The Effects of Extensive Reading, Timed Reading, and Repeated Oral Reading on Japanese University L2 English Learners’ Reading Rates and Comprehension over One Academic Year

The effects of extensive, timed, and repeated oral reading on 101 lower-intermediate Japanese university L2 English learners’ reading rates and comprehension were investigated over one academic year. The participants were divided into four quasi-experimental groups: (a) Group 1 did extensive, timed, and repeated oral reading with prosody and chunking training; (b) Group 2 practiced extensive and timed reading; (c) Group 3 did extensive reading only; and (d) Group 4 did not receive any reading fluency treatments. Three different texts of varying length and difficulty were used to measure reading rate at three times during the year. The results indicated that all three reading fluency treatment groups made statistically significant reading rate gains on the three measures while maintaining comprehension. Notably, Group 1, the group that received the most wide-ranging treatment, outperformed the other groups. Therefore, this study underscores the importance of taking a comprehensive approach to developing reading fluency in L2 contexts

L2 reading fluency progression using timed reading and repeated oral reading

The progression of silent reading rates and reading comprehension were examined among Japanese university students (N = 55) over one academic semester. Participants were divided into three quasi-experimental groups. The first group practiced a combination of timed reading and repeated oral reading with attention paid to chunking and prosody. The second group practiced timed reading exclusively. The comparison group engaged in oral communication training. Reading rate data were examined using four scoring methods. The results indicated that the treatment groups made statistically significant rate gains, ranging from 13 to 27 standard words per minute. While comprehension percentages were slightly below 70% for both groups, rate gains were accompanied by comprehension increases during the treatment. Both treatment groups outperformed the comparison group in terms of rate and comprehension. While no statistically significant differences were found between the treatment groups, both types of practice were efficacious in promoting second language reading fluency