Reading (part 2) (10/01)

5. Common European framework of reference for languages: the reading skill

	C2	-  The reader can read without difficulty almost all forms of texts, including abstract, structurally or linguistically complex texts such as manuals, specialised articles and literary works.
Proficient user	C1	-  The reader can understand long and complex factual and literary texts, appreciating distinctions or style. -  The reader can understand specialised articles and long technical instructions, even when they are not related to his field.
Independent user	B2	-  The reader can read articles and reports connected with contemporary problems in which the writers adopt particular attitudes or viewpoints. -  The reader can understand contemporary literary prose (short stories and popular novels).
	B1	-  The reader can understand text that consist mainly of high frequency every day or job-related language. -  The reader can understand the description of events, feelings and wishes in personal letters.
Basic user	A2	-  The reader can read very short, simple texts. -  The reader can find specific, predictable information in simple everyday material such as advertisements, prospectuses, menus and timetables. -  The readers can understand short simple personal letters.
	A1	-  The reader can understand familiar names, words and very simple sentences, for example on notices and posters or in catalogues.

6. Styles of reading applicable to the reading class

• Reading aloud or reading silently.
• Silent reading: scanning, skimming, intensive and extensive.

   1. Reading aloud

For:

• In the first years of Primary education, storytelling plays an important role in the process of learning.
• More effective if the story is told (or read) aloud due to the fact that learners become more involved and consequently more motivated.
• Students can show that they recognise written and spoken forms and the relationship between form and meaning.
• At early and intermediate levels, it can be used to check bottom-up processing skills or simply pronunciation.

Against:

• It is not a very authentic activity.
• It is a boring activity because while one student is reading, the others can easily lose attention.
• It is not an interactive activity because students only have to recite.

   2. Silent reading

• The most common and natural type of reading.
• Different goals can be pursued depending on the predetermined purposed of reading:

              -  Scanning: search of specific information within a text: relevant dates, numbers in a directory, times on a timetable or key concepts in an academic text.

              -  Skimming: very common in everyday life; used to get a global impression of the content of a text (the gist of the text). Requires a definite reading competence because it implies an overall view of the text. Develops students’ self-confidence since they obtain a lot of information without needing much reading.

              -  Intensive: focused on linguistic and content accuracy. It is very important in some educational contexts because it is used to exemplify different aspects of the lexical, syntactic and discourse systems. Full understanding of the literal meaning presented in the written passage. 

              -  Extensive: oriented towards grasping a general understanding or the text for the purpose of enjoyment or learning. Texts are usually long such as books or articles and reading them takes extended periods of time. Extensive reading is not usually performed during class time but it is known that this activity helps students to improve their reading abilities.

7. An extensive reading programme for children

1. Goals for an extensive reading programme

• Take into account institutional goals and expectations for learning (students’ goals, language abilities, L1 and L2 reading experiences, students’ motivations and attitudes toward reading in general and particular goals of the curriculum). 
• Plan reading curricula in relation to specific goals (hours of instruction per week, available resources, etc.), topics, texts and tasks. 
• Select appropriate text materials and supporting resources according to levels of difficulty. 
• Diversify students’ reading experiences (reading in different places: class, lab, library or home; reading for different purposes).
• Work with texts within a pre-, during- and post-reading framework.
• Recognise the complex nature of reading through meaningful instructions (vocabulary development, careful reading of the texts, awareness of text structure and discourse organisation, the use of graphic organisers to support comprehension, strategic reading, student motivation and integrated-skills tasks). 

2. Types of texts

• Authentic texts refer to readings which have not been adapted or modified in any way for teaching purposes. 
• Pedagogic texts are readings that have been especially written for the language classroom. 
• Adapted texts or Graded Readers aim to facilitate the language and content of the text in order to make it more accessible to the language learner.

3. Materials

• Chart for keeping track of student’s readings:

-          Studen’s name -          Date of reading: -          Title: -          Brief summary: -          What did you like the most? -          What did you like the least? -          Which character did you identify with?

8. Tasks to develop reading skills

1. Tasks before reading.

• To introduce the topic of reading and to activate schemata, that is, previous world knowledge.
• The teacher may also decide to introduce the structural items (vocabulary, discourse markers…).
• Five main goals of pre-reading instructions:

                1. It enables the reader to access background knowledge.

                2. It stimulates student’s interest.

                3. It provides specific information needed for successful comprehension.

                4. It sets up student’s expectations.

                5. It models strategies that students can use later on their own.