Suggested Ways of Providing an Immersive Environment in an EFL Context: An Extensive Rreading Program in a Shanghai Senior High School

Suggested Ways of Providing an Immersive Environment in an EFL Context: An Extensive Rreading Program in a Shanghai Senior High School

HE, Mu
YAP, Foong Ha

In recent decades, there have been numerous studies on the significance of extensive reading to English as a second language (ESL) and English as a foreign language (EFL) teaching and learning showing that extensive reading can effectively improve students’ proficiency in various skill areas and language knowledge components. However, extensive reading has a low profile in mainland China, despite mainland China representing the largest number of English language learners in the world. In fact, extensive reading may have particular value in mainland China, as it is optimal for providing an immersive environment to English language learners in this EFL context. To address this lack of information about extensive reading in mainland China, this study seeks to disseminate the results of one particular extensive reading program implemented at a public high school in Shanghai. In this study, ninety-nine students were stratified into three groups of thirty-three on the basis of overall English language proficiency and gender, namely the Integration Reading group, the Free Reading group and the Control group. The Integration Reading Treatment was used in the Integration Reading Group, and the Free Reading Treatment was used in the Free Reading Group. The Intensive Reading Treatment was used in the Control Group. The post-test was administered at the end of this study to evaluate the significance of extensive reading to senior high school English teaching and learning. The pre- and post-study questionnaires were administered to investigate whether extensive reading affected the students in terms of their perception of and attitude towards reading in English. Analysis of the data revealed the following major findings: (1) Extensive reading can effectively improve senior high school students’ listening, reading and writing proficiency and linguistic knowledge; and (2) extensive reading positively affects students’ attitude and behaviours towards reading in English.

Conference or Workshop Item
PeerReviewed

2012-05

848