Nurlanbekova Y.K.

 

Kazakh state women’s teacher training university 

Kazakhstan, Almaty

 

Reading comprehension

                                

Reading comprehension has much in common with listening comprehen­sion, but also some differences. As is often the case in listening, we usually start reading with certain expectations: for example, in a newspaper we expect news, and on certain pages we expect financial news, entertainment news, or  sports news. As we  read, we try to confirm or identify the precise topic, and each change of topic. This activates the ideas we have stored in our mind related to that topic. And that helps us to make sense of  what we then read. On the basis of our expectations, our previous ideas about the topic, and our knowledge of the language and of texts written in the language, to some extent we predict what will come next.

We respond to what we read while and after reading: we may frown or smile, or even cry. Or we may think things like 'That's interesting', or 'Yes, I've heard about that before', or even 'I can't understand much of this'.

One important difference between reading and listening is that the text in reading is usually clearly, completely, and permanently on the page in front of us, while in listening the text is ephemeral and often not clear or complete. This permanence of reading texts has positive and negative sides, especially for non-native readers. On the positive side, people can read at their own pace, and reread things they do not understand immediately. On the negative side, some people read very slowly, word by word, even in their L1. Many more people do this in a foreign language. In fact, they often laboriously translate the text word by word. Reading comprehension in a foreign language is not translation, though translation may occasionally be useful. And it is not reading aloud. Reading comprehension work should normally deal with direct comprehension in silent reading. In other words, it should aim to develop the skills competent readers use in their L1.

                  Ways of reading

 We often read in distinctly different ways for different purposes. Sometimes we do preliminary or exploratory reading rather than reading whole texts thoroughly. This kind of reading can be divided into two types, scanning and skimming. When scanning a text, you look quickly through it to find some specific information, for example, looking through a telephone directory for a specific number, a sports article for the result of a specific soccer game, or a textbook for the mention of a specific topic. When skimming, you look quickly through a text just to get a general idea of what it is about, in other words, the gist.

When we read whole texts we may also read in different ways at different times, depending, for example, on whether we are reading an easy text for pleasure or a difficult text for study or work. When reading a novel, for example, you may hardly be aware of the words on the page. The novel simply 'comes to life' in your head. Even with study or professional reading you may also read easily through a text if the text and content is simple or you are already familiar with the subject. But even in our L1 we sometimes have to work hard to understand a text. For example, articles or books on innovative or complex areas of science or technology may make us painfully aware of how we are struggling to attach intelligible ideas to the words on the page. Obviously, this happens more often in a foreign language.

In many English language courses, reading comprehension work consists only of scanning, skimming, and 'easy reading'. But you should not forget that professional people need to be able to deal with more complex texts as well. For example, doctors, engineers, or chemists need to be able to understand new, often revolutionary and complex, concepts and procedures very clearly indeed.

Reading activities

As we have said, reading has much in common with listening, and many aspects of the teaching of reading comprehension are similar to the teaching of listening comprehension. For example, the selection of texts is just as important. They should as far as possible be what the learners might really want or need to read. Many coursebooks nowadays contain potentially interesting reading texts. But you still need to be prepared to find alternatives to texts which are of little interest and are really trying to give practice in grammar not reading comprehension. If necessary, it is relatively easy to substitute or supplement the reading material in your coursebook with authentic material from magazines, newspapers, holiday brochures, and books. You may need to simplify such material for lower level classes, and you will need to design suitable activities and exercises. The text is only one element in a reading activity.

 As in listening comprehension practice, three stages are generally recom­mended to make reading more realistic and interesting:

Pre-reading

This stage is to prepare the learners for what they are going to read, just as we are usually prepared in real life.

 While-reading

This stage is to help the learners understand the text. They may first do an easy scanning or skimming task, and then a task requiring more thorough comprehension. As with listening, you should help your learners understand the text rather than just testing their comprehension the whole time.

Post-reading

This stage is to help the learners to connect what they have read with their own ideas and experience, just as we often do in real life, and perhaps to move fluently from reading to another classroom activity. Summarize the text, either orally or in writing.

Make sure students understand what the purpose for reading is: to get the main idea, obtain specific information, understand most or all of the message, enjoy a story, or decide whether or not to read more. Recognizing the purpose for reading will help students select appropriate reading strategies.

Comprehension strategies are conscious plans — sets of steps that good readers use to make sense of text. Comprehension strategy instruction helps students become purposeful, active readers who are in control of their own reading comprehension.

 

Used  Literature:

Campbell, C. and H. Kryszewska. 1992. Learner-based Teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Nuttal, C. 1996. Teaching Reading Skills in a Foreign Language. Oxford: Heinemann.

Wallace, C. Reading. Oxford: Oxford University Press. White, G. 1998. Listening. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Williams, E. 1984. Reading in the Language Classroom. London and Basingstoke: Macmillan.