What is meant by “extensive” and “intensive”?

Extensive and intensive reading refers to approaches to language learning and teaching. From their names, you can probably deduce that they both celebrate reading as an integral part of language learning.

What is Extensive reading?

Brown (1989) explains that extensive reading is carried out

Characteristics of Extensive Reading

Day and Bamford (1980) put forward characteristics identified in successful Extensive Reading Programs. A variety of materials on a range of topics is available. 

• Students select what they want to read . 
• The purposes of reading are usually related to pleasure, information and general understanding. 
• Reading is its own reward. 
• Reading materials are well within the linguistic competence of the students in terms of vocabulary and grammar. 
• Reading is individual and silent.

Important aspects of extensive reading:

• Texts must be interesting. Since extensive reading is done for longer periods of time, you must take care to select texts that hold your attention, and keep you coming back for more, hour after hour. 
• Texts must be level-appropriate because you must be able to understand a high-percentage of a text before you even begin. 
• The goal is to absorb unknown words through context therefore, if you don’t understand the bulk of the context, the text is not yet appropriate for you to read extensively.
• Texts must be of moderate length. Specifically, a text should be on average at least 15-30 pages long. Texts of this length are long enough to fully develop an idea or narrative, and require you to keep mental “track” of ideas, concepts or characters as they develop over time.

Ideal learning materials for extensive reading:

Bilingual Books Monolingual (Native) Books Magazines Comic Books Stories Novels/Digests Newspaper

What is Intensive reading ?

Intensive Reading, sometimes called “Narrow Reading”, may involve students reading selections by the same author or several texts about the same topic. When this occurs, content and grammatical structures repeat themselves and students get many opportunities to understand the meanings of the text.

What is Intensive reading?

• Intensive reading involves learners reading in detail with specific learning aims and tasks. It refers to reading carefully for an exact understanding of the text. Necessary for contracts, legal documentation, application forms, etc.
• This approach helps language learners really understand the language’s grammar and syntax. 
• The proponents of this method use a range of exercises to complement the reading itself.

Characteristics of Intensive Reading

• Usually classroom-based 
• The reader is intensely involved in looking inside the text 
• Students focus on linguistic or semantic details of a reading 
• Students focus on surface structure details such as grammar and discourse markers Students identify key vocabulary 
• Students may draw pictures to aid them (such as in problem-solving) 
• Texts are read carefully and thoroughly, again and again 
• The aim is to build more language knowledge rather than simply practice the skill of reading 
• Seen more commonly than extensive reading in classrooms

Ideal learning materials for intensive reading:

• News articles 
• Research Articles 
• Syllabus 
• Official letters

SQ3R Method for Reading

SQRRR or SQ3R is a reading comprehension method named for its five steps: survey, question, read, recite, and review. The method was introduced by Francis P . Robinson, an American education philosopher in his 1946 book Effective Study.

SQ3R

• Survey 
• Question 
• Read 
• Recite/Recall 
• Review

Faulty Reading Habits

• Finger Movement 
• Head Movement 
• Distractors 
• Noisy Environment 
• Sub-Vocalization 
• Vocalization 
• Reading each word 
• Regression 
• Reading in Bad Light

Finger Movement

Head Movement

Distractor

Noisy Environment 

Reading each word

Regression

Regression has come when we don’t understand the sentence or gist(Theme) of Something.

Problem create Noisy Pollution, hand moving, 

You must understand sometimes the sentence is too easy but I not understand the reason is that we have a mental loss in our mind. You can read the text 5 time again and again the regression is coming down.

Reading in Bad Light

It is very Harmful for the eye

How to Improve Reading Skills?

• Reading in Chunks
• Contextual Reading
• Dedicated Reading
• Meditating
• Highlighting the Important Stuff

Reading in Chunks

Once upon a time, there was a king who was quite good and noble.

Ek dafa ka zikar hai keh ek badshah tha jo keh bohat naik tha.

Primarily research means to investigate and conduct a thorough search.

Dedicated Reading

Dedicated Reading is the Reading when we pay Attention fully to the books and don’t see the environment, only we see the read the books. There is no phone, Friends are too disturb you,

For Example: 

The Library is the Best Place to Reading Books.

Meditating