Extensive Reading Outcomes for Adult Emergent Bilinguals in a Community-Based ESL Program

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of an Extensive Reading (ER) program on adult Emergent Bilinguals enrolled in a community-based ESL program in the United States. Using a quasi-experimental design, we examined pre and post test changes in reading, language, vocabulary, spelling, and language mechanics for a treatment group (n = 53) and a “business-as-usual” group (n = 43). Results from Wilcoxon signed-rank and paired-samples t-tests revealed significant gains for the treatment group in reading, language, language mechanics, and spelling, with moderate to large effect sizes. Vocabulary did not show significant improvement. These findings provide evidence that ER can support literacy-related language development among adult ESL learners outside formal academic settings. The study contributes to the ER literature by focusing on non-college adult ESL learners and highlights the value of ER for community-based programs.