british council teaching english: how and why of graded readers
TRANSCRIPT
A how and why ofgraded readers
Victoria Boobyer
Contents• Definitions (Graded readers, Extensive & Expansive Reading)
• Theory - Extensive Reading (ER)• Practice - Extensive Reading (ER)
• Theory - Expansive Reading• Practice - Expansive Reading
• Further Reading / Information
Graded ReadingWhat’s graded?
Vocabulary, grammar complexity, number of words.
What is not graded? Theme. i.e. You can have graded readers for CEFR A2 level with adult themes.
Extensive Reading
“Extensive reading in a foreign language asks
learners to read a lot of easy, interesting books.”
www.ERFoundation.org
Expansive Reading“…a reading text becomes a springboard to improve language skills and to explore historical background, cultural connections and other topics suggested by the text.”
Black Cat Guide to Graded Readers Updated edition
http://www.blackcat-cideb.com/2-english-catalogue
Extensive Reading?
“Perhaps the most important principle of ER is that that the students read for overall understanding and pleasure.” …
https://theotherthingsmatter.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/met-jan15-keegan_stein.pdf
Phil Keegan in Keegan, P and Stein, K ‘Extensive Reading in Theory and in Practice”Modern English Teacher, 2015 Vol 24, i. p52
https://theotherthingsmatter.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/met-jan15-keegan_stein.pdf
“However, I feel strongly that follow-up tasks and extension activities have considerable value, as long as they do not in any way resemble an exam.”
Phil Keegan in Keegan, P and Stein, K ‘Extensive Reading in Theory and in Practice”Modern English Teacher, 2015 Vol 24, i. p52
Extensive Reading?
https://theotherthingsmatter.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/met-jan15-keegan_stein.pdf
“…tests and comprehension questions have no place on an ER programme, but … extension activities, especially creative ones, most definitely do.”
Kevin Stein in Keegan, P and Stein, K ‘Extensive Reading in Theory and in Practice”Modern English Teacher, 2015 Vol 24, i. p52
Extensive Reading?
www.richmondelt.com
www.blackcat-cideb.comExtensiveExpansive
Extensive Reading Theory
Why?
text.
www.ERFoundation.org
Now, imagine doing that and picking up a dictionaryonce or twice in the middle to look up words that you don’t know the meaning of.
www.ERFoundation.org
“What is interesting is that our participants felt that reading helped their oral / aural language proficiency. Books like [these] contain a great deal of colloquial language that learners with mostly formal language instruction experience have missed.”Cho, K and Krashen,S
Cho, K.-S., & Krashen, S. D. (1994). Acquisition of vocabulary from the Sweet Valley Kids series: Adult ESL acquisition. Journal of Reading, 37(8), 662-667.
“So I believe that ER impacts writing, listening and speaking because students know more vocabulary. The second possible factor is the increase in positive affect. Students develop positive attitudes toward and increased motivation for learning the L2.”Day, R
The Benefits of Extensive Reading (ER): Prof Richard R Dayhttp://goo.gl/7tjHPz
Practical ER ideas for language organizations and teachers
Practical ER ideas for language organizations and teachers
A Community of Readers. McCollister, M 2014 The Round
Expansive Reading
“…a reading text becomes a springboard to improve
language skills and to explore historical background, cultural
connections and other topics suggested by the text.”
Black Cat Guide to Graded Readers Updated edition
http://www.blackcat-cideb.com/2-english-catalogue
Transposition
Turning reading into… …something else.
Different types of writing
Genre - newspaper report, leaflet, summary, diary, letter, screenplay, text messages, cartoon (reduced / augmented)
Style - sensationalist, modern, informal, formal
Transvocalisation - first person to third person etc.
Characters - change to modern celebrities, classmates
Plot - change the ending, add a twist
• SMS
• Comic strip
Background image: Sherlock Holmes Stories. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Black Cat 2013
Different types of speaking
TV / radio drama
Talk show
TV / Radio advert for the book / film
Phone conversation between characters
Different types of speaking
News report
Different types of speaking• Potential to integrate technology. Student within a book.
Background image: The Enormous Turnip. Hobart, R Black Cat 2013
Exam-type activities
Exam-type activities
Reading Circles: Geoffrey Chaucer: Canterbury Tales
Read Chaucer and Chaucer’s world together. Develop interest.
Read ‘Prologue’ together
Discuss and assign stories and roles
Read and prepare for homework
Group discussion and presentation
Teacher resources on publisher websites
http://goo.gl/B4p0Xq
http://goo.gl/498rMy
http://goo.gl/5bqbtGb
Further reading:• Bringing extensive reading to the classroom: A practical guide to introducing
extensive reading and its benefits to the learner. Day R et al. 2010 Oxford
• Extensive Reading in the Second Language Classroom. Day R and Bamford, J 1998 CUP
• Extensive reading in theory and in practice Keegan P and Stein K Modern English Teacher 2015 Vol 24,1. pp52-52
• A Community of Readers. McCollister M 2014 The Round
• Black cat CIDEB • Oxford OUP
• Richmond
• www.ERFoundation.org
http://goo.gl/B4p0Xq
http://goo.gl/498rMy
http://goo.gl/5bqbtGb
