ABSTRACT

Development and Application of a Model for Extensive

Reading Program for Improving Reading Ability of Middle
School Students

Oh, Jeonghun
Major in English Education
Graduate School of Korea National University of Education
Chung-Buk, KOREA

Supervised by Prefessor Park, Sung-soo, D. Litt.

Reading classes in secondary schools in Korea are primarily based on

Intensive Reading Approach(IRA). However, these reading classes have some
limitations on combining the factors of reading: the reader, the text, fluency,
and strategy. Furthermore, the IRA hasn't made much contribution to
achieving one of the goals of the 7th National Curriculum, which is helping
students have confidence and continual interest in learning English.
Consequently,

there

has

been

research

on

Extensive

Reading

Approach(ERA) as an alternative to IRA. Those researches have shown that

extensive reading is effective in improving the reading abilities of learners.
Furthermore, learners have come to have confidence and interest in English
reading by participating in extensive reading programs. However, the focus
of those researches and programs has remained only in helping learners
read many books and write reading journals as a relevant activity. This has
again led to the failure in incorporating the four factors of reading.
Moreover,

they

have

not

actively

integrated

listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

four

skills

of

language:

Therefore, the purpose of this study lies in developing and applying an

extensive reading model that actualizes the factors of reading and the
characteristics of extensive reading as well as integration of four skills of
English. The Extensive Reading Program(ERP) made according to the
developed extensive reading model had been applied to 15 middle school
students in the third grade. The students had 16 classes which were taken
once a week. The results of the ERP based on the extensive reading model
are as follows:

First, the ERP resulted in improving students' fluency in English reading.

Second, the ERP was effective in helping students use reading strategies for
fast reading and form habits for speed reading. Third, the ERP significantly
contributed to helping students build confidence and take interest in reading
English books like language learner literature. Furthermore, this drove
students to read English books voluntarily.

Fourth, the ERP successfully

appealed to students by integrating four skills of English.

This modified extensive reading model not only enables students to do

meaningful reading by incorporating the factors of reading but also realizes
the ten characteristics of successful extensive programs. Moreover, the ERP
demonstrates how to integrate four skills of English successfully.
In conclusion, English learners can become autonomous readers of
English as well as fluent readers of English with strategies for speed
reading through an extensive reading program based on the extensive
reading model. Furthermore, the learners' confidence and interest in English
reading can motivate them to read English books continually.

A thesis submitted to the Committee of the Graduate School of Korea National

University of Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Master of Education in February, 2008.