READING MATTERS: A DIARY STUDY ANALYSIS OF EXTENSIVE READING IN L2
Keywords:
extensive reading, guided extensive reading, English as a foreign language, self-study, single case studyAbstract
Extensive reading is to read large quantities of materials for global understanding or for pleasure, which can be a useful way of learning a foreign or a second language. Diary studies, on the other hand, are the studies conducted to investigate participants’ experiences in a detailed way since they allow researchers to shed light on the challenges participants faced during the whole process. Numerous recent studies examining the process of extensive reading in a foreign or a second language have revealed highly encouraging results. However, there are few studies which collected data through both participants’ diaries and researchers’ logs. The current single case study was conducted with the aim of investigating the effects of extensive reading on an adult's self-study of English over a 20-week period. To present a detailed picture of what the learner experienced during the process, data were collected through semi-structured interviews administered in the beginning and at the end of the study, and through learner’s diaries. The Constant Comparative Method (Glaser & Strauss, 1967) was utilized to analyze the qualitative data. The results showed that extensive reading in English had favourable effects in the participant’s gaining reading habits in English, improving reading speed and comprehension, and increased the participant’s motivation towards learning English. Furthermore, the findings indicated that extensive reading in English lowered the participant’s worries about reading in English. The problems the participant encountered during the study and the ways she coped with these problems were also investigated and discussed in detail.
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