Interview

Richard Day & Junko Yamanaka

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How much time should be allocated to reading aloud, given the large class sizes and reduced class time in Japan?
RD: Oral reading is controversial. The approach to oral reading that is common in Japan has nothing to do with learning to read. It is really a pronunciation activity. An alternative approach involves students listening to the teacher read aloud (or to a cassette or CD) and following along in their books. This helps students to develop the connection between the spoken language and the written language. I highly recommend the oral reading activities by Marc Helgesen in the book I mentioned above, New Ways in Teaching Reading.

Can you tell us about how the Extensive Reading Foundation came about?
RD: For a number of years, Julian Bamford, Marc Helgesen and I had talked about recognizing good language learner literature. But we didn't know how to go about doing it. Then Julian and I started working on our second book on extensive reading, which I mentioned earlier. We decided to use the royalties from that book to set up the Foundation. The primary goal of the ERF is to support and promote extensive reading.

At the ERF you've been organizing "language learner literature" awards. Can you tell us about that?
RD: The Language Learner Literature Award is the first project of the Extensive Reading Foundation. For this first year, there were four categories of the Award for individual books:
Adolescents & Adults (3 categories)
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Young Learners (1 category)

Publishers nominated up to three books in each of the four categories (i.e., a maximum of 12 books per publisher per year). There was an Award Jury that read the books and came up with a shortlist of three (3) books. The results were posted on the ERF's website and students and teachers voted for their favorite books. The members of the Award Jury used the results of the Internet voting in reaching their final decisions.

Why do think reading has become such a focal point in ELT in the last few years? Is it in any way connected to the fact that a growing number of people in many countries are moving away from reading in their own language?
RD: I am not sure...

JY: I don't think they have connections. I am guessing that teachers who have been promoting extensive reading have seen success in their students and that is beginning to be recognized in ELT. And of course like Richard pointed out earlier in this interview, "there is a great deal of research that demonstrates that students who engage in extensive reading become better readers."

Do you have a stance on the best way to teach reading to young learners in Japan (phonics, sight word, whole language)?
RD: There is no best way. I have found that a combination of approaches works well. Some young learners respond well to whole language, while others, usually a much small number, find phonics helpful.

JY: I also agree with the combination of approaches idea. It seems to me that the whole language approach works better with very young learners, and that older children, who have developed a logical mind, benefit from phonics.

What projects do you have in the works?
RD: Junko and I are developing a three-level set of reading materials. These materials are innovative in that they involve strategies, fluency, and extensive reading.

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