Extensive reading means reading in quantity to gain a general understanding of the material read. The purpose of extensive reading is to train students to read directly and fluently in English as a foreign language (EFL) for pleasure without the help of their teacher. It aims to develop good reading habits, expand the students' knowledge of vocabulary and grammatical structures; to develop an interest in reading, increase overall comprehension; to enable the students to read independently, familiarize them with relevant socio- cultural material; and to encourage reading for pleasure. It develops at the student's own pace according to his/her individual reading and linguistic abilities. [This is a chapter in: Andrzej Cirocki (Ed.). "Extensive Reading in English Language Teaching." p. 603-611. 2009. Lincom Europa: Munic, Germany.]