Results from an out-of -class reading project.

Abstract

This presentation will describe an out-of-class reading project intended to support a rhetorical writing course at a university where English is the medium of instruction. A review of the literature will look at claims that reading is critical to second language acquisition and some of the issues of ‘reluctant readership’ will be addressed. The presentation will then outline the writing course syllabus and describe how the project was implemented and the materials used. Finally, it will present the results of questionnaires used to elicit students’ opinions of the efficacy of such a reading project on their writing skills.