Definition of Extensive Reading

a. Harold Palmer

He said that extensive reading meant “rapidly” reading “book after book”. A reader attention should be the meaning, not the language, of the text. In Palmer’s conception of extensive reading, texts were clearly being used for the purposes of language study, but, because attention was on the content and not the language, it cold only be that the texts were also being used for ordinary real-world purposes of pleasure and information. And also extensive reading too on a special sense in the context of language teaching: real-world reading but for pedagogical purpose.

b. Michel West

He established the methodology of extensive reading, called it “supplementary” reading. The goal of supplementary reading was “the developmental to the point of enjoyment of the ability to read the foreign language” and the methodology involved “taking care of individual differences and encouraging the reading habit”.

c. Eddie Williams and Christ Moran

They said that extensive reading is recognized as one of four styles of way of reading: skimming, scanning, and intensive reading. They note that these four reading styles are recognized “on the basis of observable behavior (notably speed of reading, degree of re-reading, ‘skipping’ of the text)”.

d. Longman dictionary of language teaching and applied linguistic

Extensive reading is, “intended to develop good reading habits, to build up knowledge of vocabulary and structure, and to encourage a linking for reading.

e. William Grabe

He discusses some of the benefits of extensive reading. “longer concentrated periods of silent reading build vocabulary and structural awareness, develop automaticity , enhance background knowledge, improve comprehension skills, and promote confidence and motivation”.