How frequently do you use graded readers with your students?
20 August 2008 - 2:49pm — admin
Quite often
62% (8 votes)
Sometimes
23% (3 votes)
Not very often
8% (1 vote)
Never
8% (1 vote)
Total votes: 13
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Comments
Graded readers in nearly all classes
I use graded readers in my general freshman courses (4 books over the semester), my elective reading course (8-9 books over the semester in addition to a reading coursebook), my elective composition course (one of the writing assignments is to read a graded reader and write a response to the book) and in a graduate course I teach (reading pedagogy).
The only course I teach that I do not use graded readers is public speech, though I have toyed with the idea. In every class I've used them, the response has been very positive.
Sometimes
I chose "Sometimes" as I use graded readers (aka language learner literature) only in my optional classes that students choose because they are (supposed to be) more motivated to learn English. Minimum requirement, one book a week. I also encourage visitors to the language lounge at our university to read books as a way to learn and practice and enjoy English.
How often?
I selected "often" since I'm sure that's what my students think, although their requirement is just one graded reader per week. More precisely the requirement is 10 "points" in the first term and 15 points in the second term (both of 14 weeks) where one graded reader is normally worth one point. Books that are considerably thinner or thicker than others at a specific level are worth more or less points.
using graded readers
Even though I really believe in the idea of extensive reading, I have not always been able to use work systematically with it in the institution I used to work for till a short time ago - exam preparation courses and the textbook were the priority for the institution and many times extensive reading was considered just an extra
Have any of you experienced the same problems? How do you deal with them?
Looking forward to some replies.
Cheers - Chris
reading culture
Not being able to use extensive reading in the curriculum can be turned to advantage. It compels you to be clear on the value of extensive reading, and to be able to convey that to the students and other staff. That done, you can nurture a culture of reading and a community of reading in your institution. This involves getting to know the students and being a keen reader yourself... all good things under any circumstances.