Symposium on the creation of a culture of reading

Abstract

The creation of a culture of reading induces students to move from a dependence on the teacher to the cultivation of a greater sense of autonomy. Research suggests that extensive reading leads to an improvement in word recognition, increased motivation, faster reading speed, inductive learning of reading strategies, and a development in students’ ability to use context for comprehension. The strategic use of graded readers and other texts capitalises on the contributions made by L2 learners and helps to improve their reading in English by equipping them with skills that allow them to read more broadly. This symposium evaluated different ways to promote a heightened sense of reading engagement inside and outside the classroom.