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Extensive Reading in Korea: 10 Years Going From Strength to Strength
Dr. Rob Waringwww.robwaring.org/presentations
Recent history
Traditionally ER not practiced in Korean EFLStrong adherence to the traditional Confucian role of the teacherStudents are taught to overanalyze texts and read only a few
lines each lessonFocus on intensive difficult texts as exam preparation
A few isolated schools (mostly small scale focusing on kids with L1 materials) started ER a few years back
Opinion articles are coming out almost weeklyKorea Association of English Reading Education in 2008
Increase in awareness
Increased awareness among educators but ER has not really filtered into schools, especially High Schools (Hye 2009)
However, intrinsic motivation of English is low amid intense stress and competition.
There are several sources of this raising of awareness
Changes in publishing in Korea!0 years ago Nowadays
Almost no home-grown graded readers
All major Korean publisher have or are making series
Most ER materials were imports Most K publishers have 1-2 series
Some foreign publishers didn't bring their readers to display!
Everyone has them now
No ER Guides or dedicated Readers brochures
Many 'Readers' brochures
Only shelf-space at major bookstores
Some stores have ER displays
No readers in publisher's bags A few, brochureMany sales staff didn't even know what ER was
Sadly still too many don't, or don't understand it
KOTESOL SIG
Started in 2007 by Scott Miles and Aaron JollyRegular ER meetings at Chapters around KoreaHold an annual Colloquium (this afternoon 3:30 to 5:20 in C601)An affiliate of the Extensive Reading Foundationhttp://koreatesol.org/content/extensive-reading-0
The Korean English Extensive Reading Association
Started at KOTESOL October 2010Website www.keera.or.krWill host the Second World Congress on Extensive Reading, Sept 2013Published a Guide to Extensive Reading Supported (but not funded by publishers)KEERA Graded Reader review competitionYahoogroups discussion listFacebook page
Extensive Reading Foundation and KEERA Second
World Congress in Extensive Reading
Recent ER research in Korea
Kweon, Kim (2008) found that 12 Korean learners gained in vocabulary after ER and retained most of their gains over time
Jeon (2008) -> 17 Korean Airforce subjects who did ER showed an increase in interest in ER, and growth in reading confidence over 22 controls who didn't. Suggested formal evaluation was important.
Cha (2009) compared 10 Ss with ER and 10 without. ER group improved significantly in speed and attitude, but not vocab. Reaffirmed reading at the right level and the need for explicit and incidental vocab instruction
Recent ER papers in Korea II
Hye (2009) suggests ER be strongly integrated into the curriculum to complement IR and provide the missing massive language input
Yang (2010) showed improvements in grammar, vocab, reading speed and attitude for 3 groups doing ER (120 Korean subjects)
O (2011) showed ER was helpful for developing reading skills and ER can be implemented in formal Korean settings
What actually is Extensive Reading?
Read at +1 (or i-minus 1) ?Reading short texts to discuss?Read only for pleasure?Start with simple stories?Reading followed by comprehension questions?Speed reading?Pleasure reading only?Reading L1 materials??????
Day and Bamford's 10 “necessary for success” principles of ER
1. The reading material is easy2. A variety of reading material on a wide range of topics3. Learners choose what they want to read4. Learners read as much as possible5. The purpose of reading is usually related to pleasure,
information and general understanding6. Reading is its own reward7. Reading speed is usually faster rather than slower8. Reading is individual and silent9. Teachers orient and guide their students10. The teacher is a role model of a reader.
What about …..?
Assessment and evaluationBuddy readingReading while listeningFollow-up exercisesReading speed focusLimited timeLimited resourcesLow motivationNecessity to read things you
don't want to
The teacher doesn't read muchAsian values and normsTeacher selected materialsDesire to read something
difficultDesire for having one's
performance monitoredDesire to share their readingExtensive listeningReading Circles?
A uni-dimensional 'necessity for success' view of ER
From Day and Bamford's viewpoint to be doing ER, students must:
… choose their own texts… read for pleasure not as part of a course… read without assessment… experience ER as a solo activity
Graded vs Extensive reading
Graded Reading Extensive Reading
Material at one's level Yes Yes
Comprehensible Yes Yes
Read a lot Yes Yes
Read quickly Yes Yes
Enjoyable Preferable Preferable
Easy Yes Yes
Simplified materials Yes Not essential if high level
'Big Tent ' ER
We need to accept that many Asian students are not brought up to be responsible for their learning
Encouragement to self-directed learning are often ignored in favour of clubs, social life, part-time jobs or pleasure time.
Students can't start with a home-run book, therefore we have to require reading so they can find it.
Finding an hour of pleasure reading is hard for many studentsMassive choice can overwhelmClass reading is a valid form of ERER is more than just graded readers
When reading extensively, students should READ
It is CRUCIAL that learners read at the RIGHT levelRead something quickly and
Enjoyably with
Adequate comprehension so they
Don’t need a dictionary
If they need a dictionary, it’s too hard and they will read slowly, get tired and stop
Their aim is fluency and speed, not learning new language
Typically students read at home or out of class- it doesn’t take much class time for HUGE benefits
We add the reading to our existing program, we don’t replace it.
Aspects of ER
The definition should considera) the process of reading at the right level
ER is a way of processing texts and isn’t just the reading of graded readers – magazines, emails, webpages all are part of ER if they are READ
b) the pedagogy of ER – the selection of materials, follow-up activities, library management
How do Intensive and Extensive Reading fit together?
SlowReading speed
High
Low % of known vocabulary100%
LowComprehension
High
90% 98%
ReadingPain
(too hard, poor comprehension,
high effort,de-motivating)
Intensive reading
(Instructional level, can learn new words and grammar)
Speed reading practice
(very fast, fluent, high
comprehension, natural reading,
enjoyable)
Extensive reading
(fast, fluent, adequate
comprehension, enjoyable)
ER Program types
Purist ER programLots of self-selected reading at home with no / little assessment
or follow up. Often is a stand-alone class.
Integrated ER programLots of self-selected reading at home and in class. Follow up
exercises / reports which aim to build the 4 skills.
Class reading - studyStudents read the same book and work through it slowly. Lots
of follow up / comprehension work and exercises.
ER as 'literature'Students read the same book and discuss it as if it were a work
of literature.
ER / EL program types overviewPurist ER Integrated ER Class Reading ER as literature
Style Individual Individual Lock-step Lock-stepAmount of reading
Lots Lots Little Little
Speed Fast Fast Slow SlowControl Student Student Teacher TeacherLanguage focus No No Yes NoFollow up assessment
Little Little Lots Lots
Materials Library Library Class sets Class setsSkill work Reading 3-4 skills 3-4 skills /
language1-3 skills
Class time needed
Little Little Lots Lots
ER program types - summary
Many different types of ER programDifferent aimsDifferent levels of involvement for teachers / studentsSome programs may adopt two or more types at the same timeSome programs can start more easily than othersEach type is scalable – from a single class to a whole schoolNo 'best' type for all programs
Moving forward – promoting ER
Several stages of adoption
No knowledge Lack of awareness of the need for ER
Initial resistance Have heard of ER, but resist claiming curriculum, time, resources, exams as excuses
Early adopters A few leading lights shine the way, others take notice
Initial acceptance Most educators have heard of it but still not doing it
Acceptance Most programs are doing ER
Integrated adoption National, State level programs built into curriculums
Moving forward – promoting ER
Meet the teachers and students where they areWe need to lessen their fear of change and newness
We can promote ER in several ways-peer experience-mathematically-emotionally-logically-with research data-showing how it fits
Korean EFL teachers' perspectives about their participation in an ER program
Byun (2010) Interviewed 100 Korean school teachers on their participation in an ER program (1000 graded readers).
a) teachers' attitude to ER changed after they tried it despite initial skepticism
b) teachers recommended gradual introduction of extra-curricular reading to supplement the test-focused Korean curriculum
c) Main problems to implementing ER include evaluation issues, motivating students, reluctant and struggling students and teachers' conflicting role in ER class
d) Teachers did not display foreign language anxiety either before or after the program
Ways to promote ER - MathematicalLearners need 8-9000 words to read native texts at 98%
coverage (i.e. with high levels of comprehension)Learners need about 2000 words to be intermediate levelIt takes 20-30 meetings with a word to learn it receptively (even
more for production)Graded readers recycle the vocabulary systematically by
frequency and usefulness to aid DEPTH of knowledge and allow learners to meet collocations, phrases and so on they won't meet in course books
Ways to promote ER - EmotionalReading makes you smart
learn about the human conditionlearn about other cultures / places / people etc.
Reading is enjoyableit enriches your life and can open worlds
Reading is good language practice it's the only realistic language skill most students may need
allows them to read web pages, magazines etc.
Ways to promote ER - LogicalCourse books only can introduce language elementsCourse books can't teach everything – too much to learn / doVocabulary selection in courses tends to be topical and not
systematically selectedCourse books are mostly linear in design Typically, course books repeat the average word only 2-3 times in
the whole seriesCourse books don't teach more than a few collocations, sentence
patterns and multi-word phrases
Promoting ER – the data
Furukawa (2009) 2 years of ER gives 2nd grade JH students an equivalent
reading level of 3rd grade HS students (even taking into account time on task and extra time studying English)
Mogi (2008) “from the view point of neuroscience, the best way to make
progress in learning English is … to read as many English sentences as possible.”
Promoting ER – Showing how ER fits
Course books and graded readers are two sides of the same coin – they help each other
Course books introduce languageGraded readers help deepen / strengthen this knowledge
Graded reading should be integrated into our courses. It should not be an option
Choose books at the right level for your students (so they can read fluently with high levels of understanding and without a dictionary)
Students need to learn to listen fluently too
Dealing with objections“The books are too easy and childish. They are not learning
anything.”-> easy is good - so they can build reading speed. Choose
books are at the student's fluent reading level-> Native materials are too hard, demotivating, inappropriate-> 'intermediate' learners can't read intermediate graded
readers“I'm not teaching so they aren't learning”
-> our job is not to 'teach' but to help people learn, build independence, reading speed, fluency etc. etc.
“I don't know how to do it, or where to get information”-> I'll help
Dealing with objections II“Nice idea but I have no time in my course”
-> If you don't have graded reading where will your students get the massive exposure they need?
-> How else will they get the 'sense of language' they need?“We don't have the money for this”
-> Ask your schools to reallocate funds so this reading is done; ask for donations; get some free samples etc.
“We have to go through our set curriculum”-> Speak with your course designers to build in graded reading.
Re-allocate resources and re-set class hours“We have to prepare the students for tests”
-> Research shows students perform better on tests if they have a general sense of language, not a deconstructed 'bitty' one.
Why do ER programs fail?ER is optional. If it's optional:
…students will opt out…the message is 'do the reading if you have time, it's not as
important as other things'…the administrators don't see it as valuable…it becomes a target to be cut out completely
Thus ER should be REQUIRED. Requiring ER means:…the teachers value this reading, so we want you to do it.…it's part of the full course work – and you'll be graded on it.…the students see it as 'natural' and 'normal' not an 'option'
Why do ER programs fail II?Curriculum changes
Change to 'test' / speaking / CLT ….. focusER enthusiast leaves the school
Inappropriate materials Reading is too difficultAge inappropriateBooks don't get replaced when lost
Starting badly Too fast, Too high, Too much to read too soonStudents don't understand why they need ER
Promoting / adopting ERWork within the system – don't expect miraclesUnderstand where teachers / institutions are coming from – find
out their aimsWhat is at stake for them / what would prevent them from
adopting ER? Solve those problems first.If they mistake the meaning of ER, then used the term 'graded
reading'
Introducing ER to newbiesDemonstrate with an intensive reading book to show the differences
between ER and IRLeave publisher catalogs and ER booklets with themOffer to speak to their staff and students – set up workshopsShow them what you do, your library, your methods etc.Be a contact point for their questionsDirect them to websites
http://www.er-central.comhttp://www.extensivereading.net http://www.robwaring.org/er/http://www.erfoundation.orghttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/ExtensiveReading/http://www.seg.co.jp/sss/ (Japanese and English)
Things to recommend to newbies
Start small – their own class and then expand laterGo slowly at first – new things take timeLook for potential problems when expanding and think what
they can do about them. Help them with ideasExperiment with different styles of ER to see what suits them
and their learnersSet aims for the students, the program and themselvesBe aware that things don't always go well – so they need your
supportWe should not give the impression ER should replace current
instruction, rather enhance it.
About…
Extensive Reading Central is:• a brand new website developed for the ER
community • completely free• still building the site, so bear with us as we
add content.
Site features• Hundreds of articles and links to info on ER• Blogs and comments• Online Discussions (coming soon) • Online Graded Text Editor• Information for researchers, authors• ER and EL Videos• Publisher's Corner• ER/EL Calendar • Student materials on the way
How can you help?
• Tell us about ER events• Share your resources and knowledge• Advise others about research• Get students to write book reviews• Start a section for your region • Tell us about your ER program• Join us on Facebook or Twitter• Post on the blogs or in chat rooms• Tell us about ER links and articles• Submit your handouts and worksheets• Translate pages into Korean
Thanks for your time
www.robwaring.org/presentations/