The Relationship between Extensive Reading and TOEIC Score Gains

Extensive reading programmes are a common aspect of many language courses. The effectiveness of extensive reading has been established, but existing studies on its link to reading score gains on a popular test in Japan, the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC), have shown mixed results. This study uses quiz data from the website MReader, a common tool used to track students’ extensive reading progress, to analyse the link between extensive reading and TOEIC through total words read, regularity of reading, and comprehension. 105 students’ MReader data from four cohorts of reading class students was correlated with TOEIC reading section gains after 10 months of the programme. Small but statistically significant relationships were found between total words read, average quiz scores, and TOEIC reading score gains. The authors suggest that these results support the effectiveness of extensive reading for increasing TOEIC reading scores, but more research is needed.