Effects of Extensive Reading on Students’ Perceptions of Reading Ability and Use of Reading Strategies

Abstract

This paper investigates the effects of extensive reading on students’ perceptions of their reading ability and on their use of metacognitive and cognitive strategies while reading extensively. The study, conducted in Vietnam over a period of seven weeks, found that the subjects perceived that extensive reading enhanced certain aspects of their reading ability as well as their motivation to read. It also found more reports of the use of reading strategies at the end of the research than at the beginning. This suggests that extensive reading raised the subjects’ awareness of their own reading and thus might have helped them become more autonomous as readers. These findings suggest that extensive reading should be promoted in Vietnam, where the pedagogical tradition of teacher-centeredness has long been dominant.