Reading is one of the skills that English learners should be mastered; this skill is not only used in academic context but also for the real context. Reading can be used for scholars to get information, to know the knowledge, to understand the material, etc. Reading English as a foreign language (EFL), like Indonesian students is not as easy as reading English a mother language / first language (L1), because EFL learners are not natives like learners from L1 English countries. EFL learners have difficulties to read English textbook because of the language that used in the textbook is not as easy as other genres of books, like comic, novel, etc.
In academic reading, three basics that learners need to get the meaningful reading are language competence, literacy skills and meaningful content. If we look at the first aspect, which is language competence it is needed for EFL learners in reading to get the meaningful reading. In Indonesian context, reflect to my previous experience in learning reading when I was in High School it was very hard because many vocabularies that was unfamiliar for me and I did not know the meaning of many words that was appeared in the textbook that used in English classroom.
In order to increase the ability for students to get familiar with new English vocabularies teacher can use extensive reading to help students to get familiar with several vocabularies in English that appear in the textbook. Extensive reading can be called as reading for pleasure. Although extensive reading is not specifically reading technique for academic context, teacher can adapt this technique, and teacher can bring it into classroom context especially for building their awareness, and get familiar to new vocabularies. There are some previous studies about using extensive reading in classroom context. It has shown that extensive reading had some evidences that students improve their reading by extensive reading (Pikulski & Chard, 2005; Silva, 2009; Therrien, 2004).
Extensive reading appropriates to apply in EFL context for EFL learners is teaching reading, because extensive reading can be done by students not only inside the classroom but also can be done at their home with comfort situation that they can create by their own. It supported by study that have been conducted by Lee (2008) with students in Taiwan on sustained silent reading reveals that the longer students read, the better the reading results. It also strengthens the argument that extensive reading can be used as one technique in teaching reading, especially in EFL context.
Teachers in EFL countries can apply this technique into their classroom for using several strategies that adapted from (Maley, 2009) to help students to build their awareness and get familiar with some unfamiliar vocabularies, such as:
1. Reading often and in a large quantity
2. Reading in a wide variety of topics and genres
3. Reading content that is interesting and compelling
4. Reading books students themselves select
5. Reading for pleasure and information
6. Reading is its own reward
7. Reading at levels appropriate for the readers
8. Reading speed is fast, not slow
From those strategies that applied in Maley’s research, teacher can do some strategies to use extensive reading also to build their habit in reading.
1. Teacher can build and activate students’ schemata through set the topic first as ‘before reading’ (pre-reading) activity.
2. Students will do extensive reading in home or school or anywhere individually or by group to comprehend what the topic tells about and to connect with the topic that will be discussed in the classroom as ‘during reading’ activity.
*In this step, students may use the time to write some vocabularies that they do not understand.
3. Teacher and students can do discussion together to re-build the connection of the topic and students’ knowledge, students also can use the discussion time for asking the teacher about some vocabularies that they do not understand while reading the book and after the discussion happens, teacher can assess what students have understood about the topic as ‘after reading’ activity.
In conclusion, I just want to say although teaching EFL learners reading is not easy as teaching L1 learners reading, teacher can adapt and create many techniques to build students’ knowledge in reading. One of the strategies that teacher may uses is extensive reading, I believe of the quote that says “the ability comes from the habit” it shows that if reading already become a habit for students they can build their ability in reading, especially in vocabulary aspect that have been stated as a big problem of EFL learners.
References:
• Lee, S. Y. (2008). Storytelling and sustained silent reading in foreign language acquisition: Evidence from Taiwan. Retrieved from here
• Pikulski, J. J., & Chard, D. J. (2005). Fluency: Bridge between decoding and reading comprehension. The Reading Teacher, 58(6), 510-519.
• Silva, J. P. (2009). Extensive reading through the Internet: Is it worth the while? International Journal of English studies, 9(2), 81-92.
• Therrien, W. J. (2004). Fluency and comprehension gains as a result of repeated reading: A meta-analysis. Remedial and Special Education, 25(4), 252-261.