TO READ OR NOT TO READ: A CRITICAL EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF EXTENSIVE READING IN ESL/EFL CONTEXTS
TO READ OR NOT TO READ: A CRITICAL EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF EXTENSIVE READING IN ESL/EFL CONTEXTS

Summary/Abstract: Reading is considered to be an important language skill in teaching and learning, and there has been a great deal of interest in extensive reading (ER) in English as a second language (ESL) and English as a foreign language (EFL) contexts over the past few decades. While numerous researchers have generally advocated for the benefits of ER, it has not been widely implemented, and teachers sometimes encounter various obstacles and hindrances to successfully and consistently implementing it. This paper aims to evaluate the effectiveness of ER from three aspects: (1) motivation towards reading in a second or foreign language, (2) improvement of reading skills and (3) development of second or foreign language proficiency with reference to both conceptual literature and empirical research. After providing a critical review of the previous literature, this paper will make suggestions on what factors should be considered and how ER can be implemented effectively.

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