Unit IV

Is reading always fun?

Vocabulary

authentic materials

extensive reading

intensive reading

gist

jigsaw reading

pre-reading

while-reading

post-reading

receptive skills

scanning

skimming

reading comprehension

authentic reading tasks

to guess meaning from context

Teaching Reading

The communicative approach to language teaching has given instructors a different understanding of the role of reading in the language classroom and the types of texts that can be used in instruction. When the goal of instruction is communicative competence, everyday materials such as train schedules, newspaper articles, and travel and tourism Web sites become appropriate classroom materials, because reading them is one way communicative competence is developed. Instruction in reading and reading practice thus become essential parts of language teaching at every level.

Reading Purpose and Reading Comprehension

Reading is an activity with a purpose. A person may read in order to gain information or verify existing knowledge, or in order to critique a writer's ideas or writing style. A person may also read for enjoyment, or to enhance knowledge of the language being read. The purpose(s) for reading guide the reader's selection of texts.

The purpose for reading also determines the appropriate approach to reading comprehension. A person who needs to know whether he/she can afford to eat at a particular restaurant needs to comprehend the pricing information provided on the menu, but does not need to recognize the name of every appetizer listed. A person reading poetry for enjoyment needs to recognize the words the poet uses and the ways they are put together, but does not need to identify main idea and supporting details. However, a person using a scientific article to support an opinion needs to know the vocabulary that is used, understand the facts and cause-effect sequences that are presented, and recognize ideas that are presented as hypotheses and givens.

Reading research shows that good readers

• Read extensively

• Integrate information in the text with existing knowledge

• Have a flexible reading style, depending on what they are reading

• Are motivated

• Rely on different skills interacting: perceptual processing, phonemic processing, recall

• Read for a purpose - reading serves a function

Integrating Reading Strategies

Instruction in reading strategies is not an add-on, but rather an integral part of the use of reading activities in the language classroom. Instructors can help their students become effective readers by teaching them how to use strategies before, during, and after reading.

Before reading: Plan for the reading task

• Set a purpose or decide in advance what to read for

• Decide if more linguistic or background knowledge is needed

• Determine whether to enter the text from the top down (attend to the overall meaning) or from the bottom up (focus on the words and phrases)

During and after reading: Monitor comprehension

• Verify predictions and check for inaccurate guesses

• Decide what is and is not important to understand

• Reread to check comprehension

• Ask for help

After reading: Evaluate comprehension and strategy use

• Evaluate comprehension in a particular task or area

• Evaluate overall progress in reading and in particular types of reading tasks

• Decide if the strategies used were appropriate for the purpose and for the task

• Modify strategies if necessary