Something about my Extensive Reading Program

I got this question in on my last post:

I'd love to hear more about your extensive reading program. I'm working on building up a library now, so I can start one next semester at my job.

Some background first.

I was first introduced to extensive reading at a KOTESOL workshop six or seven years ago. It was probably at one of the international conferences. I don’t remember exactly, but it was quite a while ago. I thought it sounded great, but I didn’t know if I could ever use it in my classes. At the time, it was out of the question.

Then I started to have more control over the curriculum of what was being taught (I’d changed universities and was in fact the curriculum coordinator for the general English program). I didn’t want to include it in my classes that were required for all freshmen. There was just too much infrastructure that had to be set up to operate an extensive reading program for 3000 students.  The idea simmered on the back burner though. At one point I was working on the curriculum for one of the advanced classes. I thought I could introduce it there. What I did was focused on particular genres. I had several books in each genre that students had to select. They had to buy a book from each of the four genres that we’d be exploring. I had activities for each one, and students eventually would have to write their own short story.

My Library (and the university’s library)

I’ve been building up my own library over the past six or seven years. It started with the Oxford Bookworms that I used when I used to teach small groups of kids. Some of them left them behind after reading, and I always had a copy of the book we were using. That left me with about 40 or so books. Whenever I’d see a book on sale somewhere (like at one of the used bookstores in Seoul) I’d pick up a copy here or there.  

As I mentioned above, I taught an advanced reading and writing course. For that course, I had the students read a selection MacMillan or Oxford or Penguin books. Since I got a very large discount at one of the local book distributors, we did a big book order and the students were happy to get 25% off.  (I would not recommend doing that again. I didn’t like dealing with money with students, it just felt awkward.) Somehow, I ended up being stuck with about a dozen books that nobody seemed to remember ordering. I added them to my own library. I was up to about 120 or so books. I had catalogued and numbered them all, and set up a check-out system where students could borrow from me directly. Also, at the end of the semester, I asked if anyone would want to donate their books to future students. I had them write a note inside to future students. (They liked that idea, however they wrote them on post-it notes, so they are pretty much all gone now). My own library and the books that students bought were enough to support two classes of about 20 students each. My colleagues used to tease me as they watched me carry my bags of books (they fit neatly into two old KOTESOL conference bags) to class every week. I’d spread them all out and during the journal-writing time students would come up and pick out a book at their convenience. It did not disrupt the class at all, and I got to build up my shoulder muscles by carrying the bags!

By this time, the university library had set up their ‘Reading Garden’ that had a complete set of Oxford Bookworms, MacMillan and Penguin Readers, and a selection from various other publishers. In the beginning, I’d estimate the total number of graded readers in the university library to be in the neighborhood of between 250 and 300. A lot of books to choose from, but students could not check them out. They had nice comfy sofas and chairs where they could sit and enjoy—but they couldn’t take them home. They couldn’t pull them out when they were on the subway during their long commute. Needless to say, they were not used that much.

A couple of years ago, I noticed that Oxford had changed the covers on their bookworm series. The text inside was identical, but the covers were different. I happened to be in a bookstore (one that is owned by the distributor for Oxford Korea) and they had boxes of the old versions on sale for 50% off. That was too good to pass up, so I bought about a hundred more. My current library is 249 books, all but 35 are Oxford. Every summer, I go though and update my database since some books go missing. That no longer bothers me at all, as I’ve come to expect that it is inevitable.

This Semester

Things have changed. I no longer am doing it with just 40 students in an advanced class. I’m no longer the coordinator for the general English program. Now I teach in the actual English Language and Literature department. I teach only English majors. I still set my own curriculum, but the goal of the course is surprisingly broad while being somewhat specific. I have to prepare them for their future classes. They want them to be able to handle having all of their classes in English, to be able to read and discuss the literature in English. They have to be able to write critical essays in English. How I prepare them to do this is up to me. These classes are in addition to the other mandatory English classes that they take their freshmen year (the ones I had created the curriculum for).

What they will be doing is designed to complement the other class. As much as possible I am trying to make it almost like they are having a single 6-hour a week course instead of two totally separate courses. In the second semester, the other course is reading and writing. Hence the focus on extensive reading (as I know they’ll be doing more intensive reading in the other course) this semester.

The university library now lets them check out the graded readers, so they are actually reading them. I schlepped my own library (now occupying four big tote bags) to class last week to show them the variety of books out there, let them look through the levels, and do a timed reading to get a record of their reading speed at the start of the semester). I made it clear that I wouldn’t be bringing them all to class again. They can come to my office and check them out.  That means that between my library and the university’s, there are over 500 books to choose from. I’ve got several copies of some books that are popular (8 copies of “Love Story,” for example. I am at a women’s university after all). Additionally, all the students are required to buy four of their own books, one of which is a title that I selected. We’ll all read the same first book. I have devoted some time periodically for book swapping. They’ll have to ‘sell’ the books to others in order to get something new.  

With three books each to swap, there will be some more books to select for them. As they are reading over the next month, I’m going to use these graded readers when teaching literary terms and the like. I’m also going to have them write their own short stories like I did with the advanced classes. They’ll be keeping a writing journal noting a few things about each book. The main point is just to be a record of what they read. There is no way for me to really follow closely what they read. There will be small group discussions on their books. They will do a ‘character sketch’ in which they develop one of the characters more.

These are students that I taught last semester. I know them already and I have a pretty good idea of what they are capable of. After spending some class time looking at books, I have to say, they were actually pretty excited. How long has it been since you’ve seen university freshmen excited about studying?

I also told them that if they were to have two or three books with them over the Chuseok weekend, they could probably get a lot of reading done (and that their grandmothers would be so proud of them for doing their homework and reading novels in English). I had many come to borrow a book from me on Thursday and Friday before the long weekend.

Check out the Korean English Extensive Reading Association (KEERA). They have a facebook group as well. They have a really good pdf file that you can download that will help you start an ER program at your school.

The Extensive Reading Foundation website is also a good place to get ideas.