulary and comprehension exercises. But this method didn't give me expected results as some students didn't want to learn new words from texts, furthermore, each time I gave them different topics, which means task was only one-time task which let students to be irresponsible and skip the extensive reading part of their homework. Afterwards I changed my approach and decided to give them one whole book but by two chapters for each lesson. We chose the book Meet me in Istanbul

By Richard Chisholm. I chose that book because it was suitable for their level and words which are unfamiliar for students were explained in other sentences or illustrated on pictures of the book. Their tasks were to read the chapter and rewrite it with their own words, this task showed me whether students worked with vocabulary or not, because there they should have used synonyms of unknown words which they met in a story, in addition they were allowed to add their feeling and suggestions for particular situation in the story, by these I could see how students could comprehend the story. And then we tried to discuss about that story in a class which helped to improve their speaking . At the end students made mini-book review and mini poster where they shared their thoughts about book.

As a result, after my experiment I came to conclusion that extensive reading has a great effect on students. ER not only helps students to improve their skills but also it motivates them to learn English language they face self-motivation when they understand the story easily. Figure 7 below demonstrates students' progress during the experiment.

Figure 7 results of experimental study

As we can see in diagram. Students of 8 A class was active enough during the lesson when we checked their previous knowledge on vocabulary almost 75% of students could translate and give definition for each word, that's the reason of why they got 3,5 out of 5. But sometimes they found difficult to get the meaning of small texts in their book, they couldn't paraphrase or give their opinion for the statements. For this reason the class was marked with 2,5 out of 5. When we told them to write an essay on lessons topic they tried to use new words and grammar structure but mostly relied on their basic knowledge for this category they got 3,5 out of 5.

When it comes to 8 B class, their mark for vocabulary test was only 2 as only 23% of students could find the words translation or meaning and could use them on their sentences. Obviously, without vocabulary resource they could not catch the meaning of texts that is why they got less than 2 from comprehension. Third category was writing which was aimed to estimate students both vocabulary and grammar knowledge. However, only 24% of students could give good results from this category and we gave them 2,5 out of 5.

After extensive reading program we tested those students again. Results were better than expected, as we saw, after 4th chapter students started to remember new words easily and use them in their speech, even they could guess the word from their definitions. Their vocabulary resource noticeably expanded. In the second assignment and they got 4,5 out of 5. They started to understand the texts without translating them and could give their own opinions and suggestion for situations in the stories. For comprehension they got 4,4. The least change was in students' writing, they tried to use new words but sometimes usage of words was inappropriate, moreover they still relied on their basic knowledge of grammar. That's why they could get only 4.

Outcomes of the third chapter

In the last chapter I mentioned activities for making extensive reading process more interesting during classes.

In order to correctly organize the process we will need to make a plan of tasks.

That's why activities before, while and after reading are included in chapter.

We need before reading activities for encouraging students to choose and read that book, to help students to dive into book.

Размещено на Allbest.ru

...