Literacy: Reading on the net

Most foreign language (FL) professionals agree that developing reading skills in a second language (L2) is of paramount importance in the whole scheme of second language acquisition.First, written texts provide a great deal of comprehensible input.Second, many language learners can frequently read at levels far more advanced that their speaking abilities indicate (Knutson, 1998).Third, the improvement of reading skills and employment of reading strategies also foster development and refinement of literacy skills in general.Fourth, reading is a skill that can be maintained after the cessation of formal study (Omaggio Hadley, 1993).With the proliferation of FL websites on the Internet, language learners can readily find a plethora of reading materials to help them improve their literacy skills.For the self-motivated learner, access to target language media offers virtually unlimited opportunities to practice reading and increase proficiency.One subcategory here is the daily newspaper.What used to be available only as realia carefully brought back from trips abroad, laminated or photocopied and displayed or employed for classroom use, is now readily accessible on a daily basis on the Internet.On-line newspapers provide daily access to new, up-to-date, and interesting reading material from practically every country in the world.Several sites on the web provide links to newspapers and magazines around the world.This site allows the reader to browse by region and media category, including newspapers, magazines, city guides, radio, and even television.Listings are quite extensive.France, for example, has 26 newspapers online; Ecuador, 10; Argentina, 40; Russia, 11; Sweden, 48; Germany, 64; Kenya, 3; Japan, 54; China, 8.Even Brunei and Tahiti are represented (1 each).The Inkternational News Links is another source for online news links.It contains major international news links as well as links to international weather sites.