A Case Study of the Impact of Online Extensive Reading on the L2 Reading Motivation, Habits, and Linguistic Abilities of Advanced L2 English Learners

Date

2023-10-16

Contributor

Advisor

Department

Instructor

Depositor

Speaker

Researcher

Consultant

Interviewer

Narrator

Transcriber

Annotator

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center
Center for Language & Technology

Volume

35

Number/Issue

2

Starting Page

160

Ending Page

189

Alternative Title

Abstract

This mixed-methods case study examines how an online extensive reading project impacted the 11 participants’ motivation, habits, and linguistic abilities regarding L2 English reading. The participants engaged in extensive reading for one year on Xreading (an online extensive reading website). They were all female Japanese nationals aged between 30 and 65 whose L1 was Japanese. Previous studies have reported the benefits of extensive reading for elementary/intermediate learners, but have not fully looked at outcomes for learners at higher levels. This study’s findings suggest that extensive reading is equally beneficial for those above the intermediate level. Throughout this project, the participants accessed graded readers on Xreading, and quickly established reading habits in English, transforming from reluctant to engaged, avid L2 readers. The qualitative data obtained from interviews, journals, and records on Xreading revealed the sources of the participants’ positive changes to be: how engaging and easy to comprehend the graded readers were, a sense of commitment to the project, consistent support from the researcher, and the Xreading’s useful functions. Additionally, the participants’ vocabulary sizes and reading rates, increased significantly (vocabulary size gains, p < .0005 and reading rate gains, p < .05) in parallel to the substantial amount of reading they were doing.

Description

Keywords

advanced foreign language readers, extensive reading, graded readers (GRs), reading motivation, reading habits, reading rate, vocabulary size, Xreading, online reading, online extensive reading, post-school adult second language learners, qualitative data

Citation

Tabata-Sandom, M. (2023). A case study of the impact of online extensive reading on the L2 reading motivation, habits, and linguistic abilities of advanced L2 English learners. Reading in a Foreign Language, 35(2), 160-189. https://hdl.handle.net/10125/67446

Extent

Format

Geographic Location

Time Period

Related To

Related To (URI)

Table of Contents

Rights

Rights Holder

Local Contexts

Collections

Email libraryada-l@lists.hawaii.edu if you need this content in ADA-compliant format.