ABSTRACT

This chapter reviews the case for Extensive Reading (ER), acknowledging the challenges of utilizing it and suggests ways to overcome those challenges. Making appropriate resources available to students and teaching them how to select materials for their own reading is absolutely critical to the success of ER programs. The chapter provides tools and suggestions for appreciating “the power of reading” at work in their classrooms. For second language (L2) learners, ER can provide the quantity and exposure to the patterns of language that give native-speaking students such a head start. Ideas for intensive reading instruction abound, but teachers and students may find it hard to envision what an extensive reading class might look like in practice. Residence in an L2 environment, interaction with native speakers, and listening to teachers, radio, and television may improve an L2 learner’s comprehension and confidence.