Examining the Utilisation of Extensive Reading from the Perspective of ESL Students’ Reader Response

Abstract

This qualitative experimental study examines the utilization of an Extensive Reading Programme from the perspective of ESL students' reader responses. It seeks to examine the kind of written responses produced by the mediocre and low proficiency ESL students based on the Reader Response Approach, the outcome of using Reader Response Approach in the Extensive Reading Programme, and the ESL students' experiences towards the Extensive Reading Programme. The study was conducted for a duration of three months in a secondary school. The participants of this study included an ESL teacher and six Form 4 students, comprising three females and three males. The researcher documented data through four sources: classroom observations, interviews with the teacher and students, response journals, and examination marks. Findings indicated that the Extensive Reading Programme and the use of the Reader Response Approach enabled the students to come up with various statements and benefited their language development. The findings of the study suggest that the Extensive Reading Programme and Reader Response Approach should be a part of the curriculum in secondary schools as they help in improving students' language proficiency. The study proposes a guideline for implementing an Extensive Reading Programme and Reader Response Approach in the language classroom, which ESL educators can adopt.