Speakers
Description
Extensive reading has been recognized as an alternative method to develop reading fluency. However, within the context of English language teaching in Vietnam, there has not been much research that examines the benefits of this method for university students. This study aims to explore the effects of extensive reading on EFL university students’ reading comprehension and reading rate. The data were collected through an experiment conducted over a 15-week period. The participants were students following English programs at a university in Vietnam. Five groups were randomly assigned to be the control groups and another four to be the treatment groups. A pre-test and a post-test were used to measure the participants’ reading improvement. During the experiment, the treatment groups engaged in approximately 100 minutes of extensive reading, using English stories suitable to their vocabulary levels, while the control groups were given intensive reading activities. The results revealed significant increases in both reading comprehension and reading rate among the treatment groups. The findings have highlighted the benefits of integrating extensive reading into English curricula and emphasized the importance for educators and students to recognize its role in enhancing English language learning.
Key words: Extensive reading, reading comprehension, reading rate, EFL reading fluency
