Научная статья на тему 'A FEW TIPS FOR READING EXTENSIVELY'

A FEW TIPS FOR READING EXTENSIVELY Текст научной статьи по специальности «Языкознание и литературоведение»

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Ключевые слова
Reading strategies / reading easy books / comprehension / dictionary / proficiency / comfort zone

Аннотация научной статьи по языкознанию и литературоведению, автор научной работы — Kodirova Lola Muzafarovna, Saidova Dildora Soliyevna

Researchers have found that teaching reading strategies is a key element in developing student comprehension. However, many teachers lack a solid foundation for teaching these reading comprehension strategies. Therefore, teachers need to be prepared on how to design effective comprehension strategies and how to teach these strategies to their students. Therefore this study aims to study the effective reading strategies in order to improve reading skills in language classes. The study is an action research applied to a number of 14 students in an intermediate level integrated skills course. The result of the study indicate that the students had an improvement to a great extend have been tutored about the reading strategies. 27

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Текст научной работы на тему «A FEW TIPS FOR READING EXTENSIVELY»

CENTRAL ASIAN RESEARCH JOURNAL FOR INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES (CARJIS) ilmiy jurnali bilan hamkorlikda. A FEW TIPS FOR READING EXTENSIVELY

Kodirova Lola Muzafarovna

Saidova Dildora Soliyevna

Gulistan State University

ABSTRACT

Researchers have found that teaching reading strategies is a key element in developing student comprehension. However, many teachers lack a solid foundation for teaching these reading comprehension strategies. Therefore, teachers need to be prepared on how to design effective comprehension strategies and how to teach these strategies to their students. Therefore this study aims to study the effective reading strategies in order to improve reading skills in language classes. The study is an action research applied to a number of 14 students in an intermediate level integrated skills course. The result of the study indicate that the students had an improvement to a great extend have been tutored about the reading strategies. 27

Key words: Reading strategies, reading easy books , comprehension, dictionary, proficiency, comfort zone

Reading is an interactive process in which readers construct a meaningful representation of a text using effective reading strategies. Effective reading strategies are considered as significant skills that have received the special focus on students' reading comprehension proficiency. In this paper, the researchers define the term reading and reading comprehension, explain the types of reading, declare models of reading process, state theories of reading comprehension, review the effective strategies for reading comprehension, and finally mention findings of learners' reading strategies and their reading comprehension proficiency. The review of literature indicates that reading strategies play a significant role in improving the students' reading comprehension skill. Extensive reading has the potential to help

To capture these aspects of extensive reading, Day and Bamford suggest that the motto of extensive reading be reading gain without reading pain" [1998, 121: emphasis in the original]. There are several reasons why it is beneficial to encourage language learners to read extensively. Studies show that when students read extensively, they not only improve their reading fluency, but they also build new vocabulary knowledge and expand their understanding of words they knew before. Additionally, extensive reading can help students write better, as well as improve their listening and speaking abilities. And perhaps the best result is that students develop positive attitudes toward reading in English and increased motivation to study it. Teachers have an important role to play in helping their students get the most out of extensive reading. As Day and Bamford [2002] point out, teachers need introduce their students to extensive reading and provide essential guidance as they read extensively. In this article, we offer ten tips

CENTRAL ASIAN RESEARCH JOURNAL FOR INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES (CARJIS) ilmiy jurnali bilan hamkorlikda. that teachers can give to students when they engage in extensive reading. The title for each tip is addressed directly to the learner, whereas the rationale and instructional advice written to you, the teacher. We discuss the rationale for each and suggest ways to present these tips to your students. We recommend that you present them before students begin to read extensively and then revisit them periodically throughout the semester or school year.

Tip 1: Read, read, and read some more.

This is perhaps the most important piece of advice that you can give your students. You might want to introduce this tip by emphasizing to your students that we learn to read by reading: this is true for both a first or second language. The more students read the better readers they become.

Tip 2: Read easy books.

Unfortunately, many students (and perhaps some teachers) are conditioned to believe that they must read books that are difficult, that the only way to learn to read is by reading material that is beyond their capabilities. Day and Bamford label this the "macho maxim of second language reading instruction: no reading pain, no reading gain" [1998, 92; emphasis in the original]. This is the wrong approach. When learners read a lot of easy books, it allows them to become more fluent, effective readers. In addition, they are able to learn new words and phrases, over time, while enjoying what they are reading.

Tip 3: Read interesting books.

Because students need to read many books, it is important that they are interested in and enjoy what they are reading. If the learners are excited about their books, they won't want to put them down. Additionally, they will be r likely to attend to the content (meaning) of the text, rather than merely focusing on grammatical aspects. If your students do not find their more books interesting or exciting, advise them to stop and find other books they may enjoy more. At the same time, you might also want to point out that they should not give up on a book prematurely. Some books start slowly.

Tip 4: Reread books you found particularly interesting.

Reading books a second or third time is useful for several reasons. Having already read a book once, students will be able to read it more fluently the second time. This helps build vocabulary knowledge as well as confidence, and this, in turn, leads to increases in reading rate. Also, reading gains aside, it is fun to reread a favorite book!

Tip 5: Read for general understanding.

When students read extensively, it is not necessary to read for 100 percent comprehension. On the contrary, they should simply read for general, overall understanding. This means that they should be able to follow the general storyline and grasp the main ideas of the text. In extensive reading, the aim is to read a great many

CENTRAL ASIAN RESEARCH JOURNAL FOR INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES (CARJIS) ilmiy jurnali bilan hamkorlikda. books, so it is in the learners' best interest not to struggle over every detail and worry about the exact meaning of every word or phrase.

Tip 6: Ignore unknown or difficult words. Skip them and continue reading.

Although extensive reading material should be easy for students, they will inevitably encounter unknown or difficult words on occasion. Students do not need to understand every word. Often, they can ignore words they do not know and still maintain a general understanding of the passage. Sometimes they can guess the meaning of words from the context.

Tip 7: Avoid using dictionaries.

Although students often resort to using their dictionaries whenever they encounter new words, convince them to break the dictionary habit. Stopping two or three times per page to look up words in the dictionary is laborious and time-consuming, and it can distract students from reading for general understanding. It can be difficult for students to ignore unknown or difficult words when they have their dictionaries right beside them.

Tip 8: Expand your reading comfort zone.

To assist students with expanding their reading comfort zones, it is important that you are familiar with the level of texts they are reading and the extent to which they are able to achieve general understanding. You can monitor your students' overall comprehension of their reading by incorporating extensive reading activities in the classroom. One idea, suggested by Iwano [2004], is that teachers briefly interview their students individually while the rest of the class is reading. For other useful activities for monitoring your students' extensive reading, see Bamford and Day [2004].

Tip 9: Set reading goals and keep a reading log.

Setting personal goals can often be a strong motivational factor. This is especially true for reading. Advise your students to consider their schedules and to set aside times to read (at lunch, before going to bed, etc.). You might want to help your students set a reasonable target number of books per week or month, as their schedules allow; encourage them to meet those goals.

Tip 10: Enjoy! Enjoy! Enjoy!

The more your students enjoy what they are reading, the more they will read. If they do not enjoy reading, their desire to stick with it will probably dwindle, and they may give up on reading. And they need to keep reading in order to improve their reading fluency and increase their vocabulary knowledge. Recall the motto of extensive reading: reading gain without reading pain.

We close with a tip for you, the teacher: Be a role model as a reader. Day and Bamford claim that "effective extensive reading teachers are themselves readers, teaching by example the attitudes and behaviors of a reader. [2002, 140; emphasis in the original]. If you are a first language reader of English, then consider reading

CENTRAL ASIAN RESEARCH JOURNAL FOR INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES (CARJIS) ilmiy jurnali bilan hamkorlikda. extensively in your students' first language. If English is a foreign language to you, then read English with your students. As Nut tall observed, "reading is caught, not taught" [1996, 229].

References

1. Bamford, J. and R. R. Day, eds. 2004. Extensive reading activities for teaching language Cam bridge: Cambridge University Press. Davis, C. 1995. Extensive reading: An expensive extravagance! ELT Journal 49 (4): 329-36.

2. Day, R. R. and J. Bamford. 1998. Extensive reading in the second language classroom. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

3. Day, R. R. and J. Bamford. 2002. Top ten principles for teaching extensive reading. Reading in a For eign Language 14 (2). http://nflrc.hawaii. edu/ril Hill,

4. D. R. 2001. Graded readers. ELT Journal 55 300-24. Iwano, M. T. 2004. Individual interviews. In Exten sive reading activities for teaching language, 80-81.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Nuttall, C. 1996. Teaching reading skills in a foreign language. 2nd ed. Oxford: Heinemann.

5. KENTON HARSCH is Assistant Director of the English Language Institute at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and is a co-author of Impact Listening 3 and Impact Words and Phrases.

6. LESLIE ONO is an English lecturer at Kwan sei Gakuin University in Japan. Her research interests include EAP reading, needs analy sis, and materials design.

7. RICHARD DAY, a professor in the Department of Second Language Studies, University of Hawali, is the co-founder and chair of the Extensive Reading Foundation (www.erfoun dation.org). His most recent book, co-edited with Julian Bamford, is Extensive Reading Activities for Teaching Language.

8. Saloydinov, S. Q. (2021). Paxta tozalash zavodlarida energiya sarfini kamaytirishning texnik-iqtisodiy mexanizmini yaratish. "Academic research in educational sciences", 2(9), 886-889. https://doi.org/10.24412/2181-1385-2021-9-886-889

9. Saloydinov, S. Q. (2021). Creation of feasibility studies to reduce energy costs in ginneries. "Экономика и социум", 9(88), 147-149.

10. Caлойдинов, C. К. (2021). Образовательные кредиты в Узбекистане. "Экономика и социум", 12(91), 470-472.

11. Caлойдинов, C. К. (2021). Спрос на рынке дифференцированных продуктов. "Экономика и социум", 12(91), 473-476.

12. Салойдинов, С. К. (2022). С паровой турбиной 471 МВт на Талимарджанской ТЭЦ расчет электрических режимов при максимальной зимней нагрузке. "Central Asian Research Journal for Interdisciplinary Studies (CARJIS)", Special issue, 116-121.

13. Сaрдoржoн Кoдиржoн Угли Сaлoйдинoв. (2022). Иннoвaциoннoе решение для пoлyчения биoгaзa. "Central Asian Research Journal for Interdisciplinary Studies (CARJIS)", 2(3), 280-285. https://doi.org/10.24412/2181-2454-2022-3-280-285

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