Development Tendency in Main Fields of Reading Researches

◆石 晶

(聊城大學大學外語教育學院)

Development Tendency in Main Fields of Reading Researches

◆石 晶

(聊城大學大學外語教育學院)

Abstract:The last few decades have witnessed the publication of a considerable amount of empirical evidence supporting what Krashen has called"the power of reading"(Krashen，1993).There is a widespread approval that reading itself leads to better reading，better vocabulary，better writing，and better control of grammar in both first and second languages.In this article，the following research areas will be discussed，which can be mainly divided into the following 20 categories.

Key words:reading researches development tendency

Ⅰ Introduction

The last few decades have witnessed the publication of a considerable amount of empirical evidence supporting what Krashen has called“the power of reading”(Krashen，1993).There is a widespread approval that reading itself leads to better reading，better vocabulary，better writing，and better control of grammar in both first and second languages.The impact of reading has been demonstrated in controlled studies of in－school reading("sustained silent reading"and"extensive reading")，(Elley and Mangubhai，1983;Mason and Krashen，1997)，as well as in numerous case histories(Krashen，1993;Cho and Krashen，1994)and correlational studies of self－reported recreational reading(e.g.Anderson，Wilson，and Fielding，1988).

According to the annotated bibliography of works on extensive reading listed on the network station Extensive Reading Foundation(http://erfoundation.org/bib/bibliocats.php)，there are more than 400 books，articles，research studies and dissertations relating to the use of extensive reading in second/foreign language education.These researches can be mainly divided into the following 20 categories.

Ⅱ Research Fields

A considerate portion of ER researches revolve around L2 learning and reading ability.Important categories listed in the table are explained below:

2.1 Vocabulary

These are investigations and discussions of how vocabulary may be learned incidentally while reading.Some of these studies investigate ways of making incidental learning more efficient，perhaps by supplementing it with intentional learning.

As to vocabulary，whether to use a dictionary in ER was a controversial topic.Huckin ＆ Coady(1999)，Nassaji(2003)＇s research gave a affirmative reply，while Day＆ Bamford(1998)and Reid(2002)thought dictionary as a“walking stick”should not be used again after foundation stage.

Also，there were some other scholars(Nation ＆ Coady，1988;Parry，1993;Huckin＆ Coady，1999)researches questioned ER’s effectiveness in incidental vocabulary acquisition for the lake of two elements.One is Repeatability—the new words must repeat for at least more than five times;the other is Salience.So they did not think ER was an effective way to learn new words(Grabe and Stoller，1997;Horst，2005;Pigada and Schmitt，2006).

2.2 Writing

These are studies of the impact of extensive reading on L2 writing ability.Lee，S.Y.＆ Hsu，Y.Y.(2009)examined the impact of in－class extensive reading on writing with a group of Taiwanese vocational college students.These students had been less successful in academics，including English.Results showed significant differences in gains on all subscales in favor of the experimental group.

2.3 Reading for Academic Purposes

Extensive reading can have a role in preparing students for L2 academic study，including the special demands of reading in tertiary education.Macalister，J.(2008)＇s paper reported on the implementation of an extensive reading component in a pre－university study EAP program.Learners responded positively to the loss of teacher－centered class time and a non－EAP focus for part of each lesson.

2.4 Reading Materials

These works present options and suggestions，sometimes including bibliographies，for assembling collections of books and other materials suitable for extensive reading.Two subgroups included here are works concerned with language learner literature(books written or adapted for L2 learners，also called graded readers)and works about student－ made reading materials.

Also，there were massive researches regarding ER＇s material choice and the reading quantity.Study generally agreed that to enable students to choose their own fun and simple reading materials can help to improve their reading skills.While Bskey(2005)suggested that the choice of reading materials should be consistent with Krashen＇s"i+1"theory.

In addition，the graded reader developed much better at abroad，such as the Oxford Bookworm series，divided into six in accordance with the vocabulary and the degree of difficulty(Nation，1999)providing a systematic teaching materials for the implementation of extensive reading.

2.5 Adapting Texts

These works of adapting texts examine the adapting and simplifying of reading materials for L2 learners.Hill，D.R.(2008)＇s research was a detailed survey review of series of graded readers in English，published in the UK，Europe，and the US，covering 42 current series containing 2，051 titles.The series were assessed in terms of content，format and artwork.The survey ended with recommendations for improving graded readers.

2.6 Affect

Extensive reading has been discussed and studied in terms of its impact on such variables as attitude toward reading and motivation to read.The beneficial effects of extensive reading instruction on reading interest and learning motivation are generally accepted.

Positive effects of extensive reading on learners＇affects，such as motivation and attitude，have been reported(Cho and Krashen，1994;Constantino，1994;Hayashi，1999).Although there have been some criticisms of research methodology(Coady，1997)，and the results concerning the effect on learners＇development have not always been clear－ cut，researchers and educators involved in L2 instruction have become increasingly aware of the importance of extensive reading.

2.7 Class Readers

One form of extensive reading is when teachers guide the whole class in reading the same book(a class reader).Work with class readers can support and complement individually－selected reading done by students outside the classroom，and can link reading with other areas of thelanguage－learning curriculum，such as speaking，listening，and writing.

Brown，D.(2008)argued that textbooks should be encouraging extensive reading.The article showed how textbooks could encourage extensive reading:directly，by including material involving extensive reading;and indirectly，by approaching textbook reading activities in ways more in tune with extensive reading.

2.8 Comprehensible Input Hypothesis

Extensive reading has been investigated as a source of comprehensible input for L2 acquisition.Input consists of the spoken and written messages we receive.That input is comprehensible when we understand it.Krashen proposed the Comprehensible Input Hypothesis which states that we acquire a language in only one way－by understanding spoken and written communication in that language.Because the efficacy of comprehension－based methods is a hypothesis that supports the use of extensive reading，basic research into comprehension－based methods(reading and listening)is included in this category.

2.9 Grammar

These works investigate the incidental acquisition of grammatical competence through reading.Mason，B.(2006)reported an attempt to introduce students to free voluntary reading in their preparation for the Test of English as a Foreign Language(TOEFL).The result of this study suggests that it is possible to improve in a second language from input/reading alone，and the benefits of reading extend to vocabulary and grammar.

2.10 How to

There are suggestions on such matters as orienting students，setting up libraries，and organizing post－ reading activities.Many of the suggestions link extensive reading with other areas of the language－learning curriculum，such as speaking，listening and writing.

Some works also compare ER instrument with other teaching methods in improving some skills;study the teacher＇s role in ER teaching process and the use of different teaching methods in extensive reading instruction.

Beniko Mason(2004，2007)compared the difference between extensive reading method and traditional teaching methods;Pilgreen(2003)argued that teachers should be role models for students，read with them and participate in talking to stimulate their interest.Ivey＆ Broaddus(2001)，Day＆ Bamford(1998)，Fisher，Flood，Lapp，＆ Frey(2004)，Hoffman，Roser，and Battle(1993)stressed the important role of teachers in reading;Patricia L.Carrell＆Joan G.Carson(1997)，John Macalister(2008)explored the possibilities of including extensive reading into the classroom system.

2.11 Internet and Other Electronic Media

The Internet and other digital technologies offer alternatives to both papersourced reading material and standard classroom practice.These works report the use of electronic reading materials，and explore such topics as materials selection，effective use，and particular problems unique to online reading.There are also works on classroom practice，where students use the Internet and other electronic tools for such purposes as sharing their responses with others.

Y.C.Sun(2003)＇s study described extensive reading instruction in Japan，which hooked to the net(extensive reading online)via computer，providing students with different themes，different degree of difficulty and large amounts of data.Besides that，a comprehensive assessment system for extensive reading is feasible with the aid of computer.

III.Summery

In the mainland of China，we are still backward in many areas，especially"Internet and Other Electronic Media".In the future studies，we should try to cover this area and employ more advanced equipment in the English reading study.

[1]Bell，T.Extensive reading:speed and comprehension.The Reading Matrix ，2001，(1).

[2]Belzer，A.“I don’t crave to read”:School reading and adulthood.Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy，2002，(46):104－113.

[3]Hill，D.R.Graded readers in English.ELT Journal，2008，62(2):184－204.