Asian EFL Journal Professional Teaching Articles Volume 53 July 2011

61
Comprehensible Input through Extensive Reading:
Problems in
English Language Teaching in China
Yan Wang
University of Macau, SAR, China
Gertrude Tinker Sachs
Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Bio Data:
Yan Wang is an assistant professor of TESOL at the Faculty of Education,
University of Macau, China. Her current work involves training pre-service
and in-service EFL teachers. Prior to this position, she worked for five
years at Georgia State University, U.S.A. where she taught courses in
ESOL teacher-preparation programs. Her research areas include teaching
English as a foreign language to Chinese speakers, cross-cultural issues in
education, and second language teacher education.
Gertrude Tinker Sachs is Associate Professor of ESOL, Language and
Literacy in the Middle Secondary Education and Instructional Technology
Department of the College of Education at Georgia State University. Prior
to this appointment she worked for twelve years in Hong Kong where she
taught undergraduate and graduate primary and secondary teachers of
English as a second/foreign language. While in Hong Kong, she was
principal or co-principal investigator for several longitudinal primary and
secondary teacher development and research projects in task-based
teaching, cooperative learning, action research and shared reading. Dr.
Tinker Sachs was the 2009 Program Chair for the Teachers of English to
Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) annual convention in Denver,
Colorado and one of her most recent publication is EFL/ESL Cases:
Contexts for Teacher Professional Discussions (Tinker Sachs, G & Ho, B.
2007, Hong Kong: City University Press).
Abstract
Target language input at the right structural level and in adequate amount is
believed to be a primary condition for successful second/foreign language
learning. This study was designed to investigate the issue of English
language input that younger learners were likely to be exposed to through
extensive reading in China. Focused-group interviews and analyses of
English textbooks in use and extensive-reading books on the market
revealed that these learners received rather restricted English language
input in terms of quantity, comprehensibility, and variety, and that input-
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poor, a critical issue in learning English as a foreign language (EFL)
contexts, was not addressed by the recent reform in China. The study called
for urgent attention to this problem among reform authorities, school
administrators, and English teachers in their efforts to improve students
learning outcomes of English and suggested the adoption of extensive
reading programs as the most effective means in the creation of an input-
rich environment in EFL learning contexts. Suggestions were also given to
book writers and publishers regarding ways to improve children literature,
story books, and other books for entertainment reading in English. This
study has wider implications for other Asian contexts in which similar
issues surrounding English language teaching and learning may arise.
Keywords: language input; extensive reading; comprehensible input;
English as a foreign language
Comprehensible Input through Extensive Reading: Problems in
English Language Teaching in China
A consensus has developed among researchers of second language
acquisition (SLA) over the past few decades on the necessity of target
language input at the right structural level (comprehensible input) and in
adequate amount for successful second language (L2) learning to occur
(Mitchell & Myles, 2004). Large doses of input are especially important in
the widely adopted pedagogical framework of communicative language
teaching (CLT), which endorses meaning-focused instruction and
pragmatic functional use of language. In the reality of English language
teaching (ELT), however, the role of target language input has been
addressed primarily in terms of whether it is comprehensible to students
while the adequacy issue is usually neglected, which is less a concern in
English as a second language (ESL) contexts, where the target language
input is readily available, than in settings where English is learned as a
foreign language (EFL). Past research conducted in the latter contexts
identified students lack of exposure to the target language or input-poor
environment as a major problem in the learning of English (Kouraogo,
1993; Sze, 1999). Since comprehensible input in adequate amount is a
primary (although not an exclusive) condition for L2 learning, its
importance cannot be over-emphasized in EFL contexts.
Since the early 1990s, China has launched a series of reforms to improve
English language teaching from elementary to secondary grades (Hu,
2005). Students begin to learn English at a younger age now. In addition,
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CLT has been vigorously promoted by reform authorities through syllabus
revisions (and lately issuance of curriculum standards) and textbook
production (Hu). It has gained the status of an officially endorsed
methodology (Hu) and being increasingly accepted in the classroom. If,
however, changes brought about by reform have affected only how
language is presented and organized in textbooks and the way teaching is
carried out in the classroom, without simultaneously addressing the
primary condition of language learning, exposure to adequate amount of
comprehensible input, then it will be rather difficult (if not impossible) to
achieve the goal of reform, improvement of student learning, to its fullest.
We therefore designed our study to investigate the state of affairs of
Chinese learners exposure to English language input following the recent
reform. Since this topic was too broad and difficult to define, we narrowed
it down to the target language input in the written mode with an emphasis
on the input provided through extensive reading. An effective and well
recognized approach for learners to receive the target language input is
through reading, especially extensive reading. This study defines extensive
reading as independent free reading at comfortable level (with little use of
dictionaries or help from teachers) and reading in quantity, in or out of the
classroom or school for the purposes of entertainment, information, or
other pragmatic uses.
Extensive reading has been found to be the single most effective way to
improve language proficiency (Maley, cited in Brown, 2009, p. 238). It
contributes to students learning gains not only in reading and vocabulary,
but also writing and overall language development (Day & Bamford, cited
in Brown). Although an increasing number of teachers and schools have
become aware of the merits of extensive reading, it is not usually integrated
as a part of the curriculum (Brown). In EFL contexts, despite of findings
from numerous studies showing that extended exposure to books in general
and to extensive reading programs in particular are critical for the overall
improvement of learners target language proficiency and especially their
literacy development (Dupuy, 1997; Elley, 1991, 1997; Elley &
Manghubai, 1983; Hayashi, 1999; McQuillan, 1994; Ng, 1994; Tinker
Sachs & Mahon, 2006), extensive reading in many cases is still excluded
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from the regular curriculum or extra-curriculum activities and almost
totally ignored at early grades such as the elementary and junior secondary.
The overarching goal of the present research is to look into the issues of
English language input, mainly comprehensibility and adequacy, through
extensive reading at elementary and junior secondary levels in China and
whether and to what extent extensive reading is adopted by these learners.
Specifically, the study addresses the following questions:
1. What are the sources that provide English language input in
print to elementary and junior secondary students?
2. To what extent do learners have access to and utilize these
sources?
3. What are the features of the language data contained in these
sources?
Methodology
The study was conducted in an inland capital city in China. The researchers
decided to choose elementary higher grades (Grade 5 and 6) and junior
secondary lower grades (Grade 7 and 8) as the grade levels under study due
to the fact that teaching and learning at these levels were less affected by
examination pressures and that not all elementary schools offered English
to lower-grade students. Three schools participated in the study: a private
school that had elementary and junior secondary sectors, a public
elementary school, and the junior sector of a public secondary school. The
primary researcher visited these schools to examine their textbooks in use
and other materials for instruction and learning. With interview guide
constructed from the research questions, she had focus-group interviews
with English teachers of the selected schools. In addition, the primary
researcher visited two bookstores in the city with the largest collection of
books in foreign languages to examine English prints such as books
designed for entertainment reading by children of the target age group.
Data analyses began at the onset of the initial data collection. Linguistic
features and quantity of language data of the collected English texts were
analyzed by examining the repetition, amount and variety of vocabulary,
syntactic structures, and language functions. Content of these texts was
Asian EFL Journal Professional Teaching Articles Volume 53 July 2011
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analyzed by their readability and interestingness (such as age-
appropriateness of the messages and pictures).
Findings
Amount of the Target Language Input
Results of the study showed improvement in various aspects of English
textbooks in use as a result of adopting CLT. For example, the presentation
of vocabulary and syntactic structures became more contextualized and the
learning activities tended to be more task-based. On the other hand, the
study found a shortage of English learning materials, which severely
limited the amount of target language input that learners were likely to be
exposed to. One uniform textbook was the exclusive source of English in
most cases at each grade level all year long. Children literature, story
books, or other materials suitable for extensive reading were not found to
be part of instructional materials. From the interview data, none of these
schools adopted an extensive reading program as an addition to their
English curricula, nor was extensive reading included in English classes. In
out-of-school settings such as home, the great majority of students did not
read English for entertainment or other pragmatic purposes (than learning
from the textbook and preparing for exams), according to the teachers we
interviewed. Very few children purchased or read story books or other
entertainment books in English from bookstores. Therefore, they did not
receive additional input in English language in everyday life, outside the
school.
Comprehensibility of the Target Language Input
In the major bookstores of the city, we found that most of the books
suitable for extensive reading in English were written beyond the linguistic
levels of our target learners. We randomly picked up samples from the
series readers, which usually indicated the grade levels on their covers, and
opened three pages from each book, one from the beginning, one the
middle, and one toward the end. We checked the vocabulary from each
page against the vocabulary lists in the textbooks used by the schools under
study because interviews with the teachers at an earlier time indicated
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textbooks as the only source from which students learned new words.
Although it varied from page to page, a significant number of words on
most of these pages checked did not appear in the vocabulary lists of the
textbooks and were therefore considered to be unknown words for the
students of our target group. Most of the story or children literature books
that we found on the market were appropriate linguistically for students at
more advanced levels, such as high school or even college. Younger
learners had very few selections of books to read for entertainment or other
pragmatic purposes.
Variety of Language Data in the Target Language Input
Books suitable for English extensive reading found in the bookstores
covered a rather narrow range of topics: mostly fictions and stories, with
very few books on science, history, or other subjects. A proliferation of
Chinese books covering a broad spectrum of areas and topics written for
elementary and middle school students for entertainment or other
pragmatic uses (than test preparation) was found in sharp contrast with the
paucity of English books serving the same purposes. As a result, learners
would be exposed to a rather restricted range of vocabulary, syntax, or
writing styles in English. It would be virtually impossible for them to talk
about basic medical knowledge or the outer space in English, for example.
A thorough search found only one series reader that contained books on
science topics.
Other Features of the Target Language Input
In addition, we found a mismatch of language and content in some cases,
meaning that some of the story books were written at a linguistic level
incongruent with the age levels that their content and pictures were
appropriate for. This applied, for instance, to some of the books in Dashan
series. One book from the Level Two of the series contained stories such as
The Ugly Ducking and Three Little Pigs, in which the content and
pictures were appropriate for kindergarteners and students at early primary
grades whereas the linguistic level (judged from the vocabulary) would be
as high as the junior secondary. Younger learners would find the stories and
Asian EFL Journal Professional Teaching Articles Volume 53 July 2011
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pictures rather appealing and like to read them but would not be able to do
so due to lack of language competence. Linguistically, they were denied
access to these books. Older students would have little problems with the
language but lost interest in the stories or the pictures, which they would
probably consider rather childish or immature. The content and pictures
were not age-appropriate for older learners.
Finally, a great majority of the books suitable for extensive reading found
in the bookstores were bilingual. In most cases, the English version was
followed by Chinese translation page by page. In some cases, the two
languages appeared on the same page with English on the top part and
Chinese on the bottom. In other cases, the Chinese translation was included
in the end of the book, with roughly the first half of the book in English
and the second half in Chinese. We found this to be rather problematic.
Given the young age of the learners under study, they would not be able to
discipline themselves well enough to read the English first. What would be
the most likely to happen is that these learners read the Chinese translation
upon opening the book and then lose the interest to read the same story
again in English.
Summary and Conclusions
Findings of the present study uncover problems existing in English
teaching and learning in China which have not been addressed by the
recent ELT reform. Younger learners of English, the elementary and junior
secondary students, do not receive adequate amount of the target language
input in their learning of English. Their limited exposure to English inside
school and lack of contact with it outside can be severe constraints on their
learning gains. In the school setting, the textbook, sometimes coupled with
a student workbook, is typically the only instructional/learning material.
Although the textbook has been made thicker, with a larger amount of
vocabularies and a wider variety of language functions, it would still be
inadequate as the exclusive input source for the students. In out-of-school
settings such as home, very few children purchase or read story books or
other entertainment books in English from bookstores. Therefore, they do
not receive additional English language input in everyday life, outside the
Asian EFL Journal Professional Teaching Articles Volume 53 July 2011
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school.
The problem of learning English in input-poor environment is not new in
China or other EFL contexts, but has not drawn the level of attention for it
to be addressed in the formal educational system. The crucial role that
input plays in language learning and the severe impact that poor input can
make seem to be little recognized among teachers, school administrators,
or ELT reform authorities. The recent series of ELT reform in China,
ascribing students low competence in English to ineffective classroom
teaching believed to originate in the traditional teaching methodologies,
have been preoccupied with promoting CLT as the solution to the perceived
problems ( Hu, 2005), while successful language learning actually involves
a myriad of factors, among which adequate amount of comprehensible
input is essential. As a result, the reform has exerted influences on EFL
classroom teaching but made little impact on students exposure to the
target language input. Students are still struggling to learn English in an
input-poor environment, which has not been improved as a result of the
reform.
Although a large collection of English books could be found on the
market, books designed for elementary and junior secondary learners for
entertainment reading or other pragmatic uses (than test preparation) were
very limited in quantity, and most of them were linguistically too
challenging for these students to read. As a result, even if younger learners
would like or have developed the habit to read English in their leisure time,
they can hardly find resources that enable them to do so.
The only alternative left in a lot of cases for students at younger ages to
learn English is therefore to study the same English textbook repetitively
within the period of one year: to repetitively read the same vocabulary and
sentences and memorize them, which is a common practice that they are
engaged in, with the help of their parents sometimes, as part of homework
given by the teacher, in order to compensate for the lack of exposure to the
target language input from diverse sources through increasing exposure
from the same source. The lack of diversification of books and materials
not only puts severe constraints on how much language input students are
likely to receive but also undermines their interest in learning English,
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which probably explains why the teachers we interviewed identified the
pervasive existence of low motivation among the students as a big problem
in their teaching. For the students, learning English can be described by
one word: BORING.
The apparent negligence to the issue of target language input may arise
from a line of thinking that input-poor environment is an inherent problem
of English language learning undertaken in EFL contexts, given the nature
of such contexts, and can therefore hardly be addressed the way teaching
methodologies are, the latter of which is relatively easier to be altered or
even replaced. As a matter of fact, although the physical settings of EFL
cannot be changed, there is a variety of ways to enrich target language
input, or in other words, to create an input-rich environment for language
learning within those settings. One of the most effective and convenient
ways is reading, especially extensive reading, as argued for in previous
sections of this article. Children literature, story books, and other books for
entertainment or pragmatic purposes, written at appropriate linguistic levels
and age levels, addressed to learners interest, covering a wide variety of
topics, and provided in quantity, can turn an input-poor environment in
EFL learning contexts into input-rich.
We make suggestions here at two levels. Rather than viewing certain
teaching methodologies as the answer to language learning problems, ELT
reform endeavors should take a broader perspective on foreign language
education that embodies acknowledgement of a myriad of factors involved
in English teaching and learning. Among these factors, the issue of target
language input should be given prominent attention and addressed in the
ELT reform agenda, with an expected outcome of incorporating extensive
reading as an essential part of the English curriculum or syllabus. If reform
is chiefly carried out through re-designing and issuing textbooks, consider
developing and issuing a variety of supplementary textbooks or readers
accompanying the existent textbooks on similar or different topics, which
can be used by students for additional reading in class or at home.
At the school level, an extensive reading program can be developed and
implemented in a variety of ways. For example, the school can establish
connections between their English teachers and publishers or bookstores so
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that the teachers receive updates of English books suitable for extensive
reading. The teachers go through these books on a regular basis and
compile a reading list of books appropriate for their students, who will be
not only encouraged but also rewarded to read them. Or alternatively, with
funding if possible, teachers collaborate with one another, with the help of
ELT experts, in writing story books for their students to read.
Additionally, book writers and publishers should consult ELT experts,
EFL teachers, and even learners regarding issues such as readability, age-
appropriateness, interestingness, range of topics, and so on when designing
children literature, story books, and other books for entertainment reading
in English. For the books that have been published, feedback from teachers
and learners who have read them should be sought out so that they can be
improved in later issues.
The present study dealt with an essential aspect of English teaching and
learning in
EFL contexts, which has unfortunately fallen in cracks in the recent ELT
reform in China. It revealed areas of concern that need to be addressed in
their future reform endeavors. Driven by the need to keep up with
economic globalization, many Asian countries see good mastery of English
by their citizens as an important means toward this goal and are stepping
up efforts to reform ELT. Findings of this study therefore have wider
implications for other Asian contexts in which similar issues surrounding
ELT reform may arise.
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