The Effects of Extensive Reading on ESL Students' Language Acquisition IntroductionLearning a second language requires a great deal of hard work and effort on the part of both students and teachers to acquire the language effectively; within the Tongan Armed Forces Language Training Centre, whose students and teachers are both military members who in addition to carrying out other responsibilities in the armed forces, the process of learning English as a second language through a 10-week short course is seen by many students as a time-consuming and discouraging process, especially when the training program clashes with the unit work plan. As an ESL teacher of this particular language center, one way to improve their English language level is to encourage students to read extensively in their free time since "extensive reading is the most effective way to improve language proficiency" Maley (2005, p.354 ). However, this is not put into practice by some students as no clear guidelines are given on how it is carried out to achieve positive outcomes. In this regard, this essay will discuss the importance of extensive reading, its characteristics and how it could be implemented in our language center. Its meaning According to Carrell & Carson (1997) Extensive reading simply means reading a huge amount of reading materials such as diaries, newspapers, magazines, non-fiction and fiction books and so on for enjoyment and general understanding, focusing on the overall meaning of the text rather than on the language. A reading activity which according to Day and Bamford was the primary objective of "getting students to read in the second language and to enjoy it" (p.6) and... halfway through the paper... which led to get easily adapt to the habit of reading excessively before testing yourself. Preferably, students read on their own without the need to monitor their own reading. However, when working with the lower level, it is suggested to constantly conduct observations to identify students' reading progress, Renandya (2007). A simple accounting register could be used to track student progress. despite the use of book logs, a monthly meeting between teachers and scholars could be scheduled to see if students are having problems with their reading. This meeting could last as little as five minutes or less. It should be noted here that monitoring should be seen as a method of showing student progress and challenging students, rather than as a path through which the instructor examines them, Renandya (2007).