This presentation will highlight how to create extensive reading content in video format that is free, fun, and effective. Teachers and materials writers can learn how to generate an endless supply of engaging media content that students can read through captions. The emergence of AI and various online tools, such as VEED.IO, has made it easy to provide captions for video and audio content. As a result, both the extensive listening and extensive reading movements are now merging with the development of extensive viewing. This presentation will demonstrate how teachers can create or find content for any level and how to add captions to videos to help students increase their reading time. Additionally, the presentation will explore the differences between reading blocks of text in paragraph format and reading captions on various devices, as well as how captions can serve as a bridge for developing a love for reading.

This presentation highlights the value of extensive reading as a resource of comprehensible input for ESL and EFL learners and its myriad benefits for the development of their language and speaking skills. It examines classroom observations from case studies of two experienced English teachers and shares their practices to develop Primary 5 students’ extensive reading and listening skills to hone their knowledge of the sounds, words and structures of English. Teachers’ modelling of extensive reading and listening and thoughtful design of speaking tasks helped students to improve their content and language. The scaffolded practice enabled students to use the speaking structures to participate in interactions right away, adapting the ideas from classroom talk. Finally, the presentation concludes with a discussion of the implications for instruction and teachers’ important roles in creating conducive environments in class to model and promote extensive reading to enhance students’ language and speaking skills.

A partnership between The Hobbit and technology can help overcome the challenge of teaching SLA literature in the 21st century. The development of extensive reading habits is an ongoing challenge for SLA students. Tolkien wrote this work for his children in a way that helps instructors and students meet that challenge. Simple vocabulary and syntax, identifiable characters, a mythic structure at once familiar and new, and popularity that has resulted in translation into over 60 languages all combine to make The Hobbit a broadly applicable tool in SLA extensive reading instruction. This presentation illustrates the scaffolding methods, syllabus design, online journaling, AI interaction, and evaluation techniques of an upper-level CLIL literature course using the annotated version of The Hobbit as instructional material. The presentation will explore how to merge analog approaches with technologically-mediated, multi-modal study, both to enrich classroom experiences and to spark a sustainable extensive reading habit.

Extensive listening (EL) has been widely used for exposing students to the target language. Numerous studies have discussed the effects of EL to improve students’ listening skills; however, a few concentrate on how EL affects speaking skills. This research investigated EL potential in developing students’ English-speaking skills. 24 Indonesian university students’ were exposed to EL by listening to one graded e-book and recording their thoughts related to the audio file for one semester. Data, coming from students’ weekly EL log assignments and online open-ended questionnaires, were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Results show that most students have benefited from EL in terms of expressing ideas, improving fluency, and developing confidence. Additionally, all students agree to include EL as one supporting activity in the conversation class. Overall, students’ EL experiences and EL effect on their English speaking skills will be discussed in the presentation.

Mini-Bibliobattle, a book-report activity in which students present and vote for their favorite books, has been reported to enhance learners' interest in reading and improve their presentation skills. This activity can be incorporated into ER, and students can present their books and bridge reading with speaking. However, the specific factors that distinguish Book-Champions from other participants in terms of reading and presentation styles remain unclear. A questionnaire survey revealed that winners were more likely to: 1) attract the audience’s attention, 2) speak fluently without hesitation, and 3) use gestures frequently. Follow-up interviews indicated that winners read their presenting books more carefully than other books, focusing on key highlights. Additionally, they selected books that personally interested them, allowed them to incorporate their own experiences, or had storylines that were easy for the audience to understand. These findings suggest that Mini-Bibliobattle encourages students to engage in more careful reading and deliver more captivating presentations.

Numerous studies have been conducted to prove the efficacy of extensive reading (ER). The majority of them have revealed the impact of ER on receptive skills. How can ER affect productive skills? This presentation explores what aspects of ER could possibly influence the acquisition and retention of controlled productive vocabulary. Sixty-two English majors at a private university in Japan who experienced ER for 13 months participated in the study. They took the Productive Vocabulary Levels Test at the 2,000-word level 3 times: at the start of ER, toward the end of the second semester, and in the beginning of the third semester following the school closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings from statistical tests and analyses of the participants’ reading records will be discussed. Pedagogical suggestions will be offered to conclude the presentation.

This presentation explores the reading habits of around 12 prominent Telugu-speaking personalities from the Telangana , Andrapradesh states in India and abroad. With over 96 million (according to 2022 statistics) Telugu speakers worldwide, the study highlights how reading in Telugu (L1), English (L2), and other languages shapes leaders across professions. Through interviews and questionnaires, the study captures how bilingual or multilingual reading nurtures creativity, leadership, and public engagement. Participants include politicians, professionals, writers, and artists who credit reading—especially in their mother tongue—as foundational to their growth. In a digital age, these stories aim to inspire a stronger reading culture, especially among Telugu youth. Emphasizing the role of mother tongue literacy, the presentation shows how reading in Telugu builds identity and deepens learning alongside global languages.

Extensive reading (ER) often requires years to give students sufficient text exposure. However, maintaining student engagement over such a long period is challenging. As a result, studies extending beyond a year are rare. Keeping students motivated is crucial, and providing opportunities to recognize progress can help sustain engagement. This study explores the relationship between two years of reading volume and a one-year academic writing course in a Japanese high school. Using regression models, this study examines trends over time and shows that reading amount significantly predicts words written. This prediction enables learners to set small goals for progressing in reading, fostering improvements in writing fluency. Celebrating small successes supports long-term language development. While this study highlights the link between ER and written word count, future research should examine accuracy and language use to further reinforce the reading-writing connection.

In 2024, the number of Chinese students taking the Cambridge English Main Suite Examinations (MSE) reached 470,000 person-times. However, the combined excellent rate and outstanding rate for KET is 33.6%, for PET is 20.6% and for FCE is 16.2%. Most of the examinees have relatively low scores in reading and listening, and those who pass the exams often need to rely on their writing and speaking to boost their overall scores. Behind these figures, it indicates the insufficient amount of English reading among Chinese teenagers. For those learners who achieve full marks in reading and listening, it reflects their extensive English reading. This presentation will show the positive effects of extensive reading on preparing for the MSE, and report on case analyses.

This presentation introduces the "Five-Step Model" for English learning, a structured approach that emphasizes sequential progress. The five steps—listening first, oral expression, phonics, independent reading, and systematic writing—form a solid learning framework. Many parents rush to get kids speaking, skipping crucial listening practice. The "Five-Step Model" provides a clear roadmap to avoid this mistake. We also offer a detailed listening schedule, a tracking system to monitor daily and weekly progress, and real-time alerts for unhealthy learning patterns. Plus, our community support, including live Q&A sessions, helps address any learning issues promptly. Participants will learn effective strategies for guiding young learners through English acquisition.

Graded readers are essential for language acquisition, but their effectiveness depends on quality stories, linguistic accessibility, and cultural relevance. While many graded readers exist, few are tailored to specific local cultures. Many stories are based on Western norms, which may not resonate in non-Western countries. This presentation focuses on developing graded readers for Thai learners of English, considering their cultural perspectives, reading preferences, and linguistic challenges. Drawing from a project funded by The Fundamental Fund, Thailand Science Research and Innovation (TSRI), the session explores narrative styles, familiar themes, cultural frameworks, interests, and vocabulary needs that align with Thai sensibilities. It also discusses how the materials from this project align with the Thai National Curriculum to enhance motivation and comprehension. The session provides practical insights for educators, publishers, and curriculum designers looking to create engaging and culturally sensitive reading materials.

How can we make language learning more memorable and meaningful? Story-logic—the deep structure of narrative built on character, conflict, and attempted resolution—offers a powerful way to enhance comprehension, motivation, and retention. In this session, we’ll explore how story-logic shapes communication and language learning, synthesizing research on how story-driven input boosts engagement and acquisition. We’ll examine findings showing how story-logic amplifies meaning-making, helping learners understand, enjoy, and retain language more effectively.

Participants will gain strategies for using story-logic in teaching. We’ll explore techniques that center on predicament-powered, dilemma-driven, and incident-embedded texts and activities. We’ll also try story-logical retelling for retrieval practice and apply narrative techniques to both fictional and factual output. Whether teaching reading or any other skill, story-logic provides a blueprint for making language learning more compelling and effective. Attendees will leave equipped with practical story-logical tools they can use right away.

Research on extensive reading (ER) is often limited by a lack of control over how the ER treatments are conducted and assessed. Recent studies suggest that when ER activities are self-reported and unmonitored, participants may falsify reading records, introducing bias into research findings (Mikami & Shiozawa, 2023). Moreover, few studies investigate the comparative effects of other ER-based approaches, such as extensive listening (EL) and audio-assisted extensive reading (AER). This study aimed to examine the impact of monitored ER, EL, and AER on the general language proficiency development of learners of Japanese as a foreign language. Using an experimental design, we collected and analyzed participants’ standardized language proficiency test scores from the Japanese Computerized Adaptive Test. While our preliminary one-year findings indicated that AER outperforms ER and EL, this presentation will report the comprehensive results of our three-year study, offering deeper insights into the efficacy of these approaches for language acquisition.

Most ER research has adhered to the principle that reading must be individual and silent (Nation & Waring, 2020). Utilizing Conversation Analysis (CA), this presentation introduces two studies that explore ER in a context where the silent reading rule was abandoned and readers could read together. Drawing on 30 hours of video data from a Japanese as a Foreign Language (JFL) ER club, we present video clips demonstrating how reading aloud and co-locally provided opportunities for collaborative language learning and ‘language enjoyment’ (Botes et al., 2022), how learners recruit peer assistance to make learning-relevant ‘noticings’ (Schmidt, 1990), and how learners used talk and gesture to negotiate the meaning of the text for learning during ER. Rather than relying on self-reports or an experimental design, these studies explicate how ER benefits language learning by examining ER in-situ. Based on our findings, we advocate and discuss a 'loud', interactive approach to ER.

While appropriate difficulty and compelling content are essential for extensive reading, “linked skills activities” (Nation, 2024) that incorporate students` reading can further enhance learner engagement in coursework. This workshop aims to introduce four tools to use with ER and provide teachers with actual practice and takeaway materials. Reading Circles (Furr, 2009) include unique roles for students to address in discussions on common reading texts. Six Hats Thinking is a structured discussion format where participants first adopt a shared perspective before exploring others and can be used for selecting books. Mini-Bibliobattle is a 3-minute oral book report competition where attendees share their different favorite books and Q&A sessions decide a champion title. ER with Audio Support explains how reading-while-listening is key for development in young learners where novice readers decode words with phonics using audio/visual cues to aid comprehension. The sessions will share guidelines for instruction and feedback, and student reactions.

This study aimed to improve writing skills in students, including increased vocabulary acquisition in university writing classes by incorporating both Extensive Reading and Explicit Vocabulary Teaching. The class used for this research had 29 students and ran for one semester. Compared with the 75% of the students who completed their task of reading 20 Extensive Reading texts, the 25% of students who could not complete them showed lower writing accuracy in writing tasks. 37% of students out of the 75% of students also showed an increase in reading speed of on average of 20 seconds over one minute on the post-test. Moreover, Explicit Vocabulary Teaching of both synonyms and derivatives showed an increase in post-test scores of three times higher compared to the pre-test. These findings can hopefully contribute to providing a valuable baseline for writing teachers.