#4119

College and University I give permission to record or livestream Presentation (45 minutes)

Fictional Graded Readers Boost Academic Word Knowledge: Fact or Fantasy?

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Extensive reading is often omitted from EAP programmes because of the lack of suitable materials. In particular, materials used in EAP programmes should include salient academic vocabulary, while being of interest to students. Fortunately, a series of graded readers that addresses both of these requirements has recently been developed. 'My Mysterious Friend Sora' is an engaging, exciting, and often poignant story that follows the life of a university student and her unusual friend, Sora. The story ‒ which spans 10 graded readers ‒ includes the systematic recycling of all 570 items from Coxhead’s (2000) academic word list. In this session, the presenter will discuss the vocabulary gains made by the students who read the series as well as the feedback provided by students. Finally, the potential usefulness of the series (which is available on Xreading) in other teaching and learning contexts will also be discussed.