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Graded Readers: Some surprises and directions

Graded Readers: Some surprises and directions. Rob Waring Notre Dame Seishin University PANSIG May 20, 2011 Matsumoto. Graded readers. Non-fiction too. Making a GR series. Issues: Which genres? Fiction / non-fiction Number of levels / titles per level Book length by level

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Graded Readers: Some surprises and directions

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  1. Graded Readers: Some surprises and directions Rob Waring Notre Dame Seishin University PANSIG May 20, 2011 Matsumoto

  2. Graded readers

  3. Non-fiction too

  4. Making a GR series Issues: Which genres? Fiction / non-fiction Number of levels / titles per level Book length by level Word lists and grammar syllabus Ensure a good spread of general, technical and academic vocab How do we integrate it with other GR series and core texts? Who writes them? What are the ‘exciter’ features?

  5. Course work and graded readers work together Unit 1 Be verb Simple adjectives Unit 2 Simple present Daily routines Unit 3 Present continuous Sporting activities Unit 4 can Abilities Unit 5 …. ….. Level 1 books Level 2 books Level 3 books….

  6. How do Intensive and Extensive Reading fit together? Reading Pain (too hard, poor comprehension, high effort, de-motivating) Intensive reading (Instructional level, can learn new words and grammar) Extensive reading (fast, fluent, adequate comprehension, enjoyable) Speed reading practice (very fast, fluent, high comprehension, natural reading, enjoyable) 90% 98% 100% % of known vocabulary Slow High Reading speed Low High Comprehension

  7. How do the series fit the scale?

  8. The number of words a learner will probably learn from course work plus graded readers Data from Sequences, Foundations, Page Turners and Footprints by Heinle Cengage 225,000 60,800 570,000 174,000 (=1,029,000)

  9. Uptake rates When learning only from a course book (over 3 years): 962 words will be learnt well (29.4%) A further 1,052 will be partially known (32.1% ) 1,261 words are likely to be forgotten (38.5%) Adding one graded reader per week: 1,556 words (40.0%) will be learnt well, plus 1,109 words (27.8%) will be partially known and only 33.2% unknown. Adding two graded readers per week: They will know 2,119 words well, plus partially know another 1,571 words

  10. Notes: 40 function words (in, of, the, by etc.) accounted for 41.2% of the total words Typically one’s productive vocabulary is 20-25% of the receptive They will also pick up many collocations, colligations, idioms, phrases, multiple meanings, lexical chunks, sentence heads… etc.

  11. How many words do Japanese students meet in JH/ SH? A total of approximately 55,000 running words will be met (not counting juku, self-study and Eiken preparation). A generous estimate is 100,000 words and about 3,500 types over 6 years. Listening input would be approximately 10% of this.

  12. Directions More publishers More series More EFL kids series More non-fiction titles Non-fiction elements added to fiction texts Culling of older series / titles Amalgamation of series under one publisher Newer publishers tend to write original fiction not classics Emerging IR/ER blended books – Black cat, CUP Discovery readers Digital readers emerge / multi-media content More online graded reading

  13. Predictions for 2021 ER will still be growing in importance / awareness There will be a backlash against ER, but ER will survive it Increase in awareness for the need for EL (but less than ER) Courageous governments will require ER/EL in their curriculums More local publishers / localized series / versions Specialty series will emerge – e.g. business, technical 40% of graded reader sales will be digital Courageous test makers will be using fiction reading materials ‘Proof’ of ER’s effectiveness will still be hard to pin down We will still not have clear data on the effect of ER on the learning of lexical chunks and collocations

  14. Some surprises?

  15. How many ER organizations can you name? JALT ER Sig The Extensive Reading Foundation The Japan Extensive Reading Association (日本多読学会) Korean English Extensive Reading Association KOTESOL ER Sig Jeju Extensive Reading Association Taiwan Extensive Reading Association

  16. How many graded reader publishers are there? • 20 • 42 • 18 • 32

  17. How many graded reader publishers are there? MM Publications MPI Nelson Oxford University Press Penguin Random House Regents R.I.C Publications Richmond Readers Scholastic ELT Saddleback Walker Books Witman Readers World Wide Readers Express Publishing Faeron/Janus Harper Collins Heinle Cengage Helbling Hodder Houghton Mifflin HueblerLekturen IBC Iran Institute for Languages Kodansha Macmillan Publishing Marshall Cavendish McGraw Hill ABAX Addison Wesley AMES Burlington Cassell Collins Publishers Compass Publishing Cambridge University Press Cidebpublishing Dorling Kindersley Edward Arnold Egmont Eichosha ELI

  18. How many graded readers are currently in print (major publishers)? • 1800 • 2600 • 8000 • 3300

  19. Put these in order in terms of number of titles • Oxford University Press • Penguin • Heinle Cengage • Cambridge University Press • Macmillan • Scholastic • Compass media

  20. How many different series are used for ER (adults and kids)? • About 60 • About 80 • About 100 • About 160

  21. Which story has been made in to a graded reader the most times (and is still in print)? Jane Eyre The Little Red Riding Hood Huckleberry Finn Tom Sawyer Alice in Wonderland Anne of Green Gables Around the world in 80 days The Call of the Wild The Canterville Ghost A Christmas Carol David Copperfield Dracula Frankenstein Great Expectations The Jungle Book Little Women Oliver Twist Pride and Prejudice Robinson Crusoe Romeo and Juliet The Secret garden Treasure Island

  22. Which story has been made in to a graded reader the most times? Dracula 11 Frankenstein 14 Great Expectations 9 The Jungle Book 8 Little Women 9 Oliver Twist 12 Pride and Prejudice 10 Robinson Crusoe 9 Romeo and Juliet 9 The Secret garden 10 Treasure Island 12 Jane Eyre 11 The Little Red Riding Hood 5 Huckleberry Finn 8 Tom Sawyer 10 Alice in Wonderland 9 Anne of Green Gables 6 Around the world in 80 days 6 The Call of the Wild 9 The Canterville Ghost 10 A Christmas Carol 10 David Copperfield 8

  23. What do these acronyms for ER stand for? DEAR – Drop Everything and Read ZYLAR BEARS USSR OTTER DIRT RABBIT ERIC SURF

  24. What do these acronyms for ER stand for? DEAR – Drop Everything and Read ZYLAR- Zip Your Lips and Read BEARS – Be Excited About Reading Stories USSR- Uninterrupted Sustained Silent Reading OTTER- Our Time To Enjoy Reading DIRT – Daily Independent Reading Time RABBIT – Read a Book Because It’s There! ERIC – Everybody Reads in Class SURF – Silent Uninterrupted Reading for Fun

  25. Finally… You can review this presentation by downloading the article from the following website. www.robwaring.org/presentations/ More information about Graded Reading (Extensive Reading) at… www.extensivereading.net The First Extensive Reading World Congress, Kyoto Sangyo University, Kyoto. Sept 3-6, 2011 http://erfoundation.org/erwc1/

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