A Welsh Poppy - a Celtic language to learn
Teaching
Reading
Traditionally,
the purpose of learning to read in a language has been to have access
to
the literature written in that language. In language instruction, reading
materials have traditionally been chosen from literary texts that represent
"higher" forms of culture.
This
approach assumes that students learn to read a language by studying its
vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structure, not by actually reading it. In
this approach, lower level learners read only sentences and paragraphs
generated by textbook writers and instructors.
The
reading of authentic materials is limited to the works of great authors and
reserved
for
upper level students who have developed the language skills needed to read
them.
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 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
Reading
as a Process
Reading
is an interactive process that goes on between the reader and the text,
resulting
in comprehension.
The
text presents letters, words, sentences, and paragraphs that encode meaning.
The
reader uses knowledge, skills, and strategies to determine what that meaning
is.
Reader
knowledge, skills, and strategies include
Linguistic
competence: the ability to recognize the elements of the writing system;
knowledge
of vocabulary; knowledge of how words are structured into sentences
Discourse
competence: knowledge of discourse markers
and
how they connect parts of the text to one another
Sociolinguistic
competence: knowledge about different types of texts
and
their usual structure and content
Strategic
competence: the ability to use top-down strategies
(see Strategies for
Developing Reading Skills for
descriptions),
as
well as knowledge of the language (a bottom-up strategy)
The
purpose(s) for reading and the type of text determine the specific knowledge,
skills,
and
strategies that readers need to apply to achieve comprehension.
Reading
comprehension is thus much more than decoding.
Reading
comprehension results when the reader knows which skills and strategies
are
appropriate for the type of text, and understands how to apply them
to
accomplish the reading purpose.
Material
for this section was drawn from “Reading in the beginning and intermediate
college foreign language class” by Heidi Byrnes, in
Modules for the professional preparation of teaching assistants in
foreign languages
(Grace
Stovall Burkart, ed.; Washington, DC: Center for Applied Linguistics, 1998)
http://www.nclrc.org/essentials/reading/reindex.htm
Introduction
to Turbo Charged Reading YouTube
A practical overview of Turbo Charged Reading
YouTube
How to choose a book. A Turbo Charged Reading YouTube
Emotions when
Turbo Charged Reading YouTube
Advanced Reading Skills Perhaps you’d like to join my FaceBook group ?
Perhaps you’d like to check out my sister
blogs:
www.innermindworking.blogspot.com gives many ways
for you to work with the stresses of life
www.ourinnerminds.blogspot.com which takes
advantage of the experience and expertise of others.
www.happyartaccidents.blogspot.com
just for fun.
To
quote the Dr Seuss himself, “The more that you read, the more things you will
know.
The
more that you learn; the more places you'll go.”
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