ENGLISH READING SKILLS

Understanding what it means

to read
What is Reading?
Mental activity performed to get messages from
written language. Reading is associated with
understanding and comprehension. It demands
effort and hard work.
READING as an Acronym
• R-
• E-
• A-
• D-
• I-
• N-
• G-
Reading as a Process
• Reading a text to understand it or derive
meaning out of it is a whole process.
• It is not possible to obtain thorough
understanding of texts without following the
reading process.
• The process of reading has three steps.
The Steps in the process of Reading
• Pre-reading
• While-reading
• Post-reading
Pre-reading Stage
Before reading something you must consider the
following questions:
• Have I read anything on the given topic before?
If yes, what did I read? Recall the previous
information.
• If you have never read anything on the given
topic, think of ideas and information you
currently have on the given topic.
• How important and relevant is the topic to real
life?
Pre-reading Stage
• Does it interest you?
• For a book, research journal/paper, etc, analyse
the title, the writer, year of publication,
publication institute, content page, etc.
• For articles, analyse the topic, the writer, the
year of publication, in what
book/magazine/newspaper is it published in,
etc.
Important Note
Pre-reading stage should prepare
you for reading. It systematizes
reception of new information and
broadens your thinking.
While-reading Stage:
• In this stage, actual reading takes place.
• Read the lines as well as in between the lines.
• Connect the new information with the previously
held information and ideas.
Post-reading Stage:
• In this stage, you evaluate the text and form an
opinion about it on the basis of sound criteria.
Levels of Reading
• Comprehension in reading happens at the
following levels. In fact, writers organize
messages in written texts at the given levels:
Literal
Inferential
Evaluative
Literal comprehension: (the surface
level):
• This level deals with messages given in a direct
and straightforward fashion.
• Literal items cover facts and details and
relationship between ideas (such as comparison,
contrast, sequence of events, or cause and effect)
that are stated explicitly in the passage.
• In order to be able to uncover messages on
other levels, clear understanding of messages at
the literal level is a must.
Inferential level: (in between the
lines)
• In many cases, writers state ideas indirectly.
They may consciously or unconsciously imply
certain ideas.
• Smart readers uncover the hidden messages as
well as without inference, one can not achieve
complete understanding of a text.
Evaluation: (beyond the lines)
• Evaluation refers to judging the content and the
writer on the basis of authentic criteria.
• Think about what you have read.
Exercise:
• Follow the process of reading and try to read all
the levels of the text on the next slide.
 Jogging-Good or Bad
A newly published report indicates that jogging could
have adverse health effects, especially for those who do
it alone. A team of researchers from Harvard University
has suggested that going for a run on your own is not as
healthy as previously believed and is nowhere near as
beneficial as jogging as part of a group. They suggested
it could actually be detrimental to one’s health.
Experiments conducted on rats indicated that running
alone raises stress levels and stifles brain cell
regeneration. Professor Elizabeth Gould, who led the
research, said: “These results suggest that, in the
absence of social interaction, a normally beneficial
experience can exert a potentially deleterious influence
on the brain.”
 Jogging-Good or Bad
The researchers monitored two groups of rats on exercise
wheels. One group exercised alone, the other as part of
a rodent jogging team. After two weeks, the scientists
conducted tests to ascertain the rate of brain cell
growth in all of the test animals. The results revealed that
the communal joggers had double the amount of new
brain cells as the solo runners. Professor Gould
concluded that: “When experienced in a group setting,
running stimulates neurogenesis (brain cell growth).
However, when running occurs in social isolation, these
positive effects are suppressed.” Joggers around the
world should perhaps take the research with a pinch of
salt and remember that jogging is healthier than the rat
race.