Question

In the teaching of prose, what is the primary purpose of 'extensive reading'?

• A. A) To enable students to analyze the literary devices deeply.
• B. B) To develop fluency and a general understanding for pleasure.
• C. C) To meticulously study every word and phrase for comprehension.
• D. D) To prepare students for grammar exercises based on the text.

Answer 1

Answer:

B. B) To develop fluency and a general understanding for pleasure.

Understanding Extensive Reading in Prose Teaching

• Extensive reading is a crucial pedagogical approach in language education, primarily focusing on developing a love for reading and improving overall reading proficiency.
• It involves reading large quantities of material that is generally within or slightly above the reader's current linguistic level, often chosen by the reader themselves.

Primary Purpose of Extensive Reading

• The main objective of extensive reading is to develop fluency and a general understanding for pleasure.
  • Fluency Development: By reading extensively, learners encounter familiar vocabulary and grammatical structures repeatedly in various contexts, which helps them process language more quickly and automatically, leading to smoother and more natural reading.
  • General Understanding: The focus is on comprehending the main ideas and overall message of the text rather than on detailed analysis of every word or sentence. This encourages a "top-down" approach to reading.
  • Reading for Pleasure: Extensive reading is inherently linked to enjoyment. When learners read texts they find interesting and engaging, it boosts their motivation and fosters a positive attitude towards reading, which is vital for long-term language acquisition.

Key Distinctions: Extensive vs. Intensive Reading

• For competitive exams, it's essential to differentiate between extensive and intensive reading:
  • Extensive Reading:
    • Purpose: Fluency, general understanding, pleasure, vocabulary consolidation.
    • Focus: Quantity of reading, main ideas, enjoyment.
    • Text Type: Longer texts, often simplified readers or authentic materials at an appropriate level.
    • Activity: Silent reading, individual choice, minimal teacher intervention.
    • Outcome: Increased reading speed, confidence, positive reading habits.
  • Intensive Reading:
    • Purpose: Detailed comprehension, language analysis, specific skill development.
    • Focus: Quality of reading, specific vocabulary, grammar, discourse markers.
    • Text Type: Shorter, often challenging texts.
    • Activity: Teacher-led, close analysis, often involves answering detailed comprehension questions or grammar exercises.
    • Outcome: Improved analytical skills, precise understanding of linguistic features.

Additional Benefits for Language Learners

• Vocabulary Acquisition: While not the primary focus, extensive reading facilitates incidental vocabulary learning. Learners infer the meaning of new words from context without explicitly looking them up, and repeated exposure helps in retention.
• Improved Comprehension Strategies: Readers learn to use context clues, predict, summarize, and monitor their understanding, enhancing their overall reading comprehension skills.
• Enhanced Writing Skills: Exposure to various writing styles, sentence structures, and rhetorical devices through extensive reading indirectly improves a learner's own writing ability.
• Knowledge of the World: Extensive reading broadens general knowledge and cultural understanding, especially when reading authentic materials.
• Motivation and Autonomy: Allowing learners to choose their reading materials fosters intrinsic motivation and promotes learner autonomy, making them more independent learners.

Theoretical Underpinnings

• The concept of extensive reading is strongly supported by Stephen Krashen's Input Hypothesis, which posits that language acquisition occurs when learners are exposed to comprehensible input that is slightly beyond their current level (i+1). Extensive reading provides a rich source of such input.
• It aligns with the idea that repeated exposure to language in meaningful contexts is more effective for acquisition than explicit grammar instruction alone.