A major issue is how an extensive reading scheme can be introduced into higher education language learning. Unlike in ESL programmes in the United States, it is very unusual indeed to find anything resembling a stand-alone extensive reading course in British universities (with the possible exception of isolated courses in 'French/German, etc, for reading purposes'). The time constraints of modularized programmes, in which typically half or less of a student's time is devoted to language study, mean extensive reading can at best become a non-accredited adjunct to a core language module. Reading here would be an optional extra, not formally assessed but maybe an element that could be taken positively into account in the case of borderline end-of-year marks. Alternatively, and less satisfactorily, extensive reading might be organized completely outside the undergraduate curriculum as an optional extra reading club, possibly linked to a departmental cultural association, that meets once or twice a week.

There is no shortage of other ideas on how extensive reading programmes could be organized (Bright and McGregor, 1970: 65-8; Broughton et al, 1978:110-14; Bamford, 1984; Hafiz and Tudor, 1990; Day and Bamford, 1998: 83-116). Whatever form it takes, learners will more likely respond to reading books of their own choice at their own speed, rather than being compelled to conform to some uniform programme. Some system of feedback is probably a good idea, but it should be as informal as possible - perhaps an oral report in English to the rest of the group or the teacher. Or, in a free-standing reading programme, students could be asked to post short reviews of texts they have read on the department website; this could act both as feedback on reading and as a useful collection of informal blurbs to help other students select future items of interest for reading.

An important source of information on the organization and development of programmes of L2 reading is the Edinburgh Project on Extensive Reading at the University of Edinburgh. A vast amount of work has been done here to promote extensive reading in EFL/ESL and to categorize all available reading material. Sadly, there is nothing comparable for foreign languages but much sound advice and many readily adaptable ideas can be found in Hill (1992).