Academic Reading Literacy
Subject / discipline specific reading
• Reading leads to one becoming more
expert in a particular domain.
• Subjects often have different perspectives
and vocabularies.
• Subjects have differences in terms of the
legitimacy of sources, e.g conferences
over journal articles, books over journals.
Slide # 1
Student Diversity in Academic Writing (SDAW)
Academic Reading Literacy
LING 402 - ACADEMIC DISCOURSE PRACTICES:
A critical approach
Week 2 – ACADEMIC READING:
Managing, engaging with and
recording what you read
Slide # 2
Student Diversity in Academic Writing (SDAW)
Academic Reading Literacy
Different ways of reading
Slide # 3
Student Diversity in Academic Writing (SDAW)
Academic Reading Literacy
Different ways of reading
Slide # 4
Student Diversity in Academic Writing (SDAW)
Academic Reading Literacy
Different ways of reading
Intensive
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Student Diversity in Academic Writing (SDAW)
Academic Reading Literacy
Different ways of reading
Intensive
Extensive
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Student Diversity in Academic Writing (SDAW)
Academic Reading Literacy
Different ways of reading
NOT ALL LIKE THIS!
Intensive
Extensive
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Student Diversity in Academic Writing (SDAW)
Academic Reading Literacy
Reading Strategies
All academic
reading has a focus
and a purpose
Core
sources
(In-depth)
Extended
sources
(Skim)
Slide # 8
Peripheral
sources
(Scan)
All potential
sources
Student Diversity in Academic Writing (SDAW)
Academic Reading Literacy
Reading depth
• Scan read
– Main purpose is to gain overall impression.
Reading for relevance, key words and to
determine quality/legitimacy.
• Skim read
– Main purpose is exploratory. Reading for key
words, vocabulary, key arguments (schools of
thought)
• In-Depth read
– Main purpose is reflexive or critical reading
Slide # 9
Student Diversity in Academic Writing (SDAW)
Academic Reading Literacy
Active reading
• Reading is an active process in which the
reader continually anticipates the meaning
of the text
• Speed reading as a form of active reading
Reading is an active process in which the
reader continually anticipates the meaning of
the text (7 out of 16 words)
Slide # 10
Student Diversity in Academic Writing (SDAW)
Academic Reading Literacy
Scan read the periphery
Focus/Activity
Prompting questions or activities
Look at title
What is it about? Do I know anything about this topic?
Can I guess what it might be about?
Look at the author
Have I read anything by the author before?
Speed read the TOC /
abstract
What does it suggest about the structure / content?
Can I identify key chapters/sections/ideas (key words)
Speed read the index /
conclusion
Index: Which ideas/terms (authors) are highly
referenced? What are the key words / concepts
Conclusion: Is there a summary of arguments of ideas
Look at headings
Does it suggest the content, structure, flow of argument?
Look at tables, diagrams, etc.
Does it suggest a structure or content?
Look at references
What sort of references are there (coverage, depth)?
Any familiar authors? Can you get an idea of the
intellectual influences of the author? Key authors?
Anticipate, guess, predict
What do you think this is about? Where is it heading? Is it
relevant for to your focus?
Slide # 11
Student Diversity in Academic Writing (SDAW)
Academic Reading Literacy
Academic Reading Exercise #3
• Scan read a number of academic journal
papers and a number of academic books
(from one of your course reading lists)
• Make some notes
– What was difficult about it?
– What did you learn from the experience?
• If possible discuss it in a group
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Student Diversity in Academic Writing (SDAW)
Academic Reading Literacy
Skim read the extensions
Focus/Activity
Prompting questions or activities
Read the abstract /
introduction
Does it suggest a structure? What are the main
claims / conclusions suggested
Speed read the conclusion
What are the conclusions?
Speed read the first and
last paragraph of each
section (topic sentences)
Can you pick up the flow of the discussion? What
are the important points being made?
Speed read the core
section / chapter
What is the central argument or position?
Anticipate, guess, predict
What do you think this is about? Where is it
heading? Is it relevant for to your focus?
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Student Diversity in Academic Writing (SDAW)
Academic Reading Literacy
Read the core in-depth
Focus/Activity
Prompting questions or activities
Skim and scan the source
(book journal, etc)
Read actively and critically • Make notes (draw diagram of structure)
• Underline key ideas (one per paragraph)
• Annotate pages / diagrams
• Critically evaluate argument
• Relate to other core and extended readings
Make your own summary of
main points / argument
Keep in safe place for later reference
Reread (multiple times)
With each read try and become more critical
about the claims and the argument
- Why do you agree / disagree
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Student Diversity in Academic Writing (SDAW)
Academic Reading Literacy
INDIVIDUAL WORK
•
Look at your reading list. Mark items as ‘core’, ‘extension’ or ‘peripheral’
•
Scan read all three items you brought with you, using the notes on slide 10.
•
Choose one of the items to skim read, and a different one to read in depth,
•
Use these to practice skim-reading and reading in-depth using the notes on slides 12
and 14 (just a page or two, there isn’t time to read the whole paper)
SMALL GROUP WORK
•
Discuss
–
What was difficult about it?
–
What did you learn from the experience?
–
How can this help you to manage and engage with your course reading?
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Student Diversity in Academic Writing (SDAW)
Academic Reading Literacy
Concluding comments
• Important to:
– Identify and reflect upon existing experience
– Practice those aspects of academic reading
literacy that you are not familiar with
– This is an ongoing process as you become
more expert in a subject area.
– Practice, practice, practice….
Slide # 16
Student Diversity in Academic Writing (SDAW)