Reading in the English subject in both primary and secondary school often involves studying course book texts in detail. Therefore, pupils are rarely exposed to longer texts which require reading for meaning, a skill needed in higher education and working life. With the right reading material, extensive reading (ER) should start already in primary school. This article reports on a study of primary school pupils from three different schools and their perceptions of an extensive reading and writing project, as well as their responses to the reading material offered. The study was designed to address the following research questions:1. Which types of reading material appeal to the pupils in the study?2. What is the role of gender in the pupils’ evaluation of the reading material?3. Are there differences between the pupils’ evaluation of the reading material offered, depending on their previous academic achievement?4. What are the pupils’ attitudes towards (extensive) reading?Two sets of questionnaire data were collected in the course of the project. First, during the reading, the learners were asked to answer a questionnaire about each book they had read or attempted to read. At the end of the project, the learners were asked to complete a questionnaire about their overall perception of the project. The study shows that there was a significant difference between the schools in the evaluation of the reading material, and there was also a significant difference between boys and girls in the perception of the reading material. More¬over, the study shows that the learners valued the chance to select the reading material themselves highly. When carrying out ER with pupils, it is essential to be aware of gender differences in reading preferences and ensure that there are enough books to cater for both boys’ and girls’ particular interests. Moreover, fostering a reading culture in both the Norwegian and English subjects is important.Keywords: extensive reading, gender differences, choice of books, the impor-tance of self-selection of books, motivation for readingEkstensiv lesing i engelsk som fremmedspråk i barneskolenSammendragLesing i skolefaget engelsk i både barne- og ungdomsskolen betyr ofte at elevene må gjøre rede for lærebokteksten på detaljnivå. Derfor møter elevene sjelden lengre tekster som krever forståelse av meningen med teksten, en ferdighet det forventes at de behersker i høyere utdannelse og i arbeidslivet. Med det rette utvalget av tekster burde elevene øve seg på ekstensiv lesing allerede i barneskolen. Denne artikkelen legger frem resultater fra en studie av elever fra tre forskjellige barneskoler og deres oppfatninger av et ekstensivt lese- og skrive-prosjekt i tillegg til deres respons på utvalget av tekster. Forskningsspørsmålene i studien er som følger:1. Hvilke typer lesestoff appellerer til elevene i studien?2. Hvilken betydning har kjønn i elevenes evaluering av lesestoffet?3. Har elevenes tidligere akademiske resultater betydning for deres evaluering av lesestoffet?4. Hvilke holdninger har elevene til ekstensiv lesing?To typer spørreskjema-data ble samlet inn i løpet av prosjektet. Først, i løpet av leseperiodene, ble elevene bedt om å svare på et spørreskjema om hver bok de hadde lest eller prøvd å lese. Når prosjektet var avsluttet, ble elevene bedt om å fylle ut et spørreskjema om deres totale opplevelse av prosjektet. Studien viser at det var en signifikant forskjell mellom skolene i elevenes vurdering av tekstene som ble tilbudt som lesestoff, og det var også en signifikant forskjell mellom gutter og jenter. Dessuten viser studien at elevene satte stor pris på muligheten til å velge lesestoff selv. Når man gjennomfører ekstensiv lesing med elever, er det viktig å være klar over kjønnsforskjeller i elevenes lesepreferanser og forsikre seg om at utvalget av bøker er stort nok til å ivareta både gutters og jenters spesielle interesser. Dessuten er det viktig å utvikle en kultur for lesing i både norskfaget og engelskfaget.Nøkkelord: ekstensiv lesing i engelsk, kjønnsforskjeller, elevers valg av bøker, betydningen av å velge bøker selv, motivasjon for lesing

The case study investigates what impact extensive reading of authentic picture books/ illustrated books had on the learners' writing skills in a Norwegian EFL (English as a foreign language) classroom of 11-year-olds. Furthermore, the study also looks into the importance the pictures/illustrations had for the learners and what type of picturetext interaction they favoured. The case study was designed to allow the learners the freedom to choose for themselves, from a list provided, which books to read. The learners were asked to read as many books as possible from a selection of 70 picture books/illustrated books, though a minimum of three, in the course of four weeks. Both qualitative and quantitative methods and procedures were employed through log books, a questionnaire, individual interviews and learners' written texts before and after the reading project. The study reveals that the project improved learners' motivation to read and led to improvement in their writing skills. It raises questions about the current practice of heavy reliance on course books, but further research is needed to support the findings. IntroductionThis article discusses how a class of Norwegian 11-year-olds' L2 writing skills were affected by extensive reading of authentic picture books/illustrated books in English, when they were given the freedom to choose for themselves, from a list provided, which books to read. The research topic has emerged through many years of experience as teacher trainers in English as a foreign language and through many hours of observation of classroom activities of the teaching of English in Norwegian primary schools where teaching strategies tend to rely heavily on course books. This has led us to examine how their own assessment of their progress compares with an objective measurement of it, focusing on a few aspects of their written texts such as the learners' use of adjectives and adverbials and story-building skills. Furthermore, the study discusses how learners' motivation and engagement were affected by self-selection of books from a list provided and choice in follow-up activities.

Drawing on recent developments within the teaching of foreign languages, this article discusses the potential of picture books in teaching visual and verbal reading skills in English as a foreign language (EFL). Learner motivation is considered to be of increasing importance, and the article discusses various aspects of picture books which can contribute to learner motivation for reading. Through a thorough examination or the iconotext and peritext of three picture books, this article discusses how the interaction of pictures and words work together to bring across messages. In The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith traditional fairy tales are subverted and interrogated. In Rose Blanche by Ian McEvan and Roberto Innocenti, a child’s experience of the Second World War is explored, and in Zoo by Anthony Browne, the text addresses both the child and the adult reader on the serious themes of human nature and animals held in captivity. Additionally, the pedagogical potential of each text is discussed.

This paper presents a study in a Norwegian English as a Foreign Language class of 5th graders aimed at investigating the learners' ability to decentre - a skill within intercultural competence, - through the use of the picture book The Soccer Fence by Phil Bildner. Based on Byram's theory on intercultural competence and Piaget's theory on decentring, a literary context was created around a one-group pretest-posttest design. The participants' ability to decentre was measured before and after an intervention period which consisted of reading the story and the pupils' investigating the characters' different perspectives through different tasks. The results were then checked for statistical significance, which is presented in the first part of the article. The second part of the article includes results from group interviews, which were carried out to either strengthen or challenge the pretest and posttest findings. Results showed statistical significance, indicating that the ability to decentre did increase after the intervention. This was also supported by the interviews