Advantages of Extensive Reading for the Students - Case Study Example

Extensive Reading Program Teaching people who are not native speakers in Eastern Europe where English is not widespread can be an interesting challenge. I would choose Poland the country that became EU member recently and in the process of development. It seems that people would have desire to study English there. Teaching in small groups is the best option for me because it allows keeping close contact with all the students. The age of students can be from 15 to 18 in general, the people who will need English some day in their career. The group would consist of members with Pre-Intermediate level of English. Students will attend private school and would have English classes three times a week. I would create English literature club which students will be able to attend once a week and will use reading circle as a model. Advantages of Extensive Reading for the Students Extensive reading is a special approach to teaching a language during which students choose easy books and read for pleasure. The books are not complicated and the students can read them to capture some general meaning and just for entertainment. Students can stop reading if they find the information not actual and interesting. Extensive reading is good for students of high school because most obviously it teaches them how to study autonomously. Educational process in school is different from that in the university because school usually provides students with manuals, literature, concrete instructions. In university students learn how to search information and analyze it. Extensive reading can be the first serious step on the way to college for high school students. The most positive effect of reading is improving the level of English. Reading influences positively writing and comprehension skills because students get introduced to the vocabulary in the real context. Writing is improved as the students see how native speakers build phrases, connected them and create narration. Texts for reading must be chosen carefully and they will be able to provide students with the vocabulary they already know without too may new words and constructions. So extensive reading will help the students to repeat the material they learnt in class but in positive atmosphere. As vocabulary can be learnt only by systematic repetition, extensive reading is the thing that will provide students with this possibility. It will also be generally positive for high school students to extend their knowledge of the world with the help of carefully chosen books. It is one of the best and the most interesting ways to learn something new through the eyes of experienced authors. Introduction of Extensive Reading Program First, I am going to create a list of twenty books appropriate for the students of my group and introduce this list with the help of blurbs. The students will have to match the title of the book with the blurb. This will help to make general impression of the topic of the readings and will allow students to choose the book which they like. It is reasonable to have books of several genres: adventure stories, detective stories, fantasy, science fiction, fairy tales, and melodramatic stories. It is important to include world famous bestsellers because it will help the students to feel I course of events. The list of the books: 1. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl 2. Cather in the Rye by J.D. Salinger 3. Harry Potter and the Philosopher`s Stone by Joanne Rowling 4. Lord of the Flies by William Golding 5. The Curious Incident with the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon 6. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee 7. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green 8. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson 9. Holes by Louis Sachar 10. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky 11. The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak 12. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld 13. The City of Amber by Jean du Prau 14. The Truth about Forever by Sarah Dessen 15. Looking for Alaska by John Green 16. Wintergirls by Laurie Anderson 17. Go Ask Alice by Beatrice Sparks 18. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 19. The Hobbit by J.R. Tolkien 20. The Outsiders by S.E.Hinton William Golding Lord of the Flies A convincing story about a group of completely normal boys casted on the deserted island has turned into a current fantastic. From the beginning it looks like a journey full of fun. But adult reality which requires solving a lot of problems changes the boys day by day. Soon the life transforms into survival. As moral norms of behavior disappear, the entire world familiar to the boys collapses. The alternative terrible and full horrors life substitutes the habitual world with homework and cricket. Everyone it seems reveals his dark side of the soul. John Green The Fault in Our Stars Hazel is not a typical teenager- she lives with cancer. Despite the miracle of tumor shrinking that grants the girl with few additional years the heroine feels close death and struggles to find sense in daily life. Everything changes when Augustus enters the doors of Cancer Kid Support Group. Hazel will learn how to live in a completely new way. Laurie Halse Anderson Speak How to become an outcast in your own town? Ask Melida! Her friends do not talk to her, her neighbors escape invitations, and even strangers on the street avoid talking to her. All because Melinda destroyed last summer party calling the cops. The girl is left completely alone trying not to recall that incident. But it is impossible to hide the truth, and it is impossible not to go crazy talking to herself. Stephen Chbosky The Perks of Being a Wallflower Charlie is a freshman. Keeping in mind hes not the greatest nerd in the school, he has no chances of becoming popular. Timid, witty, and exceptionally intelligent for his age he is a wallflower, lost in attempts to live his life and to escape it. Charlie is exploring the world through the world of first dates and broken flowers, family dramas and new companions. He has to deal with all the problems young men meet on their way. And though it seems that one needs only a perfect song in a perfect moment, sometimes a person needs to step on the dace floor. Scott Westerfeld Uglies Tally is going to turn sixteen, and she can hardly wait. Not for the driver`s license - for turning beautiful. In Tallys reality, your sixteenth birthday brings an operation that transforms you from terribly ugly into a stunningly pretty person and sends you into an innovative heaven where you only have to enjoy life. In a couple of weeks Tally will be there. Yet Tallys new companion Shay isnt certain she needs to be beautiful. At the point when Shay escapes, Tally finds out that her life-long dream is under threat. The powers offer Tally the most terrible condition she can envision: discover her companion and turn her in, or never become beautiful whatsoever. According to Bamford and Day, the best variant is when students can choose between 2-3 books. I need the students to enjoy reading that is why the primary task is to make the students interested. So basing o this list students will be able to choose the genre which appeals to their needs at some point of life. Extensive vs. Intensive Reading It is possible to combine extensive reading with intensive reading. Extensive reading is good for increasing the volume of general knowledge as it is based on the principle of joy. Intensive reading does not presuppose free choice of books and they are chosen by the teacher. It is possible to find some short articles about the readings, biographies of the authors to boil the interest of the students to the main reading program. Intensive reading is more useful for foreign students because it concentrates on vocabulary. In extensive reading students are encouraged to catch the general meaning of the text that is why they do not work with vocabulary closely. While Intensive reading means analyzing and working with all new words thoroughly extensive reading permits omitting of unknown words. So some part of the class I will dedicate to intensive reading to improve vocabulary of the students. Inside Class vs. Outside Class Reading Most of the time students will spend outside as extensive reading is home activity and I want students to perform it personally. It must teach students how to study autonomously and how to receive pleasure from such kind of reading. So obviously 80% of time students will read at home those books which they will find appropriate and interesting to read. 20% of time will be dedicated to Intensive reading in the class and to the discussions of the material. Students will need to read a book every 3 moths, all the books I have chosen for this program are exciting and easy to follow and recommended specially for the teenagers. The books discuss actual problems for the children of that age that is why I count on genuine students` interest. The Model of Extensive Reading Classes Reading circle can be an interesting experience for school students who will be able to try different roles. In reading circles there are usually several roles such as the leader, the summarizer and members. Students can exchange roles every week and develop different qualities. The leader of the Reading circle can manage the discussion and encourage other students to participate. I want everyone in the group tried himself in the role of a leader. It is also possible to choose one student and ask him/her to prepare for the discussion of a specific book. Of course teacher`s consultation will be necessary in this case. There also will be one person who will summarize the discussion in the end of the class, and this role will be assigned to a new student each time. Financial Aspect of the Class I guess as long as I am planning to work in a private school there will be a certain fund that will allow buying all necessary materials. Some of these books, such as Catcher in the Rye or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, will probably be possible to find in the local library. I will need 6-8 items of each book to make sure that all children will have an opportunity to read what they want. According to Bumford ad Day, the key point is to guarantee permanent funding for the books that are damaged or lost. I will encourage the students to handle all the books with care and will check it personally. According to my calculations it will cost no more than $600 for the whole program because it is possible to order books Before making students choose books I am going to conduct an introductory class. During this lesson I will learn some information about my students, their taste, preferences and will assess their level of English. Motivating Students Motivating teenagers to read is the most difficult part but with right approach this goal can be achieved. I collected the most actual and the most appropriate books for young people of that age. I am going to preset each book with the help of blurb. O the first lesson I will read aloud the excerpts from the readings which can inspire students. It is also possible to prepare some unusual facts about the reading which will make the students interested. For example students must have heard of “Cather in the rye” but they surely be more positive about the book learning some non-trivial facts: The book was banned numerous times because of Caulfield’s “rebellious views”, its “785 uses of profanity”, that it is “part of a Communist plot”, that it is “unacceptable”, “obscene”, and “undermines morality”, that it depicts premarital sex, alcohol abuse, and prostitution, and that it “contains lurid passages about sex”, details the main character’s “sexual exploits”, is “centred around negative activity”, and contains “vulgar words”. “I’m Crazy” written by Slinger ten years earlier included the material used further in Catcher The New Yorker did not publish “The catcher in the rye” because the editors concluded that Caulfield was not realistic Caulfield did not like Hemingway’s “A Farewell to Arms” however the author of the book was in close relationships with this writer. Showing episodes from movies and encouraging students to compare them with readings can also be a good motivator. Underling the fact that dictionary usage is not encouraged too much. That can play a crucial role in students` desire to read; However, extensive monitoring is needed because it will help to point the problems or to understand who I slagging behind. In some cases it is necessary to advise a new book to a teenager who does not feel like reading any more. Monitoring Reading As it is important to keep the element of pleasure in reading regular tasks such as questions, logs, and retelling are not appropriate for monitoring students` reading. I would encourage group discussions of the books and will follow them to understand the level of students reading. During these discussions teenagers will share their impressions like they share with friends from this or that book. I will divide students in pairs and ask them to pretend they are the characters of the book which have the chance to say something to each other and to explain; It is possible to give short writing tasks such as “10 things I would present to Hermione” “My 5 pieces of advice to Charlie” Students Work Evaluation I will encourage creativity and understanding of the book. Not to demotivate students during the year I guess it is better to give some general final mark. I want to be Reader`s Club rather than a compulsory lesson where there are grades and homework. Reading and Other Skills Improvement Writing short essays 10 things I would present to Hermione” “My 5 pieces of advice to Charlie” would improve students` writing skills. Students can create a written scenario of their favorite episodes. During discussions students will be able to foster their speaking skills. They can try retelling the story from the perspective of some hero. They are able to imagine themselves I different situation where the heroes of the books found themselves and describe their emotions and expectations. It is also possible to stage the most interesting episodes from the books. For listening skills improvement it is possible to use audio scripts and episodes from the movies. Possible Problems Absence of motivation will probably be the most serious problem that may arise. Attracting parents to following their children reading can also be a good solution. I will also include cinema and audio in the club sessions to make the whole process less boring. Works Cited Bamford, J. & Day, R. Extensive Reading Activities for Teaching Language. Cambridge: Cambridge Press, 2004. Day, R., Basset, J., &Bowler, B., & Parminter, S. Bringing Extensive Reading into the Classroom. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011. Read More