Integrating ER–CALL–PBL for Primary EFL Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary Development
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54855/ictep.261112Keywords:
extensive reading, computer-assisted language learning, project-based learning, primary education, reading comprehension, english vocabulary, EFL classroomAbstract
This conceptual paper proposes an integrated instructional model combining Extensive Reading (ER), Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL), and Project-Based Learning (PBL) for primary English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) classrooms. The model targets reading comprehension and English vocabulary growth. It addresses limited reading volume, discontinuity in reading routines, and vocabulary learning disconnected from meaningful language use. The paper synthesizes relevant literature to explain the integration and specify complementary roles for teachers, learners, and technology. The model is organized as a six-phase instructional cycle: (1) Preparation and Reading Agreements; (2) Access to Reading Materials and Motivation Building; (3) Sustained ER Routines Supported by CALL; (4) Strengthening Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary; (5) Project Design and Product Creation; and (6) Presentation, Reflection, and Transfer to the Next Reading Cycle. Implementation guidelines address time allocation, text selection, differentiated support, and a seven-week Grade 4 example. Classroom-based indicators link reading comprehension and receptive and productive vocabulary with evidence of reading continuity and implementation. Practical adoption requires suitable texts, protected reading time, manageable technology demands, equitable access, and implementation fidelity. The model is a conceptual proposal for classroom adaptation and further examination, not a report of empirical validation.
References
American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, & National Council on Measurement in Education. (2014). Standards for educational and psychological testing. American Educational Research Association.
Beckett, G. H., & Slater, T. (2005). The project framework: A tool for language, content, and skills integration. ELT Journal, 59(2), 108–116. https://doi.org/10.1093/eltj/cci024
Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (1998). Assessment and classroom learning. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 5(1), 7–74. https://doi.org/10.1080/0969595980050102
Boers, F. (2022). Glossing and vocabulary learning. Language Teaching, 55(1), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444821000252
Brookhart, S. M. (2013). How to create and use rubrics for formative assessment and grading. ASCD.
Carroll, C., Patterson, M., Wood, S., Booth, A., Rick, J., & Balain, S. (2007). A conceptual framework for implementation fidelity. Implementation Science, 2, Article 40. https://doi.org/10.1186/1748-5908-2-40
Chun, D. M., & Plass, J. L. (1996). Effects of multimedia annotations on vocabulary acquisition. The Modern Language Journal, 80(2), 183–198. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.1996.tb01159.x
Condliffe, B., Quint, J., Visher, M. G., Bangser, M. R., Drohojowska, S., Saco, L., & Nelson, E. (2017). Project-based learning: A literature review. MDRC.
Dane, A. V., & Schneider, B. H. (1998). Program integrity in primary and early secondary prevention: Are implementation effects out of control? Clinical Psychology Review, 18(1), 23–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0272-7358(97)00043-3
Day, R. R., & Bamford, J. (1998). Extensive reading in the second language classroom. Cambridge University Press.
Day, R. R., & Bamford, J. (2002). Top ten principles for teaching extensive reading. Reading in a Foreign Language, 14(2), 136–141. https://doi.org/10.64152/10125/66761
Dusenbury, L., Brannigan, R., Falco, M., & Hansen, W. B. (2003). A review of research on fidelity of implementation: Implications for drug abuse prevention in school settings. Health Education Research, 18(2), 237–256. https://doi.org/10.1093/her/18.2.237
ER Foundation. (2013). The five finger rule. https://erfoundation.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/5-finger-rule.pdf
Fikria, A., Setiawan, S., & Munir, A. (2025). A systematic review of technology-enhanced project-based language learning: Theoretical frameworks, project types, and implications for future research and practice. F1000Research, 14, Article 775. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.165491.2
Garrett-Rucks, P., Howles, L., & Lake, W. M. (2015). Enhancing L2 reading comprehension with hypermedia texts: Student perceptions. CALICO Journal, 32(1), 26–51. https://doi.org/10.1558/calico.v32i1.26131
Horst, M., Cobb, T., & Meara, P. (1998). Beyond a Clockwork Orange: Acquiring second language vocabulary through reading. Reading in a Foreign Language, 11(2), 207–223. https://doi.org/10.64152/10125/66953
Hu, H.-C. M., & Nation, I. S. P. (2000). Unknown vocabulary density and reading comprehension. Reading in a Foreign Language, 13(1), 403–430. https://doi.org/10.64152/10125/66973
Hulstijn, J. H., Hollander, M., & Greidanus, T. (1996). Incidental vocabulary learning by advanced foreign-language students: The influence of marginal glosses, dictionary use, and reoccurrence of unknown words. The Modern Language Journal, 80(3), 327–339. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.1996.tb01614.x
Jeon, E.-Y., & Day, R. R. (2016). The effectiveness of ER on reading proficiency: A meta-analysis. Reading in a Foreign Language, 28(2), 246–265. https://doi.org/10.64152/10125/66901
Kim, S. K., & Webb, S. (2022). The effects of spaced practice on second language learning: A meta-analysis. Language Learning, 72(1), 269–319. https://doi.org/10.1111/lang.12479
Knight, S. (1994). Dictionary use while reading: The effects on comprehension and vocabulary acquisition for students of different verbal abilities. The Modern Language Journal, 78(3), 285–299. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.1994.tb02043.x
Laufer, B., & Ravenhorst-Kalovski, G. C. (2010). Lexical threshold revisited: Lexical text coverage, learners’ vocabulary size and reading comprehension. Reading in a Foreign Language, 22(1), 15–30. https://doi.org/10.64152/10125/66648
Mahdi, H. S., Mohsen, M. A., & Almanea, M. (2024). Multimedia glosses and second language vocabulary learning: A second-round meta-analysis. Acta Psychologica, 248, Article 104341. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104341
Mariam, S., Kepirianto, C., & Fadlilah, S. (2026). Utilizing the Big Book to facilitate Indonesian EFL young learners’ literacy. International Journal of TESOL & Education, 6(2), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.54855/ijte.26621
Mayer, R. E. (2021). Multimedia learning (3rd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Nakanishi, T. (2015). A meta-analysis of extensive reading research. TESOL Quarterly, 49(1), 6–37. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.157
Nation, I. S. P. (2006). How large a vocabulary is needed for reading and listening? Canadian Modern Language Review, 63(1), 59–82. https://doi.org/10.3138/cmlr.63.1.59
Nation, I. S. P. (2007). The four strands. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 1(1), 2–13. https://doi.org/10.2167/illt039.0
Nation, I. S. P. (2013). Learning vocabulary in another language (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139858656
Ngo, T. N. H., & Tran, V. D. T. (2025). The application of project-based learning in English for a basic marketing class to enhance oral presentation skills at Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade (HUIT). International Journal of TESOL & Education, 5(3), 160–181. https://doi.org/10.54855/ijte.255310
Nguyen, N. K., Tran, N. P., & Tran, T. T. H. (2024). Vocabulary acquisition based on personal learning pace. ICTE Conference Proceedings, 5, 180–201. https://doi.org/10.54855/ictep.24514
PBLWorks. (2019). Gold standard PBL: Essential project design elements [White paper]. https://www.gvsu.edu/cms4/asset/8FD27608-AF95-77B5-29623F385B8819C8/gold_standard_pbl_essential_v2019.pdf
Pigada, M., & Schmitt, N. (2006). Vocabulary acquisition from extensive reading: A case study. Reading in a Foreign Language, 18(1), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.64152/10125/66611
Rassaei, E., & Folse, K. (2024). Effects of L1 and L2 word-level vs. L2 sentence-level glosses on vocabulary learning. System, 122, Article 103273. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2024.103273
Roediger, H. L., III, & Karpicke, J. D. (2006). Test-enhanced learning: Taking memory tests improves long-term retention. Psychological Science, 17(3), 249–255. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2006.01693.x
Sangers, N. L., van der Sande, L., Welie, C., Dobber, M., & van Steensel, R. (2025). Learning a language through reading: A meta-analysis of studies on the effects of extensive reading on second and foreign language learning. Educational Psychology Review, 37(4), Article 96. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-025-10068-6
Schmitt, N., Jiang, X., & Grabe, W. (2011). The percentage of words known in a text and reading comprehension. The Modern Language Journal, 95(1), 26–43. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.2011.01146.x
Stæhr, L. S. (2008). Vocabulary size and the skills of listening, reading and writing. The Language Learning Journal, 36(2), 139–152. https://doi.org/10.1080/09571730802389975
Stoller, F. L. (2006). Establishing a theoretical foundation for project-based learning in second and foreign language contexts. In G. H. Beckett & P. C. Miller (Eds.), Project-based second and foreign language education: Past, present, and future (pp. 19–40). Information Age Publishing.
Sweller, J. (1994). Cognitive load theory, learning difficulty, and instructional design. Learning and Instruction, 4(4), 295–312. https://doi.org/10.1016/0959-4752(94)90003-5
Thomas, J. W. (2000). A review of research on project-based learning. The Autodesk Foundation.
Webb, S., & Nation, P. (2017). How vocabulary is learned. Oxford University Press.
Webb, S., Pellicer-Sánchez, A., & Wang, A. (2025). Lexical coverage and reading comprehension revisited. Reading in a Foreign Language, 37(1), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.64152/10125/67517
Weng, Y., Schmidt, M., Huang, W., & Hao, Y. (2024). The effectiveness of immersive learning technologies in K–12 English as second language learning: A systematic review. ReCALL, 36(2), 210–229. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0958344024000041
Wiliam, D. (2011). Embedded formative assessment. Solution Tree Press.
Yanagisawa, A., Webb, S., & Uchihara, T. (2020). How do different forms of glossing contribute to L2 vocabulary learning from reading? A meta-regression analysis. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 42(2), 411–438. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263119000688
Zhu, T., Zhang, Y., & Irwin, D. (2024). Second and foreign language vocabulary learning through digital reading: A meta-analysis. Education and Information Technologies, 29(4), 4531–4563. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-11969-1
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Thitima Maeoka, Jira Jisupa, Navarat Techachokwiwat
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the picte the right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the proceedings' published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository, in a journal, or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this proceedings.
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process.
