Improving English Skills through the Integration of Extensive and Intensive Reading in CLT

Abstract

This textbook is designed for improving the four language skills of English through integrating extensive and intensive reading. The target learners are 4th to 5th grade students in elementary school, ages from 10 to 12, Intermediate-low according to ACTFL proficiency level. Researchers (Krashen, 1982, Long, 1985) have indicated that language learners may benefit from meaningful input. One of the most effective approaches to providing meaningful input is through extensive reading (Day & Bamford, 1994). Through extensive reading, learners will not only obtain vocabulary, grammar, spelling and linguistic skills but also cultural background knowledge as well as the enjoyment of reading. Furthermore, teachers could design listening, speaking and writing activities related to the plot of the story which help students improve all of the language skills throughout the learning process. In order to obtain the maximum benefit from reading, an integration of extensive and intensive reading is needed (Harmer, 2007). In addition, Communicative Language Teaching and Task-Based Language Teaching methods will give students opportunities to use language as a mean of communication with purposeful interaction (Richards & Rodgers, 2014) and to utilize the input they have gained, which could help students to achieve communicative competence.