Developing Fluency Through Extensive Reading

Abstract

The idea of extensive reading (ER) is becoming more popular in Korea; however, many students find it time consuming and ineffective for learning English, especially for exam preparations. In addition, parents are skeptical towards ER and view it as a good hobby for a student, but not as an important component of the classroom curriculum. Despite such negative perspectives toward ER, ER has also been receiving positive responses from many researchers (Bamford & Day, 1998; Cho & Krashen, 1994) and these findings include positive outcomes such as the development of automaticity, fluency, language accuracy, and an increase of motivation. Despite the positive findings reported by many scholars, most parents are still unaware of the benefits of ER. However ER typically takes place outside the classroom, and most children need the support of their parents in order to be successful in ER. As such, this portfolio has been designed with this in mind and will include parents as important participants in the learning process. As parents take part in their children’s learning process, their perspectives toward ER will not only change but they will also be able to help their children to develop a habit of reading extensively. In Lopez, Scribner, and Mahitivanichcha’s research (2001), parents’ active participation in their children’s education not only improves parent-child relationships but also increases the children’s academic achievement. Furthermore, as parents get involved by reading the same books, they will become a role model for their children and English learning will naturally take place in their homes.