Reading is the receptive skill in the written mode.

Systematic knowledge
-Syntactic knowledge (word order, sentence level
grammar, multi-clause sentences)
-Morphological knowledge (word level grammar,
endings, prefixes, suffixes, irregular verbs)

Schematic knowledge
-General world knowledge
-Sociocultural knowledge
-Topic knowledge( general subject, also refers to
contemporary issues)
-Genre knowledge ( particular style or type in art or
literature)

Top-down processing
- application of prior knowledge to work on the meaning
of a text.

Bottom-up processing
- decoding of the letters, words, and other language
features in a text

Skimming: Looking through material quickly to

gather a general sense of the ideas, information or topic
itself.

Scanning: Reading through material to find specific

information.

Extensive: reading a longer text often for pleasure with

emphasis on overall meaning.

Intensive: reading a short text for detailed information.

Text types

Literary or non-literary

Fictional or non-fictional group

Non-fictional text group: 5 basic text types

Descriptive: factual phenomena; objects and people.

Technical description is neutral, exact and impersonal,
Impressionistic description shows writers feelings and
moods.

Narrative: deals with changes in time; i.e. actions and

events. It is to be found in short stories, novels,
biographies, diaries, news, stories and reports.

Expository: explains objects an ideas in their

interrelations. Examples include expository essays, the
definition and the summary.

Argumentative: deals with problems and controversial

ideas, reasons for or against some topics are put forward.
The ultimate aim is to win the reader round to the
writers side.

Instructive: the writer tells the reader/audience what

to do. It is based on action-demanding sentence.
Commercial and political propaganda, directions,
regulations, rules are typical examples because they aim
at influencing behaviour.

To persuade

To illustrate

To describe

To entertain

To analyze

What is the writer trying to tell me?

What is the purpose of this text?

What type of text is this?

Advertisements: persuasion

Short story or novel: amusing, entertaining or describing

Non-fiction: factual

News stories: describing or explaining events

Editorials: discuss or comment on events

The purpose of the text will influence how many facts are
contained in relation to opinions.

Encyclopedia vs. editorials

What facts have been included in this text, and why?

What opinions have been included in this text, and why?

Is the author making it clear what his or her opinion is,

and how is this done?

The amount and type of information given depends on

the purpose of the text

Neutral vs. subjective views

How strongly does the writer feel about the subject?

How does he or she feel about the reader of the text?