Using Folktales to Encourage Extensive Reading in L2

This paper provides practical guidelines for an alternative technique using folktales to promote extensive reading and increase its value for EFL senior high school students.The technique is based on the production and exhibition of a local folktale poster (lofopost), which is made by students after doing extensive reading on local folktales, and then summarizing and identifying the relevant moral values.A lofopost exhibition and presentation by students is offered to create lively class interactions and to give students an opportunity to share their cultural values.This alternative technique for extensive reading is believed to enhance students' reading comprehension by motivating them through reading for enjoyment and by encouraging learning about local culture.EFL reading teachers usually focus on achieving reading comprehension goals by employing traditional teaching strategies so that students can eventually read certain texts and answer comprehension questions.Strategies employed generally include skimming, scanning, and retelling (Brown, 2007;Field, 2002), as well as other empirically-investigated strategies such as Preview, Question, Read, Summarize, Test (PQRST; Miqawati Graham, 1982), and Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR;Vaughn et al., 2011). Nation (2009) argued that these intensive reading strategies are still considered insufficient to facilitate students' reading comprehension as they lack the key essence of enjoyable learning.However, there have been studies showing that extensive reading can be an effective way to complement intensive reading (Meng, 2009;Mermelstein, 2014;Renandya, 2007).A focus on integrating cultural resources into extensive reading is a recent trend.Kumaravadivelu (2003) suggested that in L2 classes, teaching culture should start from the local culture that the students bring to the class as it can help them understand perspectives between their own culture and the L2 culture.This paper presents a teaching practice to encourage extensive reading that focuses on local folktales.