Extensive reading in primary school EFL

Abstract

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

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“…It is helpful to assist some students to choose the right materials to read at the outset of an ER programme. As shown in this study and Birketveit et al’s 2018 study, some students do need help in selecting books, especially for those who have little experience of reading.…”

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Chinese EFL Teachers' Perspectives on the Use of Extensive Reading in Chinese Primary Schools

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