Extensive reading is the reading of large amounts of text that is within the learner’s current capability (Day & Bamford, 1998). This study focuses on beginner readers of English engaging in a classroom based extensive reading project, which explored their movement towards becoming
autonomous readers as well as inquiring about their feelings towards L2 reading.
Autonomy is the capacity to take charge of one’s learning. However, in any one beginner class there may be learners who present with little knowledge of what needs to be learned or even how to learn, but there will be others who demonstrate motivation and confidently engage with the learning process. During the project students had a short period of silent reading on most days, where they selected a reader. Early results from the project seem to support Day and Bamford’s ‘book strap’ hypothesis whereby success in reading increases the motivation to read more.