The Effects of Extensive Reading, Timed Reading, and Repeated Oral Reading on Japanese University L2 English Learners’ Reading Rates and Comprehension over One Academic Year

Abstract

The effects of extensive, timed, and repeated oral reading on 101 lower-intermediate Japanese university L2 English learners’ reading rates and comprehension were investigated over one academic year. The participants were divided into four quasi-experimental groups: (a) Group 1 did extensive, timed, and repeated oral reading with prosody and chunking training; (b) Group 2 practiced extensive and timed reading; (c) Group 3 did extensive reading only; and (d) Group 4 did not receive any reading fluency treatments. Three different texts of varying length and difficulty were used to measure reading rate at three times during the year. The results indicated that all three reading fluency treatment groups made statistically significant reading rate gains on the three measures while maintaining comprehension. Notably, Group 1, the group that received the most wide-ranging treatment, outperformed the other groups. Therefore, this study underscores the importance of taking a comprehensive approach to developing reading fluency in L2 contexts.