Research into proficiency gains in university language learning (eg Coleman, 1996) show that the greatest boost to most students' language development comes with the period of residence abroad. Extensive exposure to authentic exemplars of the target language is clearly a major factor here. It is an assumption of this module that for the same reason the next best way to increase one's L2 proficiency is to read extensively in it. By extensive reading I mean reading longer texts, primarily for pleasure and at a level of difficulty appropriate to the student's current level of proficiency in the target language.

The reason why extensive reading is so important and why we should all be promoting it amongst our students is neatly encapsulated by Nuttall in two diagrams that show, first, the vicious circle in which slow L2 readers get stuck, and second the virtuous circle that characterizes the good L2 reader:

Figure 7.2 Two reading circles
(Adapted from Nuttall, 1996: 127)