Factors Affecting Gains on the TOEIC Bridge Test

: A Case Study

Authors

  • Hiroko Yoshida Osaka University of Economics

Keywords:

extensive reading, case study, TOEIC Bridge, the Engagement Model of Reading Development

Abstract

This paper reports a case study of two non-English-major students enrolled in general English classes in which a 15-minute period of sustained silent reading (SSR) was incorporated, and out-of-class reading was encouraged. Over approximately 10 months, they read a total of more than 300,000 words, which far exceeds the average number of words that Japanese students encounter in English textbooks at junior and senior high schools put together (30,000–50,000 words). However, despite their active engagement in extensive reading, the two participants showed contrasting results on standardized tests. One student improved his TOEIC Bridge score from 154 (April) to 174 (December) and scored 835 on the TOEIC test (December) within a year. The other did not sufficiently improve his TOEIC Bridge scores. The factors that may have affected the difference in results between the students were examined.

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Published

2018-09-30

Issue

Section

Extensive Reading World Congress Proceedings