The #1 …… (Way to get students self learning)

Number One** Not your ordinary, endless list – just what’s number 1.

Extensive Reading

It isn’t everything but if you can get your students reading low level (no more than 1/2 unknown words/page) texts and readers – you’ve got it made. Even better if they are sharing them, passing them around, getting excited about them.

So many teachers are deep inside afraid of losing control, of the silence of students reading. However, though it is even better to share books together,orally, self selected reading / sustained silent reading (SSR) is not just language learning but learning to be your own motor of learning.

Learn more about Extensive reading programs or doing DEAR (drop everything and read) by visiting sites of such Extensive Reading prophets as Rob Waring, Richard Day, Julian Bamford, Marc Helgesen or the eminent Stephen Krashen. And you don’t need to spend a zillion dollars on readers. Try our EFL 2.0 Reading resources. Print and get your students reading and glossing (writing in the right margin, the first language word for a difficult word in the text – it will help the next reader!).

But definitely the number one way to get students being self directed learners. A book is 24/7 learning!

Why Extensive Reading? – a primer.

Research links.


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ddeubel

Teacher trainer, technology specialist, educational thinker...creator of EFL Classroom 2.0, a social networking site for thousands of EFL / ESL teachers and students around the world.

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1 Response

  1. January 5, 2010

    […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by eflclassroom, David Deubelbeiss. David Deubelbeiss said: New #1 …. (way to get students self-learning). http://ddeubel.edublogs.org/2010/01/05/the-1-way-to-get-students-self-learning/ […]

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