Encouraging students to read extensively

If, as we said at the beginning of this chapter, we want students to read extensively, using simplified readers at pre-advanced levels, then we need to have systems in place to help them do this. There are four factors which contribute to the success of this kind of extensive reading:

Library: Students need to have access to a collection of readers, both at their own level and above and below it. Sometimes the library will be in a fixed place in a school, but we can also carry collections of books around to different classes. The library should have a range of different genres (factual, novels, adaptations of films, etc).

Choice: A major aspect of joyful reading (see page 99) is that students should be able to choose what they read - both in terms of genre but also, crucially, level. They are much more likely to read with enthusiasm if they have made the decision about what they read.

Feedback: Students should have an opportunity to give feedback on what they have read, either verbally or in written form. This does not mean formal reports, however, since that might take the pleasure away from reading. Instead, there might be a quick comment form on the inside cover of a book, or a folder with different forms for different titles. Students can then record their reactions to a book they have read. Other students looking for a new book to read can use those comments to help them make their choice.

Time: We need to give students time for reading in addition to those occasions when they read on their own. It is a good idea to leave a ten-minute reading period at various times during a course just to get students comfortable with the activity. It is vitally important that when we do this, we should be reading ourselves in order to underline the attractiveness of the activity.

Not all students become active readers. While some are highly motivated and consume books avidly, others don't have the same appetite. We can't force students to read, of course, but we should do everything we can to encourage them to do so.

№9. Give an example of a teaching writing class: speak on the aim and objectives; describe the procedure; explain the type of feedback you will suggest; describe evaluation and assessment tools.

There are many reasons for getting students to write, both in and outside class. Firstly, writing gives them more 'thinking time' than they get when they attempt spontaneous conversation. This allows them more opportunity for language processing - that is thinking about the language - whether they are involved in study or activation.

When thinking about writing, it is helpful to make a distinction between writing-for-learning and writing-for-writing. In the case of the former, writing is used as an aide-memoire or practice tool to help students practice and work with language they have been studying. We might, for example, ask a class to write five sentences using a given structure, or using five of the new words or phrases they have been learning. Writing activities like this are designed to give reinforcement to students. This is particularly useful for those who need a mix of visual and kinesthetic activity (see page 16). Another kind of writing-for-learning occurs when we have students write sentences in preparation for some other activity. Here, writing is an enabling activity.

Writing-for-writing, on the other hand, is directed at developing the students' skills as writers. In other words, the main purpose for activities of this type is that students should become better at writing, whatever kind of writing that might be. There are good 'real-life' reasons for getting students to write such things as emails, letters and reports. And whereas in writing-for-learning activities it is usually the language itself that is the main focus of attention, in writing-for-writing we look at the whole text. This will include not just appropriate language use, but also text construction, layout, style and effectiveness.

It is clear that the way we organise our students' writing - and the way we offer advice and correction - will be different, depending on what kind of writing they are involved in.

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