Abstract
A great number of studies to date have shown the positive effects of extensive reading. However, almost no studies have examined the effects of integrated extensive reading, which is another way of extensive reading where students read materials selected by their teachers and they are engaged in some post-reading activities. The main purpose of this study is to clarify which is more effective in improving the reading ability of Japanese senior high school students, extensive reading or integrated extensive reading. The participants selected were divided into two groups: 39 students (control group) read English books outside the class and 38 students (experimental group) read English books inside the class and did some additional follow-up exercises after reading. All the participants in each group read over 20,000 words for seven months. The results showed that integrated extensive reading improved reading comprehension, speed, and efficiency. Thus, it was suggested that integrated extensive reading was more effective than regular extensive reading especially for Japanese senior high school students.
