Page 35 - ELG2005 May Issue 470

AWARDS . REVIEWS & RESOURCES

Making the grade INNOVA shortlisted titles include the informative Naoko: My Japan by
Gabriele Rebagiati and published by ELI. In Naoko, the titular
Japanese girl introduces her country’s customs and festivals. Unlike
other entries to the shortlist, this reader uses photographs
throughout, instead of illustrations. Jane Cammack’s retelling of
In extensive reading Wonder – about the struggles of a boy with a deformed face as he
grows up and starts school, is from Italian publisher Black Cat; while
Ellis Island: Roaslia’s Story is a work of historical fiction that follows
early 20th century immigrants to America. It’s by Janet Hardy-
Matt Salusbury introduces the books on this year’s ERF shorlist Gould, who some readers may recognise from The Guardian Weekly’s
Teach English section.
In the Adolescents and Adults: Intermediate category, ELT
his year’s crop of 17 shortlisted titles have just been announced The awards are held in six categories – one each for Very Young management guru and occasional EL Gazette contributor Terry
for the Extensive Reading Foundation’s (ERF) annual Language Learners and Young Learners; while for Adolescent and Adult Phillips adapts Daniel Defoe’s classic tale of Robinson Crusoe for
TLearner Literature Award. readers the categories are divided into Beginner, Elementary, Innova Press Ltd, accompanied by Global Blended Learning’s
Just a few short years ago, the ELT readers publishing scene was Intermediate and Advanced levels. When the final winners are engaging and colourful illustrations.
dominated by a handful of UK-based household names in ELT announced there will ultimately be one winner in each category, Also in the Intermediate category is Elizabeth Ferretti’s The
publishing. But this year’s shortlist for the annual Language Learner chosen from the shortlist. EarthKeepers, a “hilarious and emotionally expressive” work, with
Literature Award shows how things have changed. In the Very Young Learners category, judges praised The Golden “pleasant illustrations” by Lorenzo Conti. In Heather Dixon’s The
Five publishers have multiple nominations in the shortlist of graded Fish, retold by Andy Prentice and published by Usborne, as “a story Diary (I Talk You Talk Press), protagonist Liam finds a diary in the
readers published in 2019, but only one, Oxford University Press with moral values” which is “beautifully illustrated” by Jesus Lopez. street and discovers its owner is dead.
(OUP) is an old-school British ELT publisher. Three others are Also in the Very Young Learners category is Here Come the Nora Nagy’s adaptation of Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence
publishers from non-English-speaking countries: Helbling Languages, Unicorns by Adam Kardos, from AAs Press. The judging panel liked from Helbling, in the Adolescents and Adults: Upper Intermediate
based in Austria; ELI from Italy; and Japan’s I Talk You Talk Press, the fact that it’s a “multi-path adventure” in which readers “have to and Advanced category, has clear character portraits and “lovely
which took an ERF Language Learner Literature Award last year. make choices on which path to read next.” Also shortlisted is and well-paced” writing.
The fifth publisher in the leading pack is British, but not an ELT Helbling’s I Can’t Sleep, by Gavin Biggs and course book writer, Also in this category, readers will relate to the protagonist’s search
specialist. It's Usborne – a big name in the world of mainstream teacher trainer and former Iatefl president Herbert Puchta. for meaning in The Box by Patricia Murrow, from I Talk You Talk
children’s books for native English speakers. Puchta and Biggs also appear in the Young Learners category with Press. Finally, Not Without You by Gill Harvey (OUP) has a plot that
There are five adaptations from classics on this year’s shortlist – The Sick Dragon, which deals with themes including family, Some of the shortlisted entries continually pulls readers along, as they try to figure out the ending.
Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe, Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence, cooperation and the environment (See page 32 for more on this It’s strikingly illustrated by famous comics artist Paul McCaffrey, best
R. J. Palacio’s Wonder, the Brothers Grimm’s The Elves and the Shoemaker series). Olga Demidova’s “sweet and colourful illustrations” that “add more known for the Penny Dreadful graphic novel series and comic book
and the traditional Russian fairy tale The Golden Fish. Two entries are The Young Learners section also features Usborne’s The Elves and detail to talk about.” Finally, there’s ELI’s Visit Saint Petersburg with adaptions of films and TV shows, including classic Doctor Who and
non-fiction – Naoko: My Japan and Visit St Petersburg with Me! the Shoemaker, retold by Laura Cowan, and attracting plaudits for Me!, which showcases Russian culture, cuisine, fashion and Captain Scarlet, as well as artwork for Judge Dredd.
architecture. Between now and June, students and teachers who use the
Shortlisted entries in the Adolescent and Adult: Beginner readers will have the opportunity to send their evaluations of the 17
category include ILTS/Huber Verlag’s “entertaining page-turner” shortlisted titles to the ERF.

Skeleton Island by Sue Murray, together with Paul Shipton’s The
The announcement of the winners – one finalist in each of the six
National Manager UK College University Silver Statue’s plot, issues and values. Congress in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, in August – for details see PIXABAY
categories – is expected in the Sixth Extensive Reading World
Silver Statue, from OUP. Judges felt readers would identify with The
Department
www.erfoundation.org.
Moving on to the Adolescents and Adults: Elementary category,
IELTS
What is extensive reading?

Brazil Language English Japan Ministry When language learners read extensively, they tend to read
easy, enjoyable books for pleasure and to build their speed
Rector
Senior Spain Agency Faculty and fluency. Students learn by reading the book itself rather
than by studying the grammar and vocabulary of texts, as
Turkey Russia Professor Argentina they do in a more traditional classroom reading activity.
Because the aim is improving reading fluency, the texts are
not ‘authentic’ in the sense that they are not written for an
ELT State teacher Director audience with native-level proficiency in the target language.

They are written to be easily comprehensible to students at
There is a whole publishing industry of graded “readers”
Trainer China Lecturer specific language levels.
for extensive reading, profusely illustrated and with their
vocabulary stripped down to levels of language learning or
tailored for a particular age group – often with glossaries,
comprehension exercises and other activities at the back.
Some graded readers are shortened and abridged
retellings of classics of literature, others are original works in
various genres or even short, informative works of non-fiction.
? well as improving reading fluency and comprehension, it
There is a lot of evidence that extensive reading works. As
Who reads the of 10. A summary of the evidence can be found on the
helps build vocabulary, especially with learners over the age
Research Bites website:
www.eltresearchbites.com/201702-extensive-reading-and-
reading-proficiency-what-the-evidence-says/.

34 May 2020 editorial@elgazette.com Reading extensively for pleasure helps build speed and fluency 35