On September 15th, 2018, An Giang University organized the workshop on “Extensive Reading for Raising Language Proficiency” for its teaching staff and students.
The workshop attracted the interest and attendance of several lecturers from different faculties in the university and over 50 students of English Language and English Teacher Education. The presenter of the event, Thomas N. Robb, Ph.D., Department of English, Kyoto Sangyo University (Japan) enthusiastically shared his knowledge and experience in the field of teaching English and a variety of extensive reading activities or techniques to enhance the language proficiency for English majors as well as for English learners at different levels. The presenter also specially emphasized on the discussion about opportunities and challenges of implementing or applying Extensive Reading course into the English Education and Training Program. Moreover, Dr. Thomas N. Robb also shared with the attendants the MReader, an internet-based tool which allows English teachers and students to verify that they have read and understood their reading.


Following the presenter’s sharing and demonstration of the techniques, the attendants had opportunities to work in groups, relating their own experience in teaching or learning English, discussing how they would apply the new knowledge, particularly that of Extensive Reading course, and what problems they might face in their own circumstances. By the end of the event, many of the participants highly appreciated the effectiveness of the workshop as well as the new knowledge that Dr. Thomas N. Robb shared with them.


In acknowledgement of his contributions to the workshop, the organizer, An Giang University, presented Dr. Thomas N. Robb a gift as souvenir for his outstanding and useful presentations about the field of extensive reading and language proficiency. On behalf of the organizing committee, Mrs. Le Hai Yen, Deputy Head of the External Relations Office expressed the gratitude to him and the hope for chance of co-operating with Kyoto Sangyo University in the future.


Le Do Thai