The Effectiveness of Intensive Reading in Enhancing Vocabulary Acquisition and English Language Use among Selected Nigerian Secondary School Students

This study investigated the effectiveness of intensive reading instruction in improving vocabulary acquisition and English language use among secondary school students in Osun State, Nigeria. The study adopted a quasi-experimental pre-test–post-test control group design involving 180 Senior Secondary School students selected from four public secondary schools in Ilesa West Local Government Area. Ninety students were assigned to the experimental group, while ninety students formed the control group. The experimental group received intensive reading instruction for twelve weeks, while the control group received conventional vocabulary teaching. Data were collected using Vocabulary Achievement Tests (VAT), Classroom Observation Schedules, Students’ Attitude Questionnaire on Vocabulary Learning (SAQVL), and semi-structured teacher interviews. Reliability coefficients of 0.82 and 0.79 were obtained for the VAT and SAQVL respectively using Cronbach’s alpha. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, paired sample t-tests, independent sample t-tests, and thematic analysis. Findings revealed that students exposed to intensive reading instruction performed significantly better than those taught through conventional methods. The study also found that intensive reading improved students’ pronunciation, contextual understanding, sentence construction, reading confidence, and overall language use. The study concludes that intensive reading is an effective pedagogical strategy for enhancing vocabulary acquisition and improving students’ communicative competence in English. The study recommends that English language teachers regularly incorporate intensive reading activities into classroom practice and that schools provide adequate reading materials and vocabulary-development resources.