The Effects of the Extensive Reading Program : An Analysis of the Changes of Japanese EFL Learners

抄録

It is said today, especially in modern technological societies, that reading English has more important than ever, as can be seen in the following quotation: 'English is the medium for 80% of the information stored in the world's computers...' (Graddol 1997, 50) Extensive reading programs for students to read written English as much as possible have recently been put into practice and the effects have been reported in some studies. Many researchers agree that extensive reading is effective in improving language skills. This paper reports the effects of the extensive reading program of Japanese EFL learners, analyzes changes in their attitudes and feelings to learning English and explores the possibility of Japanese EFL learners becoming autonomous readers through it, examining the results of doze tests, proficiency tests, questionnaires and interviews to the participants.