Extensive reading approach and contrast this with direct or component Assignment

Extensive reading approach and contrast this with direct or component skills - Assignment Example Uncommonly, there is an approach that avoids the use of recommended reading materials and guided reading activities, yet has the same aim of promoting advanced reading skills of students. This approach is referred to as the extensive reading approach. What is extensive reading? The term extensive reading is credited to Harold Palmer (1917: 137) who proposed that learners should read one book after another. The idea of reading a great number of reading materials over time to improve reading proficiency is based on the belief that language acquisition, especially vocabulary development, occurs through reading (Nagy & Herman 1987: 20). Supporters of extensive reading believe that the more reading experiences language learners have, the more adept they will be in the target language. In particular, Grabe and Stoller (2002: 90) believe that although extensive reading alone cannot guarantee language proficiency, the latter cannot occur without extensive reading. The extensive reading appro ach offers some advantages that other approaches do not have. Making students form the habit of reading could lead to promoting the love for reading, making the reader as the focus of instruction, empowering comprehension, and improving linguistic and communicative ability. (References for this are quite impossible to obtain, thus I used â€Å"could lead to† to imply possibility, thus lessening the claim). Promoting the love for reading Promoting the love for reading is one essence of the extensive reading approach. Dublin, Eskey and Grabe (1986: 228) noted that people learn to read and improve in reading by means of reading itself. In extensive reading classes, students are motivated to read to build the habit and enjoyment in reading. As Grabe and Stoller (2001) claims, ‘one does not become a good reader unless one reads a lot’ (198). As such, the extensive reading approach differs a lot in structure and materials from intensive reading approaches. The teacher in the extensive reading class allows students to read the materials they prefer, thus cultivating in them the interest to read about those things they find interesting. Students have the option to read fiction or non-fiction books, or basically anything they find interesting among a variety of materials available. This way, students are not forced to understand topics or concepts that they find vague at the very beginning. Ideally, the love for reading may be developed if teachers allow students to read according to their interest, pace and level (Collie & Slater 1987: 6). In other approaches, students are asked to read a uniform text, thus they are forced to understand knowledge and concepts even though such are not applicable to them. For instance, a Muslim kid may deal with a text discussing the beatification of Pope Paul II when reading about current events. Such a practice, although may enhance the knowledge of a student about the world, could interfere with a student’s culture and affect his/her interest during a particular reading class. This implies that teachers using other approaches should be careful in choosing materials for their students. Nunan (1989: 60) posits that the reading materials should have some cultural or personal relevance to the readers.