What if I told you about a new, fancy technique for learning a second language that would help students gain an average of 15 months of language learning in only a 9 month school year? What if it only took 10-15 minutes, two to three times a week? What if it only cost an average of $21 per student? Would you be interested?  Now, what if that technique was not new or fancy at all, but the oldest, simplest technique ever. Reading. Fun books, interesting books, that students want to read and enjoy.

Yes, it really is that simple. In over 150 scientific studies conducted around the world in the last decade, groups of second language learners who have been given time to read individually chosen books have gained an average of 15 months of language learning in a 9 month school year (Krashen, 2004). Read more at our class website, http://cooklanguage.weebly.com/wir-lesen-buumlcher.html

With $300, I can purchase approximately 100 more books for our small classroom library, to get more of the books students have asked for and want to read.