Ramona's Adventure

Abstract

Koreans place a high value on getting a good education and this has had a tremendous influence on the Korean educational system. Since most Korean students have to focus on doing well on standardized tests, private cram schools place a strong emphasis on exams, which in turn decreases the students’ motivation. However, the Ministry of Education has begun to realize the importance of reading extensively and placing a stronger emphasis on the humanities in education. As a result, extensive reading (ER) has been gaining prominence within the Korean ELT context. Despite the positive outlook toward ER, many students think ER is time consuming and ineffective for test preparation, and parents also believe that it should not be included in the curriculum due to its preconceived impracticality and ineffectiveness. However, many researchers (Bamford & Day, 1998; Brown, 2009; Mason & Karashen, 1997) assert that ER has many positive aspects in language learning, even for test preparations. According to Mason and Krashen (1997), students who engaged in ER did better not only on cloze and reading comprehension tests but also on writing and reading speed tasks compared to those who did not participate in ER. Moreover, Bamford & Day (1998) state that ER provides considerable learning gains in reading, writing, vocabulary and overall proficiency while also increasing motivation. Thus, it is important to integrate ER into the textbook to enhance students’ overall language proficiency, to help them to prepare for exams, and to motivate them to read more. For the above reasons, this textbook will be designed for middle school students (8th to 9th grade) whose language proficiency level is high-intermediate according to the ACTFL proficiency guidelines. Students at this level are able to read and comprehend simple, connected texts dealing with personal and social needs; however, they might have to read it several times to understand due to the structural complexity of the text. There will be 10-12 boys and girls in the class. The target students have been exposed to English for at least six years in public schools, private institutes, and private tutoring settings. Some of them have studied abroad. The classes will be conducted in a private language institute.