GREG GAGNON -

TEACHER ATTITUDES TOWARDS SUSTAINED SILENT READING IN THE READING CLASSROOM : ELT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Sustained Silent Reading (SSR) is a practice where language students are encouraged to read materials in class, extra from their textbooks, quietly, and for a predetermined period. Practitioners of this activity claim positive results for students, which include increased focus on materials and a pathway to reading outside the classroom. Research on SSR has focused primarily on student participation in the activity. However, what are the attitudes towards, and the practices of teachers during, the student activity? Research has suggested that teachers influence their students’ reading habits when the teachers engage in various activities during SSR time. This paper will review research done on the practice of SSR in the classroom and discuss teacher attitudes towards SSR in their classroom using a survey of, and interviews with reading teachers who engage in this activity to better understand their mindset towards SSR.

Greg Gagnon currently teaches at Nanzan University, in Nagoya, Japan. He has taught English for over 20 years in the United States, Thailand, and other parts of Japan. His research includes teacher attitudes, and extensive reading. He can be reached at: ggagnon@nanzan-u.ac.jp