UNDERSTANDING READING
WEEK 2
CONTENTS
Part 1 – Reading for Academic Purposes.
Part 2 – Reading: Process.
Part 3 – Critical Reading and Critical Thinking.
PART 1
Reading for Academic Purposes
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Imagine not being able to read,
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What would you lose?
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How would it affect your life?
1.1. KNOWLEDGE USED WHILE
READING
(Goodman, 1967)
(Gough, 1972)
For better understanding, please watch the accompanying video
1.2. TYPES OF READING
EXTENSIVE
READING
INTENSIVE
READING
1.3. READING SUB-SKILLS
Sub-skills
Definition
Reading for gist
/ Skimming
Reading quickly in order to get an overall understanding of the text . When
people pick up a newspaper, they are not interested in all the article.
Instead they go through it and find out what the article is all about.
Reading for
specifics /
Scanning
A person reads a text quickly to locate a specific piece of information such
as a word, a number or time. It is not necessary to understand the whole
text in order to do this.
Extensive
reading
Intensive
reading
It is reading longer texts frequently over a period of time usually done
independently outside the classroom. At the end of reading you will be
able to give a good summary of the text, explain the storyline and major
events without necessarily knowing the details. It is the way people read
for pleasure or for general interest.
It is reading to get detailed information from the text. It is when students
read and understand the text to be able to answer both general and very
specific questions on the text.
1.3. READING SUB-SKILLS
Sub-skills
Prediction
Inference
Definition
Effective readers use pictures, , titles, headings, text or personal experiences to
make predictions either before they begin to read or while reading to think ahead
and anticipate information and events in the text. It activates students’ prior
knowledge about the text and helps them make connections between new
information and what they already know.
It is finding the meaning behind the words in a text, so called “reading between the
lines”. The author suggests something indirectly within the text and it is reader’s
job to figure out that meaning. It is a foundational skill for higher order thinking.
Contextual
guessing
Good readers figure out unknown words in a text by trying to guess their meanings
from the context. This is an essential skill as looking up the meaning of all
unknown words in the dictionary will interrupt the flow of reading and consequently
overall understanding.
Text
organization and
construction
Readers need to be introduced to all types of texts, structure and organization for
that text type. Once readers understand how a text is organized, they are better
able to get meaning from a difficult text and guess the location of details.
1.4. READING STRATEGIES
Activity: To skim or to scan?
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A train timetable
A recipe of Spanish Paella
A travel brochure
An article about the Roman empire
A bus timetable
A fax or an email at the office
A letter from a bank
A list of results for a final exam you have taken
1.5. THE STAGES OF READING
FOR EGAP
Previewing
the material
before reading
Interpreting
instructions &
questions
Skimming for
general idea
of text
Reading in
more than
one way
Intensive
reading to
answer the
questions
Scanning for
specific
answers
1.6. TYPES OF TEXTS
Activity: Define types of texts
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A fairy tale about mermaid
A biography of F. Scott Fitzgerald
A travel article of a cosmopolitan
A recipe of Japanese sushi
A TV schedule for the week
An advertisement of hygienic product
An article outlining pros and cons of having bionic ears
1.7. TEXT STRUCTURE FRAMES
For better understanding, please watch the accompanying video
1.8. TEXT ORGANIZATION
1.9. INFERENCE
1.10. CONTEXTUAL GUESSING
ACTIVITY
1.11. TEXT ANNOTATION
Text annotation is taking notes from a
reading passage to concentrate on
and make better sense of the text. It
helps to identify important concepts
and maintain permanent record of
useful information which will be
handy during revision.
WRAP-UP FOR PART 1
The skills and knowledge needed for effective academic
reading:
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The difference of main and supporting idea
Types of texts and text organization
Inference and pronoun reference
Contextual prediction of unknown vocabulary
Complex structures and key concepts in texts
Pronoun referencing
Build a mind map of a text and annotate key concepts
PART 2
Reading: Process
2.1. THE STRUCTURE OF A
CLASSICAL READING LESSON
Pre-reading stage: Prepare students for
the texts content through lead-in,
brainstorming, prediction, elicitation or
word-cloud activities
While reading stage: It concerns only the
text and students comprehension of the
text
Post reading stage:
It concerns ideas beyond the text and
related to productive activities
2.3. DIFFERENT TYPES OF READING
*Teacher reads while
students follow along
*Silent reading: Students
read at individual pace
*Whole class reading:
students take turns
reading aloud
*Reading in groups:
students read to each
other in small groups
2.5. Reading Activities
READING TASKS AND
ACTIVITIES FOR ALL LEVELS
PRE-READING: Lead-in tasks
BRAINSTORMING
What is it?
It is a techniques used to find a solution for a specific
problem by gathering a list of ideas spontaneously
contributed by its members.
How is it used?
Students are given the title of a text and asked to write
down everything that comes to mind about the topic. The
ideas are then discussed to create deeper understanding.
Why should we
brainstorm?
It promotes problem solving behavior and critical thinking
skills .
Can it be done
individually
Both in group and individually
Is brainstorming used It is a skill / task that is used in any skill, subject, or career
only in reading?
in order to generate ideas.
WHILE-READING: Jigsaw Reading
What is it?
In this activity each student in the group serves as a piece of the
topic’s puzzle and when they work together as a whole, they
create the complete jigsaw puzzle.
Why use it?
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Builds comprehension and cooperative learning
Improves listening and communication skills
Can be used in different content areas
Jigsaw reading with a single text:
a. A story can be divided and sections given to students to read.
How to use it?
Students read their section aloud to the group and they
arrange themselves in the order of the story.
b. A story can be divided and sections posted around the room.
Students walk around and find the correct story order.
c. The teacher paraphrases the story. Students match the
paraphrases to the correct segment in the story.
INFORMATION TRANSFER TASKS
Information transfer tasks require students to make sense of the
information given in the reading text and transfer that information to
charts, diagrams, time lines, maps or outlines.
SPIDERGRAMS
INFORMATION TRANSFER TASKS
The Venn Diagram
A
C
B
INFORMATION TRANSFER TASK
Timeline:
It is a useful organizer
when there are a lot
of events that occur if
the texts jumps back
and forth in time.
WRAP-UP FOR PART 2
When preparing reading lessons, teachers should keep
in mind:
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Three stages of reading lessons
Types of reading tasks and activities
Mind the level of learners when selecting reading
tasks
PART 3
Reading and Thinking from
Critical Perspective
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Confucius (551-479 BC)
“I do not open up the truth to
one who is not eager to get
knowledge, nor help out any one
who is not anxious to explain
himself. When I have presented
one corner of a subject to any
one and he cannot from it learn
the other three, I do not repeat
my lesson”. (Shen, 2001)
3.1. THE EARLIEST CONTRIBUTORS
TO CRITICAL THINKING
Confucius in China (551-479 BC);
Hippocrates (360-470 BC), Socrates (469-399 BC), Plato
(427-347 BC) and Aristotle (387-322 BC) in Greece
3.2. WHAT IS CRITICAL READING?
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Reading materials do not always contain of
facts, but also contain of argument of the
writer and the author’s decision is a potential
topic for evaluation and debate by a reader,
which we call critical reading.
Critical reading involves understanding the
content of a text and how the subject is
developed, but at the same time it involves
more active, deeper and more complex
engagement with a text to assess the strength
of the evidence and the argument in a text.
Critical reading is the process of analyzing,
interpreting and evaluating the argument to
determine whether the argument is solid or
not.
For better understanding, please watch the accompanying video
3.3. CRITICAL READING VS
CRITICAL THINKING
■ Creative Reading is a technique for
discovering information and ideas within
a text, whereas Critical Thinking is a
technique for evaluating information and
ideas analytically and judgementally for
deciding what to accept or believe and
what not.
■ Critical Thinking challenges assumptions
and make connections across entities
and propositions through such processes
as analysis, synthesis, evaluation and
creativity. (de Chazal, 2012)
3.4. ACTIVITY
Critical Thinking Moment
“China will soon become the number ONE
English speaking country in the world”.
1.
2.
Think of as many critical questions as
possible arising from this statement
Discuss possible answers to the critical
questions you have generated
3.4. POSSIBLE CRITICAL QUESTIONS
■ When? How soon is soon?
■ Why China? Why not India?
■ How do you know? What are the sources? Any evidence?
■ Is it desirable or undesirable that this will happen?
■ Why do Chinese need to speak English?
■ Is it about quality or quantity?
■ Which country is current number ONE then?
■ What is the connection between picture and English language?
■ If the statement is true, how will it affect me personally?
■ What do Chinese people think about this?...
3.5. BENJAMIN S. BLOOM’S
TAXONOMY
Invent, synthesize, compose,
design, plan
Judge, justify, debate,
recommend, rate
Explain, investigate, compare,
distinguish, explain
Show, solve, complete,
classify, use, illustrate
Explain, interpret, discuss,
predict, give examples
State, name, list, describe,
relate, describe, find
3.6. THE SCOPE OF CRITICAL
THINKING
Tasks associated with
critical thinking
Characteristics of
critical thinking
Intelligences in critical
thinking
Observation
Examination
Interpretation
Analysis
Evaluation
Synthesis
Reasoning
Justification
Adding something
Making connections
Looking for analogies
Find biases, flaws
Problem solving
Originality
Cognition
Inference
Logic
Uncertainty and doubt
Skepticism
State of mind
Self-awareness
Reflection
Unpredictability
Open-endedness
Liberation
Creativity
Logical
Linguistic
Rational
Mathematical
Intrapersonal
Spacial
Artistic
Musical
Kinesthetic
3.7. FEATURES OF CRITICAL
READING
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Separating facts from opinion
Analyzing and reflecting on the gained information
Linking between new and previous knowledge
Making connections across disciplines or subject areas
Questioning why material is presented in a certain way
Comparing and contrasting different opinions
Examining the evidence and interpretations made
Recognizing errors and limitations in argument
3.8. CRITICAL READING STRATEGIES
1. Previewing
Surveying a text before really reading
2. Contextualizing
Placing a text in it’s historical, biographical and cultural context
3. Questioning
To understand and remember, ask questions about context and
content. Questions focus on main idea of every paragraph
4. Reflection
Reflect on challenges to your beliefs and values. Identify your
personal response. Make a brief note on the points that
contradict your beliefs.
5. Outlining and
Summarizing
Identify and recall the main ideas and restate them in your own
words. Outlining reveals structure and summary synopsizes
main points briefly. Keep a reading journal.
6. Evaluating an
argument
Testing the logic of a text as well as it’s credibility and emotional
impact. Evaluate both claims and support.
7. Comparing and
contrasting
Look at similarities and differences between different authors’
texts and points of view.
3.9. GUIDELINES FOR CRITICAL
READING
What do texts do?
■ Texts follow certain text frame
■ Terms / key concepts defined
■ Rational and justification
presented
■ Exceptions explained and
elaborated
■ Main points supported with
details and evidence
■ Conclusions follow logical order
of arguments and evidence as it
is given in the text
What should you do?
■ Consider content: topic, title,
development, appropriateness,
clarity, scope, evidence,
supportedness;
■ Consider organization: topic
introduction and conclusion,
structure, subdivisions, chapters
■ Consider style: humorous,
serious, reflective, creative,
attractive,
■ Consider correctness: errors,
biases, confusions
3.10. GENERIC CRITICAL QUESTIONS
Across different context and disciplines these questions vary.
■ What is the author’s stance? How did you work this out? What helped you to
find this out?
■ What are the writer’s main points? How do the examples contribute to your
understanding of the text?
■ How strong is the evidence which supports the writer’s conclusion?
■ Why has the writer selected the particular evidence and examples provided?
■ Are there any points in the text which particularly invite you to demonstrate
knowledge and offer your personal response?
■ Which arguments did you like and agree with? Why?
■ How can you check whether one or another point is true or false in the text?
■ Why do you think that this particular information is (un)reliable?
3.11. WRAP-UP ACTIVITY
Rationale: This activity will help you to assess your understanding of 7
critical reading strategies learned earlier. First, form a group of 4 students.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Choose a reading text and preview
Contextualize the reading using schematic knowledge
Write brief questions to every section and reflect on challenging points
that contradict your beliefs and attitude
Make a non-linear outline of the text structure / organization
Write a summary of the reading with your own words in 4-5 sentences
Evaluate the credibility of the reading by reasoning appropriateness
Compare or contrast the reading with other sources by other authors.
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Note-taking: Cornell method
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Outline method
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Matrix method
REFERENCE
■ de Chazal, E. (2014). English for Academic Purposes: Handbook
for Language Teachers (pp.122-178). Oxford: Oxford University
Press.
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