Extensive reading provides numerous benefits according to research. It allows students to become readers by reading large quantities of easy books that they select themselves. As students read more, they become better readers with improved vocabulary, listening, speaking and writing skills. Reading fluency increases as students practice reading texts they enjoy. Students also find reading to be an engaging experience that is informative rather than frustrating when they can choose their own reading materials.
1. Benefits of Extensive Reading
By Edna Orozco López and Miguel de la Ferrelle Ortiz
What is extensive reading?
According to Richard Day extensive reading means that students read many and
easy books for information and enjoyment. Students are encouraged to read by
selecting any book they want. If the selected books are very difficult to understand,
then they can stop reading and select other book.
We have read some articles regarding extensive reading and made a list of
benefits extensive reading can provide with.
1.-Students become readers (Richard Day)
Richard Day has mentioned that this is one of the main objectives of extensive
reading. Students become readers because they read large quantities. By reading
a lot of books students may realize that reading is actually very interesting.
2.-The more students read, the better readers they become (Richard Day)
Students become better readers…
3.-there is a greater motivation to learn a second language. (Richard Day)
As students read more and more, they may be interested in learning another
language in order to know about a foreign culture.
4. - Vocabulary is improved.(Richard Day)
Although extensive reading does not encourage reading texts with difficult words,
vocabulary of students is improved as they are exposed to more words, so they
learn and understand new words.
5.-Listening, speaking and writing are also improved (Richard Day)
6.-Reading fluency is increased. (Ono and Day)
Students practice and practice
7. - Students find out that reading is not frustrating or boring (Ono and Day)
This is the reason why extensive reading encourages students to select their own
reading material. It is commonly assumed that reading is boring, but when students
select the material reading, then they realize that reading is neither frustrating or
boring.
2. 8. - Students enjoy reading! (Ono and Day)
This is other of the most important benefits and it may be the main purpose of
extensive reading.
9. - Students get engaged with reading (Philip Prowse)
Students get engaged with reading when they start to enjoy reading.
10. - It is an important source of ideas and information (Dr. Viviene Yu)
By reading students can not only find information but ideas.
11. - Reading may be a vehicle for teaching language (Day and Bramford)
By reading students can find a variety of vocabulary and grammatical structures in
the language they are learning. Students can also learn cultural aspects.
12.- Owing to reading students may discover that reading is a personal
interaction with the text.
Reading does not only involve dealing with ideas and words, there is also an
interaction between the reader and the text.