What is Extensive Reading & Why is it Important?

• Extensive Reading (ER) means easy reading in English for pleasure. It is a well-established technique used by teachers for speakers whose first language is not English, to improve language acquisition.

• Research over the past 30 years shows a strong link between ER and increased reading fluency, learner autonomy, and heightened wellbeing .

• However, uptake of ER by HE institutions in the UK is scarce despite successful global implementation in New Zealand , America , Japan , Kuwait , Iran , and Thailand , for example.

• Therefore, the aim of this project sought to offer six weeks’ provision of a safe and comfortable space to read in English for pleasure for international learners.

• It was hoped that the more fluent a learner is in reading in English for pleasure, the easier it is to read academic texts which would in turn positively impact assessment process and results in the long term, and foster a love of reading, and improve skill acquisition, reading speed, comprehension and wellbeing of learners involved in the short term.

Methods

• An initial session introduced the benefits of ER.

• A short diagnostic Cambridge reading test gave participants a reading level.

• Six 2-hour ER sessions were held in Learning Suite 2 in the Library.

• Day & Bamford’s (2002) Top Ten Principles for Teaching Extensive Reading framed the sessions.

• Learners chose books that appealed from graded reader section in library (books made easier to read), classmark 428.6 LAN.

• Learners also read online via Xreading platform which provides hundreds of online graded readers that learners can read on their device.

• Xreading also offered speed reading passages, measured reading speeds, number of books, and words read for each learner. Quizzes were also taken on the platform after each book was read to ensure comprehension.

• Vlogs after each session captured participant and researcher’s personal experience.

• Pre and post project questionnaires documented perceptions of reading for pleasure, academic reading, and impact of ER on reading speed, wellbeing, and assessments.

Results

• 100% of participants reported improved reading skills and wellbeing.

• 100% believed ER will improve their academic success.

• 100% increased reading speeds.

• 13.6% increase in words read per minute (wpm) on average.

• 6% increase in learners’ comprehension on average according to quiz results.

• 163 texts (online and printed) were read by 5 participants.

• 29 learners expressed an interest; 5 learners attended between five and seven sessions; 1 UG: Civil Engineering; 3 PG SBS; 1 PG Health & Society.

Impact

In the post study questionnaire, sentence starters were used with instructions to finish them:

A book can…

• ‘ help you relax’.

• ‘be a friend who makes me happy and gives some advice’.

• ‘make you forget about your mobile device, it can make you imagine and offer you knowledge’.

• ‘show a better way for thinking, acting and also living to all people’.

• ‘develop my abilities and skills’.

Reading for pleasure can…

• ‘improve your comprehension and concentration’

• ‘ make good feel if we know we have no friend in this world except book’

• ‘improve well-being, foster creativity, enhance imagination, and make me happy without needing any specific situation’

• ‘be a great everyday habit that can develop your thinking, can make you relax from a very busy day and improve your read speeding’

‘impact my wellbeing’

Recommendations

• Develop and embed ER activities including a UoS co-created ER app with students and staff to include graded readers to read and listen to.

• Include audio versions of graded readers on ER app for learners with additional needs and disabilities and those whose preference is to listen with ‘read along’ function.

• Raise awareness of benefits of ER to students and staff by embedding and promoting ER activities into curriculum across schools – liaise with Programme Leaders, Library, Academic support (UG and PG) and Salford Languages.

• Create Academic Reading sessions which build on reading for pleasure activities.

Conclusion

The results and impact form this brief, low-cost intervention reveal that the potential for learner benefits of ER is huge, if barriers are overcome, namely resistance from institutions to offer the technique and uptake of learners. Fluency, reading speed, comprehension, skill acquisition and wellbeing can all increase when this relatively straightforward intervention is offered. Awareness of, and accessibility to, ER is paramount to engagement and an ER app could help facilitate this.

References

Chaluaisaeng, B. (2015) ‘Promoting English reading ability through the therapeutic benefits of extensive reading’, ASEAN Journal of Education , 1(1), pp. 175–186.

Day, R. & Bamford, J. (2002) ‘Top ten principles for teaching extensive reading’, Reading in a Foreign Language , 14(2), pp. 136–141. http://hdl.handle.net/10125/66761

Erguvan, D. (2016) ‘Students’ attitudes towards extensive and intensive reading and instructors’ motivational strategies’, Arab World English Journal , 7(2). https://doi.org/10.24093/awej/vol7no2.9

Macalister, J. (2008) ‘Implementing extensive reading in an EAP programme’, ELT Journal , 62(3), pp. 248–256. https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/ccm021

Nakahishi, T. & Ueda, A. (2011) ‘Extensive reading and the effect of shadowing’, Reading in a Foreign Language , 23(1), pp. 1–16.

Park, J. (2016) ‘Integrating reading and writing through extensive reading’, ELT Journal , 70(3), pp. 287–295. https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/ccv049

Rezaee, M., Farahian, M. & Mansooji, H. (2021) ‘Promoting university students’ receptive skills through extensive reading in multimedia-based instruction’, Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education , 13(5), pp. 1464–1489.

Ro, E. (2016) ‘Exploring teachers’ practices and students’ perceptions of the extensive reading approach in EAP reading classes’, Journal of English for Academic Purposes , 22, pp. 132–141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2016.01.006

Watkins, P. (2018) Extensive reading in ELT: Why and how? Cambridge Papers in ELT. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Available at: https://www.cambridge.org/ca/files/5615/7488/6504/CambridgePapersinELT_ExtensiveReading_2017_ONLINE.pdf (Accessed: 10 July 2025).

Zhou, J. & Day, R.R. (2021) ‘Online extensive reading in EAP courses’, Reading in a Foreign Language , 33(1), pp. 103–125. http://hdl.handle.net/10125/67395

Image generated by AI using Microsoft Copilot, prompted by Donna Cottrell.

Disclosure statement: All materials included in the poster represent my own work, any ideas that are not our own have been referenced. The work has not previously been published and is not being considered elsewhere. There are no conflicts of interest that have influenced these findings.