College and University An analysis of a Successful Independent Reader’s Reading Log: A case study of a learner with limited exposure to English more

This case study explores the factors contributing to successful reading by analyzing a university student’s reading log and interview data. Despite having had limited exposure to English before entering university and lacking confidence in the English language, the student read over 700 books in an extensive reading program, accumulating a total of more than 200,000 words over nine months. Yoshida (2017) claims that reading in large quantities at an easy level (YL 0.3) is a key factor to success, along with extrinsic motivation driven by grades and appropriate feedback from teachers. The findings of the present study support Yoshida (2017)’s claims and further suggest that starting at an even more manageable level, such as YL 0.2, could be beneficial. This implies that staying within the learner’s linguistic competence (Grabe and Stroller, 2020) and prioritizing comprehension can lower the learner’s affective filter, facilitating successful reading in an extensive reading program.