Speaker
Description
This presentation introduces a community-of-practice-based extensive reading and speaking project for Japanese university students preparing for IELTS. Students met weekly in small lunchtime groups to discuss graded readers, share vocabulary, and practice speaking in English. Drawing on two cohorts of data, the session highlights how shared goals and peer interaction supported reading habits, speaking development, and motivation.
Abstract
Many Japanese university students preparing for the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test struggle to sustain motivation for extensive reading and to find opportunities for meaningful spoken English use outside the classroom. This presentation reports on a small-scale extensive reading and speaking project grounded in community of practice theory (Lave & Wenger, 1991; Wenger, 1998), designed to address both challenges.
In the project, undergraduate students preparing for study abroad met weekly in small lunchtime groups to discuss graded readers, share newly learned vocabulary, and engage in peer-based English speaking practice. Drawing on research highlighting the role of extensive reading in vocabulary and reading development (Nakanishi, 2015; Nation & Waring, 2020), the program sought to integrate autonomous reading with sustained social interaction.
The presentation focuses on practical implementation, including group formation, establishment of a shared domain and common goals, meeting structure, and support strategies, as well as outcomes from two cohorts. Data include reading volume, IELTS score development, and post-project student questionnaire responses. The first iteration of the project, involving nine students over eight months, is reported in a forthcoming journal article (Author, 2026). This presentation extends that work by introducing new data from a second cohort of seven students who have recently completed the program. Comparison across cohorts is used to explore how participation, motivation, and speaking practices evolved over time. The session concludes by discussing how this model can be adapted for test-focused or more general extensive reading contexts in Japanese universities.
References
Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge University Press.
Nakanishi, T. (2015). A meta-analysis of extensive reading research. TESOL Quarterly, 49(1), 6–37.
Nation, I. S. P., & Waring, R. (2020). Teaching extensive reading in another language. Routledge.
Author. (2026). Research paper published in departmental journal.
Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of practice: Learning, meaning, and identity. Cambridge University Press.
Short summary
This presentation introduces a community-of-practice-based extensive reading and speaking project for Japanese university students preparing for IELTS. Students met weekly in small lunchtime groups to discuss graded readers, share vocabulary, and practice speaking in English. Drawing on two cohorts of data, the session highlights how shared goals and peer interaction supported reading habits, speaking development, and motivation.
Keywords
Extensive reading
IELTS preparation
Community of Practice
Peer interaction
| Scheduling preference | Anytime on Saturday or Sunday |
|---|---|
| Title | Extensive reading in an undergraduate IELTS community of practice |