<研究ノート>Why Extensive Reading should be Part of a School's Language Program

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to make a case for adding an extensive reading component to English language programs. It will first briefly review some of the extensive reading research that has been conducted in Japan and abroad before looking at some of the major concepts (language threshold, text coverage and frequency, simplified texts and graded readers, and meeting words and comprehensible input) that need to be understood to fully appreciate why extensive reading should be a part of a school's language curriculum. Finally, it will look at some of the common objections to extensive reading before outlining one way extensive reading could be worked into a reading program.