An Extensive Reading Approach to Intensive Reading

Abstract

This study was designed to explore the efficiency of modified extensive reading (ER) in improving students’ vocabulary knowledge, listening comprehension, and reading comprehension skills. By conducting a single group experiment, with 43 university students over a period of 15 weeks, this study compared the pre-test and post-test results of the modified ER treatment. To further investigate the participants’ perceptions toward the modified ER, data from a questionnaire and interviews were gathered. By analyzing the pre/post-test results, the study showed statistically significant growths in all three aspects of vocabulary, listening, and reading. However, the survey data revealed that the participants had somewhat mixed views on the efficiency of the treatment regarding their listening comprehension skills. Nonetheless, both the survey and the interview data illustrated that students perceived the modified ER as being useful in increasing their vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension skills. This study is limited, however, in its use of a single-group research design. To increase the internal validity, the study employed method triangulation. Through the analyses, the study illustrated how the blended version of the Intensive Reading (IR) and ER approaches could be effectively implemented in a formal educational setting, in which it is challenging to apply the major principles of the ER approach.