Standard Presentation (25-minute) Bringing Extensive Reading to Life in a University Professional Communication Course more

Sat, Sep 16, 16:35-17:00 Asia/Tokyo

Studies have shown Extensive Reading (ER) to be effective in not only building reading fluency but also vocabulary and grammatical awareness (Robb & Kano 2013; Waring & Takagi, 2003). However, while many Japanese universities include Extensive Reading (ER) in their English curriculum, it can be challenging to integrate into existing courses while also motivating students to read. This short talk reflects on running an ER program together with a professional communication course over five years for upper-beginner level (CEFR A2) Japanese university students. The talk will focus on how ER was integrated into the course including some of the more successful in-class and online components. It will cover specifics of using post-reading activities where students shared book recommendations through simple mini-poster presentations, speed-mingle activities and weekly ‘book-club’ discussions. Other ways ER was integrated into the course will also be outlined including types of readers used, monitoring progress, and grading.