Acknowledgements

All of the course content, images, stories, text, visuals, PDFs, word games, and related materials were created by Camille Sharon Kleinman and her educational brand LingoLina™. The work is published under the names Camille Sharon Kleinman and LingoLina™, and is made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 Licence (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).

 

The author would like to extend her sincere gratitude to the incredible team at The Open University for their support, hard work, and dedication to making education accessible to anyone, anywhere. Your commitment to high-quality education and innovation has been truly inspiring.

Thank you for providing a platform that empowers learners worldwide and for your invaluable help in bringing the courses to life!

 

References

Aaker, J. (n.d.). Harnessing the power of stories. Stanford VMware Women’s Leadership Innovation Lab. https://womensleadership.stanford.edu/resources/voice-influence/harnessing-power-stories Women’s Leadership Innovation Lab+1

Atoofi, S. (2018). Reconsidering repetition in language education: An edusemiotic approach. Social Semiotics, 29(3), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/10350330.2018.1514777

Backhaus, J., Hoeckesfeld, R., Born, J., Hohagen, F., & Junghanns, K. (2008). Immediate as well as delayed post learning sleep but not wakefulness enhances declarative memory consolidation in children. Neurobiology of learning and memory, 89(1), 76–80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nlm.2007.08.010

Bamford, J., & Day, R. R. (1997). Extensive reading: What is it? Why bother? The Language Teacher, 21(5). https://jalt-publications.org/tlt/articles/2132-extensive-reading-what-it-why-bother

Barcroft, J. (2007). Effects of repetition in second language vocabulary learning. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 29(2), 199–234.

Bauer, P. J. (2007). Development of memory in early childhood. Developmental Review, 27(4), 421–444.

Best, J. R., & Miller, P. H. (2010). A developmental perspective on executive function. Child Development, 81(6), 1641–1660.

Brauer, J., Neumann, J., & Friederici, A. D. (2011). Developmental changes in neural connectivity during sentence comprehension. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(33), 14166–14171.

Bland, J. (2015). Children’s literature and learner empowerment: Children and teenagers in English language education. Bloomsbury Academic.

Bloom, P. (2000). How children learn the meanings of words. MIT Press.

Boris, V. (n.d.). What makes storytelling so effective for learning? Harvard Business Impact. https://www.harvardbusiness.org/insight/what-makes-storytelling-so-effective-for-learning/

Calabro, F. J., Murty, V. P., Jalbrzikowski, M., Tervo-Clemmens, B., & Luna, B. (2020). Development of Hippocampal-Prefrontal Cortex Interactions through Adolescence. Cerebral cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991), 30(3), 1548–1558. https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhz186

Carey, S., & Bartlett, E. (1978). Acquiring a single new word. Papers and Reports on Child Language Development, 15, 17–29.

Clark, J. M., & Paivio, A. (1991). Dual coding theory and education. Educational Psychology Review, 3(3), 149–210. https://nschwartz.yourweb.csuchico.edu/Clark%20%26%20Paivio.pdf

Craik, F. I., & Lockhart, R. S. (1972). Levels of processing: A framework for memory research. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 11(6), 671–684.

Davis, M. H., & Gaskell, M. G. (2009). A complementary systems account of word learning: Neural and behavioural evidence. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 364(1536), 3773–3800. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2009.0111

DeKeyser, R. (2000). The robustness of critical period effects in second language acquisition. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 22(4), 499–533. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263100004022

Deoni, S. C. L., et al. (2015). White matter maturation profiles through early childhood. Brain Structure and Function, 220(2), 673–684.

Elley, W. B., & Mangubhai, F. (1983). The impact of reading on second language learning. Reading Research Quarterly, 19(1), 53–67. https://doi.org/10.2307/747337

Fenn, K. M., Nusbaum, H. C., & Margoliash, D. (2003). Consolidation during sleep of perceptual learning of spoken language. Nature, 425(6958), 614–616. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature01951

Filimonova, E., Amelina, E., Sazonova, A., Zaitsev, B., & Rzaev, J. (2023). Assessment of normal myelination in infants and young children using the T1w/T2w mapping technique. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 17, 1102691. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2023.1102691

Gais, S., Lucas, B., & Born, J. (2006). Sleep after learning aids memory recall. Learning & Memory, 13(3), 259–262. https://doi.org/10.1101/lm.132106

Gathercole, S. E., et al. (2004). The development of working memory in children. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 87(2), 86–106.

Giedd, J. N., et al. (1999). Brain development during childhood and adolescence: A longitudinal MRI study. Nature Neuroscience, 2(10), 861–863

Huttenlocher, P. R., & Dabholkar, A. S. (1997). Regional differences in synaptogenesis in human cerebral cortex. Journal of Comparative Neurology, 387(2), 167–178.

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

Klem, M., Melby-Lervåg, M., Hagtvet, B., Lyster, S. A., Gustafsson, J. E., & Hulme, C. (2015). Sentence repetition is a measure of children's language skills rather than working memory limitations. Developmental Science, 18(1), 146–154. https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.12202

Krashen, S. D. (1982). Principles and practice in second language acquisition. Pergamon Press. (Original work available at https://www.sdkrashen.com/content/books/principles_and_practice.pdf)

Krashen, S. D. (1985). The Input Hypothesis: Issues and implications. Longman.

Krashen, S. (1989) We acquire vocabulary and spelling by reading: Additional evidence for the input hypothesis. Modern Language Journal 73, 440-464. 

Krashen, S. (2004) The Power of Reading. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. 

Kuhl, P. K. (2010). Brain mechanisms in early language acquisition. Neuron, 67(5), 713–727.

Krashen, S. D. (2013). Second language acquisition: Theory, applications, and some conjectures. Cambridge University Press.

Krashen, S. (2017). The case for comprehensible input. Language Magazine. https://www.sdkrashen.com/content/articles/case_for_comprehensible_input.pdf

Kuhl, P. K., et al. (2006). Infants show a facilitation effect for native language phonetic perception. PNAS, 103(33), 12707–12712.

Laine, E. J. (1987). The affective filter in foreign language learning and teaching. Report 2: A validation study of filtering factors with a focus on the learner's FL self-concept (Jyvaskyla Cross-Language Studies, No. 15). University of Jyvaskyla, Department of English. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED303992

Liburd, T., & Rodrigo, V. (2012). The affective benefits of extensive reading in the Spanish curriculum: A 5-week case study. International Journal of Foreign Language Teaching, 7(1), 27–36. https://ijflt.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/IJFLT.Liburd.Rodrigo3.12.pdf

Lim, R. A. (2020). The unheard voices of students: Affective filter in focus. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 4(9), 472–475. https://www.rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/Digital-Library/volume-4-issue-9/472-475.pdf

Lyster, R. (2004). Differential effects of prompts and recasts in negotiating form. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 26(3), 399–432. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263104263021

McQuillan, J. (2008). Does anyone finish the Berlitz tapes? A novel measure of perseverance for commercial language courses. The International Journal of Foreign Language Teaching, 4(1), 2–8. https://www.sdkrashen.com/content/articles/berlitz_tapes.pdf

Mendoza Macías, J. E., & Chancay Cedeño, C. (2022). Intensive reading to improve reading comprehension skills in International Baccalaureate (IB) students. Revista Científica Sinapsis, 2(21). https://doi.org/10.37117/s.v2i21.673

Nation, I. S. P. (2013). Learning Vocabulary in Another Language. Cambridge University Press.

Noor, N., Yunus, K., Yusoff, A.M.H, Nasir, N.AM., Yaacob, N.H. (2021). Spaced learning: A review on the use of spaced learning in language teaching and learning. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 17(2), 1023-1031. Doi: 10.52462/jlls.71

Ohad, T., & Yeshurun, Y. (2023). Neural synchronization as a function of engagement with the narrative. NeuroImage, 278, 120215. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120215

Paivio, A. (1991). Dual coding theory: Retrospect and current status. Canadian Journal of Psychology, 45(3), 255–287. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0084295

Pigada, M., & Schmitt, N. (2006). Vocabulary acquisition from extensive reading: A case study. Reading in a Foreign Language, 18(1), 1–28. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ759833.pdf

Peiffer, A., Brichet, M., De Tiège, X., Peigneux, P., & Urbain, C. (2020). The power of children’s sleep: Improved declarative memory consolidation in children compared with adults. Scientific Reports, 10, 9979. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-66880-3

Pugh, K. R., et al. (2001). Neurobiological studies of reading and reading disability. Journal of Communication Disorders, 34(6), 479–492.

Rasch, B., & Born, J. (2013). About sleep’s role in memory. Physiological Reviews, 93(2), 681–766. https://doi.org/10.1152/physrev.00032.2012

Roman, A. S., Pisoni, D. B., & Kronenberger, W. G. (2014). Assessment of Working Memory Capacity in Preschool Children Using the Missing Scan Task. Infant and child development, 23(6), 575–587. https://doi.org/10.1002/icd.1849

Rojas Ugalde, A., & Vargas Barquero, V. (2021). Enhancing language learning and acquisition by implementing extensive reading. Letras, 69, 123–137. https://doi.org/10.15359/rl.1-69.6 

Ruddell, R. B. (1969). Language acquisition and the reading process. Paper presented at the International Reading Association Conference. https://scispace.com/pdf/language-acquisition-and-the-reading-process-1en8xxj4l6.pdf

Sangers, N.L., van der Sande, L., Welie, C. et al. (2025). Learning a Language Through Reading: A Meta-analysis of Studies on the Effects of Extensive Reading on Second and Foreign Language Learning. Educ Psychol Rev 37, 96. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-025-10068-6

Saplakoglu, Y. (2023, August 27). Is it real or imagined? Here’s how your brain tells the difference. Wired. https://www.wired.com/story/is-it-real-or-imagined-heres-how-your-brain-tells-the-difference/

Schacter, D. L., Addis, D. R., Hassabis, D., Martin, V. C., Spreng, R. N., & Szpunar, K. K. (2012). The future of memory: remembering, imagining, and the brain. Neuron, 76(4), 677–694. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2012.11.001

Schommartz, I., et al. (2023). From learning to remembering: How memory consolidation differs in children and adults. ResearchGate Preprint.

Schmitt, N. (2008). Instructed second language vocabulary learning. Language Teaching Research, 12(3), 329–363.

Spada, N., & Lightbown, P. M. (1993). Instruction and the development of questions in L2 classrooms. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 15(2), 205–224. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263100011967

Speer, N. K., Reynolds, J. R., Swallow, K. M., & Zacks, J. M. (2009). Reading stories activates neural representations of visual and motor experiences. Psychological Science, 20(8), 989–999. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2009.02397.x

Tan, A.S.L., Lau, R.C., Anderson, P.J., Gathercole, S., Bellgrove, M.A., Wiley, J.F. and Spencer-Smith, M.M. (2024) Exploring Working Memory Capacity and Efficiency Processes to Understand Working Memory Training Outcomes in Primary School Children. Journal of Cognition, 7(1), p. 23. https://doi.org/10.5334/joc.348.

TeachingEnglish. (n.d.). Intensive reading. https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/professional-development/teachers/teaching-knowledge-database/d-h/intensive-reading

Torrence, M., & Dufresne, L. (1989). Effects of instruction on ESL learners’ grammar acquisition. Applied Linguistics, 10(3), 309–326.

Tran, L. (2025, October 20). How the art of storytelling alters memory formation. The Scientist. https://www.the-scientist.com/how-the-art-of-storytelling-alters-memory-formation-73619

Vandergrift, L., & Baker, S. (2015). Learner variables in second language listening comprehension: An exploratory path analysis. Language Learning, 65(2), 390–416. https://doi.org/10.1111/lang.12105

Vandergrift, L., & Baker, S. (2015). Learner strategies and performance on ESL listening comprehension tasks. Language Learning, 65(2), 390–416.

Vlach, H. A., & Sandhofer, C. M. (2012). Distributing learning over time: the spacing effect in children's acquisition and generalization of science concepts. Child development, 83(4), 1137–1144. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2012.01781.x

Wang, F. Y., & Lee, S. Y. (2007). Storytelling is the bridge. International Journal of Foreign Language Teaching, 3(2), 30-35.

Werker, J. F., & Tees, R. C. (1984). Cross-language speech perception: Evidence for perceptual reorganization during the first year of life. Infant Behavior and Development, 7(1), 49–63.

Wikipedia Contributors. (n. d.) Spaced Repetition.  Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaced_repetition

Wikipedia Contributors. (n.d.). Input hypothesis. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Input_hypothesis

Wilhelm, I., Diekelmann, S., & Born, J. (2008). Sleep in children improves memory performance on declarative but not procedural tasks. Learning & Memory, 15(5), 373–377.

Xolmatova, E., & Abdulhayeva, G. (2025). The role of reading in English language acquisition. Modern Science and Research, 4(4), 1177–1185. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15252621

Xue, G., et al. (2010). Neural mechanisms of repetition and memory. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 14(2), 80–88.

Xue, G., Mei, L., Chen, C., Lu, Z. L., Poldrack, R. A., & Dong, Q. (2010). Spaced learning enhances subsequent recognition memory by reducing neural repetition suppression. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 23(7), 1624–1633. https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn.2010.21532

Young, R. (1988). Input and interaction. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 9, 122–134. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/231773756_Input_and_Interaction

Zhou, J. (2024). Extensive reading. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009474153