The Effects of Extensive Reading in the EFL Classroom on English Writing Ability among Japanese High School Students

Abstract

This study investigated what effects extensive reading in an EFL classroom had on Japanese students’ English writing ability. A four-month extensive reading program was conducted for 12th graders in a public secondary school in Japan. The participants read graded readers under the conditions of Sustained Silent Reading (SSR). They were organized into two groups: 40 learners in Group 1 (45-minute extensive reading plus 5-minute essay writing on the books they read: ERW) and 30 in Group 2 (50-minute extensive reading only: ER). As pre- and post-tests, they took reading comprehension tests, which consisted of CEFR A1-B2 level questions, and writing tests in English. The writing tests were evaluated on the basis of Simplified EFL Composition Profile (Ohba, 2013) with the following five subcomponents: content, organization, vocabulary, language use, and mechanics. The research questions (RQs) were as follows: (1) Does extensive reading in an EFL classroom improve learners’ writing ability? (2) If the RQ1 is positive, which of the five subcomponents does it improve? (3) Which of the five subcomponents relates to the participants’ reading ability or the number of words they read? The analysis of variance of pre- and post-writing tests showed that the instructional difference between ERW and ER was not recognized, the significant development in writing skill was recognized in lower level students of each group, and four subcomponents (content, organization, vocabulary, and language use) were significantly improved in lower level students of each group. Regression analysis showed that there was a moderate correlation between writing ability and reading ability and there was a significant difference both in Language Use of ERW group and in Vocabulary of ER group. Participants’ reading ability, rather than the number of words the participants read, had a greater effect on the participants’ writing ability. The significant effects of reading ability were recognized in each of the five subcomponents for both the ERW and ER groups.