Introduction
This study aims to analyze whether an increase in students’ autonomy would prove beneficial to learning, specifically in extensive reading practices. It was motivated by several complaints from CEF A2, B1 and B2 teenage and adult students who expressed their dissatisfaction with not having a say in the selection of readers used in their courses and having to work with the assigned classic readers such as the ones by Shakespeare and Jane Eyre.
In spite of students’ complaints, the benefits of extensive reading as a learning tool have been widely recognized in ELT literature (Grabe, 2009; Brown, 2007; Harmer, 2007), and therefore this practice should not be neglected. However, it has also been argued persuasively that these benefits can only be reaped if the material to be read is self-chosen and genuinely relevant to learners (Scrivener, 2011). Scrivener also states that ‘unabridged old copies of worthy classics are not a good choice’ (Scrivener, 2011:268).
Considering these facts, I conducted extensive reading activities throughout a whole year with two groups, seeking to assess the impact created by giving learners autonomy to choose their reading material.
Methodology
The first group (control group, henceforth) was given the same readers regularly adopted in the course. There was no choice whatsoever to be made by students. The second group (experimental group, henceforth) was provided with the opportunity to choose from na array of books available in the school library where the research was carried out. Each chosen book was carefully checked on its suggested proficiency level to ensure that all learners had a challenging but feasible reading task.
The two groups had very similar profiles. The control group consisted of three teenage groups (CEF A2 and B2) and three adult groups (CEF B2), totaling 42 teenage students and 40 adult students. The experimental group also consisted of three teenage groups (CEF B1 and B2) and three adult groups (CEF B2 and C1), totaling 39 teenagers and 42 adult students. All students were Brazilians from the same regions.
The same activities were conducted throughout the year with both groups. These included, but were not limited to, sharing opinions and recommendations about their readings, reconstructing the stories, considering potential film adaptations, writing reviews, summarizing the plots, and making presentations.
At the end of the study period, questionnaires were given to learners, in which students were asked to rate their reading and language improvement (aiming to assess perception of learning) and their enjoyment in doing the activity. They were also asked whether they felt motivated to read and participate in the classroom discussions. Learners were also encouraged to write any comments they wished to make. The average results follow below.
Results
Teenagers from the control group rated their enjoyment in reading at 3.4 (out of 10), while adults rated it at 5.3. Teenagers and adults from the experimental group rated their enjoyment at 8.2 and 8.6, respectively.
Students who were forced to read a certain book had worryingly low perceptions of learning – 4.5 for teenagers and 5.5 for adults, unlike those learners who could select their readers and who rated their progress at 7.3 (teenagers) and 7.9 (adults).
When asked whether they had felt motivated to read, 24% of the students from the control group answered “yes”, whereas 92% of the students from the experimental group answered the same.
78% of the learners who had the autonomy to choose their own material stated that they would have liked to read their book even if it was not na activity of the course. Among the students who did not have such autonomy, this number was 21%.
It is also worth noting that 20% of the students from the control group stated that they had not done any reading at all. This percentage was much lower among students from the experimental group: 4%.
Students from the experimental group were also asked if they liked being able to choose a book to read. 98% answered “yes”. Conversely, after the study was over, students of the control group were asked if they would have liked the opportunity to choose their reading material. 93% answered affirmatively.
Analysis
Extensive reading is extremely important for many language skills, and it can lead to improvements in listening, grammar, lexis, spelling and writing, among others (Grabe, 2009). Consequently, it must be tackled as efficiently as possible if learning is to be maximized.
Motivation plays an essential role in the effectiveness of all learning (Ur, 2000), and it is not different for extensive reading. Ur argues that when students are motivated, learning becomes easier and more pleasant. This study shows that students who had some autonomy in the task were significantly more motivated and engaged. This seems to corroborate findings in the ELT literature on learner independence, which claim that one of the most effective ways of infusing students with intrinsic motivation is helping them develop autonomy, giving them choices whenever possible (Brown, 2007).
Enjoyment in reading was also substantially higher when learners had a choice of what to read. This is particularly important, as it has been proven that ‘our students’ motivation is far more likely to remain healthy if they are doing things they enjoy doing, and which they can see the point of’ (Harmer, 2007:102).
Interestingly, the numbers show that learners do not seem to feel they are learning much when they are forced to read something that does not necessarily appeal to them. While this may be untrue – students may be indeed learning a lot without realizing it – this perception really matters. Students tend to feel better when they realize by themselves that they have achieved something important or learned something new, and this perception of learning can have a significant impact on motivation (Celce-Murcia et al., 2014).
It has also been observed that learners who were not granted any autonomy seem substantially more likely to not do any reading outside the class at all (when compared to the ones who had some choice). Not engaging in extensive reading activities outside the classroom can be seriously detrimental to learning, as the actual amount of time students spend reading in class tends to be too little, needing to be supplemented by additional reading practices (Grabe, 2009).
Conclusion
Based on the results of this study, there seems to be a number of benefits in giving learners autonomy to choose the material used in extensive reading practices (as long as the chosen material is appropriate for their proficiency level). These benefits include an increase in motivation, in perception of learning and even in language acquisition. This corroborates what Scrivener and Grabe stated in their works – extensive reading tends to be more successful if students genuinely like what they are reading (Grabe, 2009; Scrivener, 2011). Therefore, it appears to be a good idea to allow learners to select their own reading material.
Future studies could delve deeper into the effects this autonomy may (or may not) have on language acquisition. In addition, although perception of learning was markedly higher among students who chose their reading material, the ratings (7.3 and 7.9) could have been higher. Further work is necessary on how to help students realize how much they are learning through extensive reading, if learner motivation is to be kept strong.
References:
GRABE, W. (2009) Reading in a Second Language: Moving from Theory to Practice. Cambridge;
SCRIVENER, J. (2011) Learning Teaching: The Essential Guide to English Language Teaching. Macmillan;
UR, P. (2000) A Course in Language Teaching: Practice and Theory. Cambridge;
HARMER, J. (2007) The Practice of English Language Teaching. Longman;
CELCE-MURCIA, M. et al. (2014) Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language. CENGAGE Learning;
BROWN, H. J. (2007) Teaching by Principles: An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy.Longman.
The author
Gabriel Boiani Barbosa works at Cultura Inglesa São Paulo and has been an English teacher for 8 years. He holds a CELTA and has spoken in different ELT conferences in Brazil. He has also published articles aimed at helping Brazilian students cope with the level of English required at university.
