- Imagine young learners just beginning to study a new language. Extensive reading can only be introduced once they recognise letters, form words, know some sight words, and have a basic vocabulary. Books suitable for them would be simple, and not necessarily the same as those read by children- native speakers, who usually have a much higher proficiency by the time they start reading. This is where graded readers come in, designed for beginners with a vocabulary of 200-300 words.

- Determining a student’s vocabulary level is relatively easy. There are many vocabulary-level tests available. It’s a good idea to use one before developing an extensive reading programme and choosing graded readers for your students.

- Graded readers are carefully categorised by levels, and if you choose a series, for instance, Oxford or Macmillan, vocabulary growth will be gradual and well-regulated. However, given that even one-year students may have very different proficiency levels, if a student chooses a graded reader on a topic of interest and can understand almost everything, that’s perfectly fine. We don't require students to finish all the books at one level before moving on to the next, nor is it necessary to stick to just one series of graded readers. The freedom of choice is what we encourage.

- How comprehensible should the books be? What is the acceptable density of unknown words? Books should be comprehensible with a vocabulary coverage of 98%, meaning no more than 2 unknown words per 100 words. While some studies suggest a range of 95-98%, most research still supports the 98% threshold. Otherwise, reading loses its most important component- meaning-focused input. This level of comprehension also enables students to read quickly and, therefore, more extensively (=more). We always need to remind ourselves that extensive reading is about reading for pleasure, not for vocabulary acquisition, grammar analysis, exploring word usage in different contexts, or completing post-reading comprehension tasks.

- Extensive reading should be a long-term activity; don’t expect great results from just one semester of reading. That is why we need to have a designed programme for at least 1 year, and even better- long-term activity included in the curriculum, which in some contexts will be quite challenging. However, if extensive reading practice is sustainable, the outcomes will be truly impressive.

- To be more specific, students should read at least one graded reader per week, though ideally, they should aim for more. For each level- at least five books, with the number increasing as learners progress. For noticeable results, the minimum number of graded readers a student should read in a year is around 20, but in fact, this is quite modest.

- If students don’t enjoy reading or aren’t enthusiastic at all, it’s better to start extensive reading in class. They need to experience successful reading. Interestingly, there have been cases where learners who didn’t like reading in their native language eagerly and actively read in a foreign language.

If to speak shorter, here are key features of authentic extensive reading (Day, R., & Bamford, J., 2002):

• Students read a lot; the more, the better.
• They have a wide range of topics to choose from.
• Students have the freedom to choose what to read.
• Reading is for pleasure.
• Reading is its own reward and doesn’t require external incentives.
• Reading should be done individually, preferably silently, at a comfortable time, and in a comfortable place.

At first glance, it may seem that a teacher's role in this process is insignificant. However, in reality, the teacher’s role is highly essential. Teachers are responsible for curating a diverse library of foreign books, offering a range of genres, topics, levels, and authors. They guide students in selecting books at the appropriate level, inspire them to read through personal example, organised discussions, and/or dedicated in-class reading time (beyond just textbooks). Additionally, teachers continually update the library, address any challenges that arise, and monitor students’ progress.

It’s important to understand that despite the many benefits of extensive reading, and even though results can come from just a few minutes of reading a day (e.g., 20 minutes a day was a sufficient time in some studies), it requires considerable effort and time. Despite this, I will always actively advocate for extensive reading!