UNIT
2 Enhancing English Reading Skills
·
Reading- A communicative process.
Francis Bacon says, ‘Reading makes a
man complete.’ Reading is an important communicative process and it is the
most important language skills required for academic and professional purposes.
Quick, efficient and imaginative reading techniques are essential in order to
achieve academic success, because academic performance depends on the quality
and quantity of reading.
Reading is a complex communicative process
of receiving and interpreting the written word. It involves recognizing what is
written and comprehending the matter that is, understanding the main and
subsidiary points as well as links between different parts of written material.
While receiving and interpreting the written word, the reader is concerned with
four factors that is Decoding, Comprehending, Text analysis, and
Response.
·
Decoding or Interpreting
in reading refers to the process of changing the coded message into
information. As it involves understanding the written language, it requires the
ability to recognize words accurately, understand the definitions of words
being used, and the manner in which words are used in varying contexts. A
written message can be decoded only if we know the language in which the
message is encoded.
·
Comprehension
in reading refers to the identification of the central theme, main ideas,
supporting details and writing patterns. In order to comprehend a technical
message, we need to think critically and analytically about what we are reading
so that we are able to respond to the lexical meaning of words and the
relationships between them, understand the specific details, and recognize the
meaning and functions of sentence patterns accurately as well as their logical
and thematic coherence.
·
After decoding and comprehending the
literal meaning of a written message, its significance is evaluated and
appropriate conclusions are drawn from it. Text analysis is essential
for critical and evaluative understanding of a text. It refers to the process
of identifying relationships among different units within the text in order to
distinguish between relevance and irrelevant information, explicit and implicit
information, facts and opinions, and examples and ideas.
·
Response
is our action or reaction to the written message. It completes the reading
process as it is the last step of reading. Our response to a text depends on
our correct understanding and evaluation of the text. We may respond to the
message, as in the case of reading a letter, memo, e-mail message, or a fax.
Alternatively, we may need to remember the information so that we are able to
use it in some other form later.
·
Key Purposes of Reading:
1.
Get an introductory idea of a text.
2.
Get a broad understanding of the subject
matter.
3.
Understanding scientific ideas,
theories, and principles.
4.
Obtain specific information.
5.
Understanding new changes and
developments in a particular field.
6.
Broaden one’s outlook and perspectives
and understanding.
·
8 Reason Why Reading is Important for a
Student
Reading materials such
as books, journals, magazines newspapers etc. are the most inexpensive source
of knowledge and entertainment.
Reading is the cheapest way of acquiring
knowledge and thus improving the lifestyles.
However, the following points will highlight
the benefits of reading;
1. Giving
Satisfaction
Reading gives great satisfaction to the
readers. A popular phrase “curling up with books” creates an image of a warm
and close relationship with the book.
Even parents feel satisfied when they see their
kids are reading books.
2. Enhancing
Concentration
For reading one needs to be focused for a
longer duration and it requires mental exercise.
For understanding the text or the whole story,
the reader must concentrate his mind towards a particular matter.
In this way, reading improves our concentration
power and focus.
3. Imparting
Knowledge
Reading enhances the knowledge of the readers.
By developing the reading skills, the readers
can diversify their field of knowledge which provides them with the chances to
participate in fruitful discussion and decision-making process.
4. Exercise of Brain
Reading is regarded as an exercise of the
brain.
When we involved in reading our brain cells
start to work for understanding the meaning of the text and try to relate
various aspects of the matter read.
Thus reading stimulates the brain and impels it
to think about all possible aspects for realizing the meaning.
5. Reducing Stress
Reading is a great habit that can change human
lives dramatically. It can entertain us; amuse us and enrich us with knowledge.
It helps us reducing stress, relieving tensions
and thus boosts our energy. It carries us to the realm of dream and amusement –
far away from the real complex world.
6. Enhancing
Analytical Thinking
Reading not only enriches your knowledge but
also makes it sharpen to analyze and evaluate things in a better way.
In this way, reading enhances our analytical
thinking.
7. Improving
Vocabulary
Skillful reading obviously increases the
vocabulary of the readers by introducing them with the new and unfamiliar words
and phrases regularly.
It not only enriches our vocabulary but also
teaches us the better way of expressing ourselves.
8. Improving Writing
Skills
Reading helps gradual improvements of
vocabulary that in turns enhances the reader’s writing skills.
As it boosts the ability to think, it also
improves the written expression.
___________________
· Structure of Paragraph:
A paragraph can be defined as a distinct section of a piece
of writing. It consist of several related sentences and deals with one
controlling idea. This controlling idea is called the topic or the theme of the
paragraph. The main function of a paragraph is to develop, support, exemplify,
or explain this theme.
In technical or professional writing, a paragraph may
consist of the following three kinds of sentences:
a. Main sentence, which expresses the
main idea of the paragraph.
b. Major supporting
sentences,
which expand, illustrate, explain, support or strengthen the main idea with
secondary points and major supporting details.
c.
Minor supporting sentences, which further
exemplify and support the main idea with minor points, minor supporting
details.
These sentences may be arranged logically by taking care of
the proper distribution of emphasis in a paragraph. It is important that the
space devoted to each sentence should be in proportion to the importance of the
idea it expresses. While phrasing sentences, appropriate key words or lexical
items, markers of cohesion, and linkers should be chosen.
_________________________
· Skimming
and Scanning in Reading skill
· Scanning
Skill:
Scanning
refers to the ability to locate specific information or facts as quickly as
possible. While trying to look for the meaning of a word in a dictionary or
looking for a telephone number in the telephone directory, we scan and try to
look for specific information. Scanning is an important rapid reading
technique, which provides better comprehension while reading a scientific or
technical text. It may serve several purpose, while include looking for;
a.
A specific point or fact in a text
b.
Relevant graphic details
c.
A formulate in a text
d.
a
word in a dictionary
e.
Train or television schedules,
f.
Any reference or bibliographical
listings
g.
Examination results, or
h.
Any notes/questions/remarks at the end of the
text.
The following suggestions will help increase
proficiency at scanning.
1.
Know what you want to find:
In order to scan any reading material, the reader needs to know what he/she
wants to find. If he/she does not know what he/she is looking for, he/she will
not be able to scan well. So the purpose of scanning should be determined and
the reader should not be confused about the information that he/she requires.
2.
Do not read everything:
As the reader knows what he/she is looking for before he/she begins to read,
he/she should not read everything. One should concentrate on the information
that he/she needs with his/her eyes only on the particular word, phrase, and
word group or thought unit that he/she is looking for. The attempt should be
perceive word groups and thought units quickly.
3.
Use Guides and Aids:Every
reading material includes certain guides and aids, which should be used to find
what the reader wants.
4.
Know the organization of the material to
be read: the reader needs to know the organization of reading
material to scan it with speed and accuracy. Practice scanning different kinds
of reading materials, such as newspaper listings, dictionaries, telephone
directories and analyze the way information structured in these materials.
5.
Concentrate while scanning:
The reader needs to concentrate while scanning a reading material. He/she must
have the urge to read and scan the material. This will improve his visual
perception and help him identify the required information quickly.
· Skimming
Skill:
Skimming is a more
sophisticated skill than scanning. It refers to the process of reading a text
or passage in order to get a rough idea of what the text or passage is all
about. It is a rapid reading technique that prepares the reader for detailed
reading. As the main objective of skimming is to understand the central idea
and the main points of a text, the reader needs to use a reading strategy that
involves fast reading and quick analysis.
Skimming also involves
discovering the purpose and organization of a text. One of the most important
purpose of reading for academic and professional purposes is obtaining relevant
information for various purposes. This involves the ability to identify the
different writing patterns used to develop these ideas. Authors use a variety
of discourse patterns in scientific writing.
Skimming is essential
for better understanding of a text. Skimming should answer the following
questions about a text.
1.
What is the overall purpose of the text?
2.
What is the central idea or the theme?
3.
What is the logical organization?
(general to specific, specific to general, chronological, more important to
less important, less important to more important, and so on)
4.
What does the author intend to do?
(describe, instruct, report, narrate, explain, argue, persuade, illustrate, and
so on)
5.
What are the main points of the text?
·
Steps of skimming
1.
Identifying the central idea:The
first step of skimming is to identify the central idea. Every essay, article,
passage, or textbook chapter deals with a theme or central idea. All the other
ideas, points, examples in a text support and expand this central idea. This
central idea also called thesis. The thesis answers the following questions:
1.
What is the subject?
2.
What does the author wants to say about
the subject?
3.
What is the author’s point of view?
In order to understand the central idea of the text,
the reader should carefully read the following:
1.
The title or the main heading
2.
The sub headings
3.
The opening paragraph
4.
The last paragraph
The title or the main
heading of a text can give a clue to the content. Similarly, the sub-heading
can also help in identifying the central idea. The opening and the last
paragraphs generally sum up the subject and the author’s point of view. The
reader should glance over the beginning of the text to identify its logical organization.
Identify the discourse technique used in the text that is definition, description,
explanation, comparison and contrast, narration, classification and so on.
2.
Recognizing main ideas:
Once the central idea of the text has been identified the reader can easily
recognize the main ideas that support and expand the central idea. Most writers
structure the main ideas in a logical way and it may not be difficult to
identify them. In order to do this, the reader first needs to identify the
topic sentence in each paragraph of the text, understand discourse coherence,
and text organization, recognize the meaning and function of sentence patterns
accurately.
Each paragraph may
deal with one main idea. This idea is generally expressed in a topic sentence,
which is usually placed at the beginning of the paragraph. This topic sentence
summarizes the paragraph by stating the gist of the idea to be developed in the
paragraph. It may be a statement, a generalization, a description, or a
problem. The other sentences of the paragraph develop, support, exemplify, and
explain the central theme.
3.
Identifying writing patterns:
Skimming involves discovering the purpose and organization of a text. While
skimming a passage or text, the reader should be able to identify the specific
writing pattern used by the writer in the passage. Technical writers use
different writing patterns or techniques of exposition to develop ideas. A
writer may use a writing pattern according to the nature and type of message to
be communicated. Generally, authors use the following writing patterns:
-
Definition
-
Description
-
Sequence of events
-
Generalization
-
Classification
-
Illustration example
-
Cause and effect
-
Comparison and contrast.
___________________________