2012/07/08

Title: Easy Extensive Reading in the Arts and Sciences

Speaker: Joseph Poulshock

By his enthusiasm and energy, it comes as no surprise that Joseph Poulshock's ideas and methodology are influenced by some of the greats in reading education like Dr. Richard Day and Steven Krashen. With over 20 years teaching in Japan, Poulshock is making his own mark in the ESL / EFL world.

With negative attitudes towards “Extensive Reading” or “多読”(tadoku) from Japanese students today, Poulshock recommends a more subtle approach: Call it “Big Easy Reading.” By inviting students to participate in “Big Easy Reading” program, students are less likely to feel intimidated by the extensive nature of the reading program.

Poulshock continues on by explaining Krashen's theory of language acquisition and input learning emphasizing that understanding messages is what causes skill development. The most important question Poulshock poses for students is “How much time are you willing to spend on English learning?” Excluding the importance of building friendships with other people and the cultural experience that come with study abroad programs, Poulshock supports Beniko Mason's suggestion that extensive reading has that same language building potential as these English study abroad programs have.

However, teacher direction and support is the key to success. Poulshock states that helping students define clear cut goals, understand how enjoyable and easy achieving these goals are, and giving students comprehensive feedback all contribute to successful second language acquisition. Therefore, for students who lack the means for study abroad programs, hope is not lost for second language acquisition. Teachers who help Japanese students maintain motivation through “Big Easy Reading” can offer these students the real possibility of effective English language learning.