The premise of this research is that analytical and extensive reading in a digital environment might be used to facilitate second language acquisition at the tertiary education level. Despite the general orientation toward communicative methods in modern second language acquisition, reading methods and techniques have seen an unexpected yet very…

COVID-19 has severely impacted the higher education sector. Early institutional responses have been diverse, ranging from minimal changes to complete digitalisation of curriculum. This paper develops a preliminary higher education pandemic response model based on a comparative analysis of responses to the current coronavirus pandemic and those…

The effects of neoliberal ideologies in higher education (HE) today are manifested in different forms including self-reliance, intellectual fatigue, academic burnout, incessant competition, and constant frustration among teachers/students, and other precarious working conditions. Conceptualized through the arguments on creating possible…

The pervasive nature of online learning worldwide necessitates the creation, administration, and improvement of quality assurance mechanisms for higher education institutions. This article delineates a number of principles regarding features of high quality online learning systems and principles related to assessment of student learning, teacher…

In the first part of the discussion forum on extensive reading (ER) in "Reading in a Foreign Language" ("RFL") (April 2015 issue), many scholars in the field shared views regarding the core features to be considered when implementing ER, frequently referring to Day and Bamford's (1998, 2002) top 10 principles for teaching ER.…

For more than twenty years the benefits of extensive reading have been proclaimed to the ELT community, but the inclusion of extensive reading in ELT programmes is far from universal. Extensive reading appears to be particularly absent in higher educational and English for Academic Purposes settings. This paper reports on the implementation of an…

In today's environment of rising tuition and textbook costs, we surveyed business majors concerning their preferences regarding various text options that are available for their academic studies. Specifically, we surveyed 329 students enrolled in upper-level business courses at a mid-level Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business…

This project examined the practices of professional development in one Lebanese private higher education institution. The purpose of this project was to identify faculty perceptions regarding their professional development in order to clarify the areas in which improvements are needed. After extensive reading, the topic was identified and a…

Overviews three experiments exploring the value of extensive reading in English as a foreign language for college students in Japan. Notes that in extensive reading, students do self-selected reading with minimal accountability, i.e. writing brief summaries or comments on what they have read. Findings reveal extensive reading to be superior to…

Examines previous research on extensive reading, and describes an experiment comparing the improvement of reading comprehension by Japanese college freshmen taught by either a skills-based or extensive reading procedure. Results suggest that extensive reading may be at least as effective as skills building, with the important advantage that it is…

Extensive reading (ER) programs involve students in silently reading large quantities of material. Research suggests that extensive reading is associated with gains in first and second language proficiency. Further, extensive reading can help learners develop a reading habit and increase their level of autonomy. This paper begins with a discussion…

Illustrates the findings of a survey of reading frequency and attitudes related to extensive reading in English. Finds a negative correlation between the number of years of past English study and reading attitude. Notes that these findings are useful for defining appropriate instructional actions and identifying areas for further research with…

A three-month extensive reading program in England, inspired by Krashen's Input Hypothesis, used graded readers to improve English as a second language learners' linguistic skills. Program results showed a marked improvement in the subjects' language skills, especially in writing. (Author/CB)

Describes a university-level English-as-a-Second-Language program that includes integration of text and film that bolsters the extensive reading process. Criteria for the selection of resource materials included a challenging vocabulary, an interesting plot, compatibility of film and text version, and universal themes. Integrating books and films…

A 1986 study concerning the effectiveness of extensive reading in improving second language learning, and its replication in 1994-95, are reported. In the original study, four classes of English as a Second Language in a Taiwan university were used as experimental and control groups, the only difference in instruction being the use of extensive…