Introduction of Extensive Reading to Japanese University Students: A Case Study

Abstract

This exploratory study investigated the effectiveness of extensive reading (ER) on the development of Japanese university students’ reading rate and their beliefs and attitudes towards reading English texts. In the second semester of 2010, ninety-five Japanese university students read graded readers outside the class and submitted weekly reports online for four months. Pretests and posttests of reading rates were administered according to their reading levels. Questionnaires on the participants’ beliefs and attitudes towards reading English texts were also given. T-tests were conducted to compare the means of the reading rates and questionnaire items. The results did not show a statistically significant improvement in their reading rate. However, we were able to identify a significant increase in the participants’ beliefs about their ability in reading fluency through ER.