READING IN ENGLISH BY CHILDREN IN KOREA: FREQUENCY, EFFECTIVENESS, AND BARRIERS

Kyung Sook Cho Sook Cho (Busan National University of Education, Busan, Korea)
Eun Jin Park
Stephen Krashen (University of Southern California (Emeritus) Los Angeles, U.S.A.)

Indonesian JELT
Vol 4, No 1 (2008): Indonesian Journal of English Language Teaching Vol. 4 no. 1 May 2008

A study of the English non-textbook reading of fourth graders in Korea revealed that about 80% had done at least some reading, confirming that there is enthusiasm for English reading. About half, however, had read only five books or fewer. Non-readers said that the reason they did not read in English was the difficulty of English texts. Those who read more did better on a test of English spelling and vocabulary. Keywords: English non-textbook reading; Enthusiasm for English reading; English texts; English spelling and vocabulary