For first-year students studying in English, which is not their mother-tongue, reading development is crucial to their success or failure (Day & Bamford, 1998). The University of the Free State in South Africa has a programme of intensive (in-class reading activities) and extensive (out-of-class) reading development for all initiates who need this support in a course of academic language development. The paper describes the methods and materials used in the course. Central to reading proficiency lies attitude towards reading and reading behaviour. The researcher attempted to evaluate the success of the reading programme in terms of these two core components by means of a small-scale experiment. The results of data gained by means of a questionnaire revealed a significant improvement in attitude and reading behaviour by the experimental group. It is incumbent upon the language practitioner to evaluate constantly whether language interventions are providing low-proficiency learners with the support they need to achieve success at tertiary level.
