The impact of extensive reading on academic writing proficiency in EFL undergraduate students

Extensive reading (ER) has the potential to enhance academic writing proficiency by supporting vocabulary growth, syntactic development, and organizational clarity. Despite its benefits, ER remains underutilized in many EFL contexts. This study investigates the impact of ER on the academic writing skills of 80 undergraduate students at Mizan Tepi University, selected through convenience sampling. Data were gathered through pre- and post-training comprehension tests, structured questionnaires on reading strategy preferences, essay analysis, and instructor interviews. A four-week ER program was implemented, engaging students with literary texts including short stories, novels, and poems to foster independent reading and comprehension. Quantitative data were analyzed using independent and paired sample t-tests and descriptive statistics. Results showed a moderate and statistically significant positive correlation between ER engagement and writing proficiency (r = 0.57, p < 0.001), with notable improvements in lexical diversity and argumentative coherence. Essay scores increased substantially: third-year students improved from 57.1 to 74.9, and fourth-year students from 59.5 to 78.5. Qualitative feedback from instructors highlighted ER’s role in enhancing metacognitive awareness, facilitating the transfer of implicit to explicit knowledge, and improving overall coherence in student writing. However, challenges such as limited access to graded readers, weak institutional support, and inconsistent student motivation constrained its full effectiveness. This study underlines ER’s dual function as a linguistic resource and cognitive scaffold. To maximize ER’s pedagogical benefits, EFL curricula should incorporate structured reading programs, encourage guided reflection, and provide accessible reading materials; ensuring students develop both linguistic proficiency and critical thinking skills necessary for academic success.