Starting an Extensive Reading Program in Your ESL Classroom

Reading is one of the best ways for an English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) learner to improve his or her skills in English. Readers gain more than just new vocabulary. They learn how words are used by native speakers. Reading a novel can help students review previously learned grammatical structures and teach them to recognize rules being applied in a new way. Reading provides a way for students to practice and reinforce new material learned in the classroom, with the benefit of being portable for independent study.

A student's reading skills are often more advanced than their listening, speaking, or writing skills. Teachers can use this gap to their advantage by engaging students in extensive reading. An effective extensive reading program can develop a student's abilities and stimulate learners' interest in a variety of outside topics.

What is extensive reading? Also known as Free Voluntary Reading (FVR), extensive reading is the reading of materials, self-selected by students, at the student's pace, with little or no testing or evaluation to follow. Reading is done for pleasure without the added pressure of a comprehension test to follow. Students are also encouraged to read in greater volume. While the class may only cover a few pages of a textbook each week, the extensive reader may finish several chapters or even an entire short book.

A successful extensive reading program requires some initial work from the instructor. The first step is gathering appropriate materials to offer to students. Several ESL publishing companies offer sets of readers specially designed for extensive reading. These are often adaptations of classic stories and are collected by the vocabulary required to read. Some readers start with as few as 500 words, while more advanced readers require a vocabulary of several thousand. Some students may be ready for books that are not adapted.

Teachers may also choose materials other than books. A collection of old magazines with a variety of topics (such as Time or Reader's Digest) would be appropriate for intermediate to advanced students. The internet has an almost endless supply of reading material, though it may be necessary to limit the sources from which students may select their readings. Adult students especially enjoy reading articles on topics in their work field, or may enjoy the local newspaper. Remember that the articles need not be academic-students who choose People magazine over Newsweek will get just as much benefit from the exposure to new language. The important thing is that students are able to choose material that they enjoy and will actually read.

As you begin your extensive reading program, try to set aside some class time for students to read. Bring your own book or magazine and read along with them. Don't grade papers or plan for the next class. Provide a model for them by showing that you enjoy reading too. If possible, continue to allow students a few minutes a week to extensively read in class, and encourage them to read at home in their spare time.

Ideally, students extensively read without any pressure of testing afterward. But teachers may need to justify the class time spent on reading, or may just want to know whether students are making any progress in their reading. Opt for non-traditional forms of evaluation rather than tests over book content. One option is to have short book meetings with each student. Discuss what they liked or didn't like about the book. Students can also keep a book journal where their respond to what they read. If possible, have students post their responses for other students to read, or start a class book forum online. Students can also do brief book talks for the class to encourage other students to read their book. Have students keep a personal dictionary of new words and phrases that they learned from the book.

Extensive reading should be a fun and educational experience for students. Many students have never read an entire novel in any language, and the feeling they receive from completing their first English book is motivation enough to continue reading! Students also appreciate the ability to decide what they will read, and gain a sense of independence from getting to read at their own pace. The goal of a good extensive reading program is not just to improve a student's language ability, but also to foster good feelings toward reading in the future.