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The present text proposes a composite pedagogy, incorporating extensive reading and concurrent aural reading protocols, as an ideal means of exploiting second language acquisitional mechanisms for both bottom-up and top-down reading development in a simultaneous and coordinated manner. This novel pedagogical approach allows for word recognition skill development to occur within an authentic, engaging and meaningful reading context just as the development of such automatic word recognition improves working memory capacities and allows for more attention to be devoted to cognitive inferencing skills and the interpretation of meaning. In a complimentary manner, the extensive reading component is enhanced by aural accompaniment because the phonology (via the phonological loop) is more durable in working memory and thus an aid to top-down reading strategies and summative comprehension. The present text therefore argues that this integrated composite reading pedagogy is an extremely effective means of rapidly developing early second language reading proficiency and bootstrapping readers into advanced literacy.

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Lance R. Askildson, Ph.D. is Associate Professor of the Practice for Second Language Acquisition and Director of the Center for the Study of Languages & Cultures at the University of Notre Dame. He pursues research in the areas of language learning technology, study abroad immersion and language program assessment.

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