All Levels Xreading: What’s New and What’s Next more

Sat, Sep 6, 12:00-10:45 Asia/Tokyo

Xreading is digital library that gives students access to over a thousand graded readers from major publishers such as Cambridge University Press, Macmillan, and National Geographic/Cengage Learning. Students have unlimited access to all books as well as audio narrations, ratings, and quizzes. In addition, the system tracks students' reading progress (books read, words read, reading speed, quiz scores, etc.) so it makes management and assessment much easier for teachers. Since it’s launch is 2014, the system has been continuously evolving and growing in terms of the number of books and features. In this presentation, the founder of Xreading will explain the new functionality that has been added over the past year, and what is planned for the future including our new textbook series and COIL project. Current users of the system are encouraged to provide feedback and suggestions based on their experience.

All Levels Ten Principles of Successful Extensive Reading Programs more

It has been over twenty years since Richard Day and Julian Bamford first came out with their 10 Principles of Extensive Reading. This seminal list, and the many papers and studies on the topic that came afterwards have greatly increased awareness of extensive reading. However, appreciating the benefits of extensive reading, and providing your students with a large library of graded readers, whether physical books or digital, does not ensure they will actually read. Students need to be motivated to read, and that can be accomplished with a well-planned and implemented program. The presenter, who has advised dozens of ER programs, has come up with ten strategies that will significantly increase the likelihood of your program’s success, and your students doing considerably greater amounts of reading

All Levels Virtual Exchange + ER: A combination for success more

Virtual exchanges and COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) allow students in participating classes to communicate with peers around the world, an experience that can be highly motivating for students. These programs often get off to an exciting start when students first meet their counterparts from another country. However, the exchanges soon start to suffer due to a lack of input necessary foster engaging discussions. Extensive Reading provides students with input, but many students lack motivation to read. Combining the two can be a recipe for success. In this session, the presenter will discuss a proposed virtual exchange in which each week, students prepare for a meeting with their partner in another country by reading a graded reader about a different aspect of their partner’s country. Entering the meeting with detailed knowledge of the topic and some related questions can result in more engaging interaction.