Written
Written by: by: Michael Michael ErfortErfort Reviewed
Reviewed by: by: Desiré Desiré ScholtzScholtz Editor:
Editor: Abie Abie de de VilliersVilliers READIN
READING SKILG SKILLSLS
Reading is one of the most important activities in your lives as students. Reading is one of the most important activities in your lives as students. Without reading you would not be able to acquire knowledge that is Without reading you would not be able to acquire knowledge that is fundamental to
fundamental to your your intellectual growth. intellectual growth. Through Through reading reading you you becomebecome experts in your
experts in your fields. fields. Reading can be Reading can be divided into two divided into two main sub-headingsmain sub-headings i.e.
i.e. Reading for pleasureReading for pleasure andand Re Reading for ading for a specific pura specific pur pose.pose. Re
Reading fading f or or pleasurepleasure Reading for pleasure
Reading for pleasure means that means that you choose you choose what you what you want to want to read. read. ForFor example you choose to read a magazine or a book by your favourite author example you choose to read a magazine or a book by your favourite author in your
in your free time. free time. This does not This does not however mean that however mean that you are you are not learningnot learning from this type
from this type of reading. of reading. Reading in Reading in any form informs any form informs you about you about societysociety and culture and the world in general, whether it is through fiction (creative and culture and the world in general, whether it is through fiction (creative writing) or non-fiction (fact).
writing) or non-fiction (fact). Re
Reading for ading for a specific pura specific pur posepose This type of
This type of reading is more reading is more goal-orientated. goal-orientated. In other words In other words you are you are readingreading to achieve a specific outcome, e.g. to pass a test or to research for an essay. to achieve a specific outcome, e.g. to pass a test or to research for an essay. This type of reading
This type of reading is common in the is common in the life of any life of any student. student. From the momentFrom the moment you attend your first class you are inundated with reading upon reading. you attend your first class you are inundated with reading upon reading. Sometimes you feel you cannot cope with all the information contained in Sometimes you feel you cannot cope with all the information contained in your
your prescribed readings. prescribed readings. Not having Not having the the skills to skills to read effectively read effectively cancan determine whether or not you will be successful in completing your studies. determine whether or not you will be successful in completing your studies. It is therefore important to acquire effective readings to secure success.
It is therefore important to acquire effective readings to secure success. WHAT ARE READIN
WHAT ARE READING SKILLG SKILLS?S?
Reading skills enable readers to turn writing into meaning and achieve the Reading skills enable readers to turn writing into meaning and achieve the goals of
goals of independence,independence, comprehensioncomprehension, and, and fluency.fluency. (http://www.sil.org/lingualinks.com)
(http://www.sil.org/lingualinks.com) Re
• Interact and engage with the language • Comprehend and analyse the language
WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF READING SKILLS? 1. Scanning
2. Skimming
3. Comprehension 4. Critical reading
5. Vocabulary or word attack skil ls
SCANNING
Is used to find specific information in a reading. What i s specific information?
• Dates • Places • Names
• Page numbers
This technique is used to assess the value and relevance of the reading.
SKIMMING
Skimming is a technique where you gloss over an article to see whether or not it contains information that is of interest to you. This technique makes it possible for you to quickly evaluate and understand the message of the reading by looking at the main aspects.
What are the main aspects?
• the title/name of the book
• the sub-title/ names of chapters • the introduction
• first line of each paragraph • pictures
• conclusion
By looking at the main aspects you are able to get a general understanding of what the reading is about.
Definition: Skimming is a technique where you gloss over an article to see whether or not it contains information that is of interest to you. It also helps you gain an understanding of the article in a shorter space of time.
Now that you understand the definition, it is important to practically test your understanding.
EXERCISE:
SKIMMING and SCANNING EXERCISE
Look carefully at the following article and then answer the questions that follow:
Before you read any fur ther, answer questions one and two fir st.
Questions
1. Read only the headline of this article. Try to predict what the article is about.
_____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ 2. Read the first paragraph of the article. Are you more clear of what the
headline means. Elaborate.
_____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________
3. How did Manuella de Costa try to kill her sons three years ago?
_____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________
4. How many children did she have?
_____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________
5. Name the two sons who survived the attempted killing?
_____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________
6. Where were the boys living since the attempted killing?
_____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________
7. How many paragraphs does this article have?
_____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ 8. Try to do a summary just by looking at the main aspects of the article,
e.g. the headline and the first lines of each paragraph. (Answers to these questions can be found on the last page).
Definition: Scanning is used to find specific information in a reading e.g. dates, names places.
EXERCISE:
Look at the contents page below. On what page will you find the following? a) Module A
b) Activity 1: What employers look for in CV's c) Appendix
d) Activity 3: Key CV headings
e) Activity 6: The LRA and the job interview.
f) Activity 5: Adaptive Skills- what employers' value
Contents
_____________________________________________________________ Introduction
Activity 1: Difference between work and study 4
Module 1: Getting to know yourself 7
Activity 1: Understanding the term "skill" 10 Activity 2: Identification of your skill level 11 Activity 3: Identification of job skills 12 Activity 4: Personal characteristics of a good worker 13 Activity 5: Adaptive skills: What employers value 14 Activity 6: Identification of your transferable skills 15
Modul e 2: The CV 23
Activity 1: What employers look for in a CV 24
Activity 2: CV presentation 25
Activity 3: Key CV headings 28
Activity 4: CV layout 37
Activity 5: Identify your skills 38
Activity 6: The cover letter 44
Module 3: The interview 47
Activity 1: How employers identify suitable candidates 50
Activity 2: Job interview stages 54
Activity 3: The job advert as part of your interview preparation 58
Activity 4: Appropriate dress code 60
Module 4: Adapting to th e workplace 71 Activity 1: Appropriate behavior in the workplace 76 Activity 2: Understanding your career goals 80
Appendix 83
COMPREHENSION
Means that you as a reader should predict what the author is about to say. Reading extensively gives you this ability. By doing so your understanding of the text is enhanced and you become familiar with the reading.
CRITICAL READING
Enables the reader to see the relationship of ideas and use these in reading with meaning and fluency.
Remember that writers often have specific aims in writing texts- they often want to influence the way we think and see the world. In other words texts are sometimes biased. Critical reading means questioning the opinions of the writer. You have the right to agree or disagree with his/her opinions. This is an important step in engaging with the text.
Examples of questions you can ask when doing a critical reading:
• Is the text based on fact or opinion • Do I agree with the authors viewpoint
• Is the text subjective (opinion) or objective (facts) • Is the text written in a specific time frame
EXERCISE:
CRITICAL READING EXERCISE
Read the article in the first section of this booklet i.e. " Doctor re-united with two sons..."
Write, in no more than 8 lines, whether or not you agree with the courts decision that Costa could not be held accountable for the attempts on her children's lives. Give reasons for your opinions.
_____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________
VOCABULARY OR WORD ATTACK SKILLS
The more you read the more you become familiar with difficult words. In other words by reading extensively you improve your vocabulary. Reading in context (reading the sentence and understanding the way the word is used in that sentence) is also a valuable reading skill.
EXERCISE:
DICTIONARY USE
(Refer again to t he above articl e)
Use a dictionary to find out the following: 1. What does the word "reluctant" mean?
2. Use the word "reluctant" in a sentence to show that you understand its meaning.
3. What part of speech (i.e. is it a verb, noun etc) is the word "reluctant"? 4. Give an antonym (word of opposite meaning) for the word "reluctant" 5. What is "chemotherapy"?
SOLUTIONS FOR READING DIFFICULTIES/ USING READING SKILL S Problem
1. Not understanding the title
2. Difficulty discovering main points
3. Pronunciation 4. Difficult words
5. Do not enjoy reading
6. Forgetting what you read
7. Too much to read, too little time
Solution
1. Use dictionary/read first line of paragraph
2. Use the skimming technique 3. Check dictionary
4. Underline them. Check meanings in a dictionary. Try to understand the word the way it is used in the sentence
5. Read something you enjoy and practice your skills with those readings. Then use those skills on the readings that you have to do 6. Write summaries of what you read
in your own words
7. Draw up a timetable and stick to it . Don't leave reading for the last minute.
Another im port ant aspect of becom in g a good reader is actually think ing OF yourself as a reader.
Questio ns to ask your self and steps to take: Before you start r eading
• Ask yourself what the title means
• Can I learn anything from the pictures? • How long is the text?
• Do I have a dictionary?
• What am I looking for in the text? • What do I know about the topic?
• Does the reading have information, which I need?
While you are reading
• Is this reading useful for me? • Should I make notes on the text? • Underline difficult words
• Circle interesting sentences • Highlight the main points
• Do I understand what I am reading?
After you have read
• Do a summary of the text in your own words • Read the parts you do not understand again
• Ask questions on the validity of the opinions expressed
• Link the reading to the tasks you have been assigned and to your
studies in general
• What is the author’s aim? • Is he/she biased?
• Is the article written well?
REMEMBER TO ENJOY READING. IT IS A WAY THAT YOU CAN ENRICH YOURSELF AND SHARE YOUR KNOWLEDGE WITH OTHERS. NO KNOWLEDGE CAN EVER BE A WASTE.
Answers to questio ns in Exercise: Skimm in g
1 & 2: The article is an account of how Dr. da Costa tried to kill her four sons after experiencing financial and other difficulties in her life. Two of the sons survived the incident and after three years she is reunited with them again. 3: She drugged them and then set the house on fire with them still inside. 4: Four
5: Filipe & Daniel
6: With their uncle in Portugal 7: Ten
