THE IMPORTANCE OF TEACHING DIFFERENT TYPES OF READING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE TO NON-LINGUISTIC STUDENTS
I.V. Kondrashova, Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences South Ural State University (NRU) (Russia, Chelyabinsk)
DOI: 10.24411/2500-1000-2020-10567
Abstract. Reading is one of the most important means of getting information. They are especially important while learning a foreign language as it is one of the most effective ways to broaden vocabulary and solidify grammar knowledge. The article is devoted to the role of reading in the process of foreign language teaching to non-linguistic students. The article characterizes such types of reading as skimming, scanning, extensive and intensive. It also gives exercises for working with every reading type.
Keywords: foreign language teaching, reading in foreign language, types of reading, skimming reading, scanning reading, extensive reading, intensive reading.
Reading is a complex "cognitive process" of decoding symbols in order to construct or derive meaning. Reading is a means of language acquisition, communication and of sharing information and ideas. The purpose for reading also determines the appropriate approach to reading comprehension.
Reading is a complex "cognitive process" of decoding symbols in order to construct or derive meaning. Reading is a means of language acquisition, communication and of sharing information and ideas. The purpose for reading also determines the appropriate approach to reading comprehension.
Reading is a complex "cognitive process" of decoding symbols in order to construct or derive meaning. Reading is a means of language acquisition, communication and of sharing information and ideas. The purpose for reading also determines the appropriate approach to reading comprehension .
Reading is a complex "cognitive process" of decoding symbols to create meaning. It is a means of language acquisition, communication and of sharing information and ideas.
Reading has become more and more important in modern life as printed language has been growing to a significant way in recent decades. People immerse themselves into reading activities in many ways throughout the day - they read newspapers, magazines, advertisements and messages on their mobiles, tablets and laptops. People read all above-mentioned items because they contain
information that they need in their everyday life.
In other situations, people frequently read for enjoyment. They select their own favorite reading materials such as a fictional book or poetry and read them independently.
In more formal situations, for example, at work, people are also required to engage in reading activities. Mostly, they need to read, interpret, and use information from work related texts to achieve their goals in the workplace. Therefore, the ability to read various kinds of texts is crucial nowadays.
Furthermore, in the educational domain, reading is one of the most common and compulsory activities that students and academicians do all the time. They are required to read many kinds of texts for various types of purposes dealing with their assignments and other academic demands.
Therefore, Yukselir (2014) considers that reading is one of the most beneficial, fundamental, and central skills for students to master in order to learn new information, to gain access to alternative explanations and interpretations and to start the synthesis of critical evaluation skills [1].
Hung and Ngan (2015) have also stated that reading is a basic skill that can improve students' vocabulary skills, fluency, speaking and writing, and finally can help them to master their target language. Therefore, it is a no-brainer to state that having good reading skills is essential for successful students [2].
Today, foreign language is considered not only as a means of communication, but mainly as a means of stimulating the process of consciousness [3].
Knowledge of a foreign language is an essential part of modern specialists' professional training. Many aspects of the linguistic competence development depend on the nature, content and orientation of the future specialist training [4]. Particular attention in this respect is paid to the students of non-linguistic specialties. According to the requirements non-linguistic students should be able to use a foreign language for oral and written communication in everyday life, as well as be able to improve their spoken and written language.
Reading is the purpose and means of learning a foreign language. While teaching reading it is necessary to take into account the various types of reading and their features, since it is obvious that the purpose of reading also determines the appropriate approach to understanding reading. For example, a person who needs to know if he can afford to eat in a particular restaurant should understand the price information presented in the menu, but should not recognize the name of each of the snacks listed. A person reading poetry for pleasure should recognize the words that the poet uses and how to connect them, but should not determine the main idea and auxiliary details. However, a person who uses a scientific article to substantiate his opinion needs to know the vocabulary that uses it, understand the facts and cause-effect relationships that are presented, and recognize ideas that are presented as hypotheses and given. That's why scientists and teachers talk about four different types of reading: reading scanning, skimming reading, intensive reading, and intensive reading.
Skimming reading. This type of reading involves getting a common idea from the text. Its purpose is to provide a very general idea of the topic and the range of issues addressed in the text. It is cursory, selective reading. It is used to get to know and understand if this information is useful to a person (he is viewing a book in a store or a magazine on the shelf before buying it). In this case, the text is viewed quickly. The goal is not to search for
specific facts, but to evaluate the text for complexity, interest and a general storyline.
The following activities can be useful:
- read the title, subtitles and subheading to find out what the text is about;
- look at the illustrations to give you further information about the topic;
- read the first and last sentence of each paragraph;
- don't read every word or every sentence, let you eyes skim over the text, taking in key words;
- continue to think about the meaning of the text.
Scanning reading. Its main goal is to find a text with certain data (facts, features, digital characteristics, indications, etc.) quickly. It focuses on the search for certain information in the text. This does not mean a complete immersion in the text and a deep understanding of the facts, analysis of grammatical constructions. This requires a sense of direction in the logical and semantic structure of the text, selecting from it the necessary information on a specific issue, selecting and combining information from several texts on specific issues [5]. Often the text is viewed for unfamiliar words, so that after their translation it will be easier to read the text. This type of reading is also called «diagonal reading».
Extensive reading. The purpose of this type of reading is to get acquainted with new information. In this way, people read art or scientific literature, without being distracted by new, unfamiliar words, if their meaning can be nearly understood from the context. This type of reading implies the mastering of the general image and the receipt of new, unfamiliar information. It will be necessary to form and express your opinion about what you read or answer the questions.
The following activities can be used while teaching students extensive reading:
- interviewing each other about the reading;
- writing newspaper reports, reviews based on the read material;
- book exchange;
- reading journals;
- retelling of a part of the text to get others interested in reading.
Intensive reading. This type of reading «implies a very complete and clear understanding of all information, as well as its critical reflection. This is a thoughtful reading, involves a focused analysis of the content read, based on the linguistic and logical connections of the text. Its task is also the formation of learners' skills without the help of other people to overcome difficulties in understanding a foreign language. With this type of reading, grammatical constructions, unfamiliar words and phrases are intensively considered. The subject of «study» while reading information contained in the text, but not language material» [6].
When teaching intensive reading the following activities can occur:
- identifying the main ideas and details;
- answering the questions;
- identifying words that connect one idea to another;
- discussing particular words and grammar structures;
- looking for the vocabulary on the definite topic;
- true/false statements;
- information transfer;
- sentence completion.
According to Dr. Sheeba and Dr. Mohd Hanif Ahmad when learning different types of reading, students need to follow four basic steps:
1. Define the purpose for reading.
2. Look at those parts of the text that are relevant to a particular purpose, and ignore the rest. This selectivity allows students to focus on specific elements of the input data and reduces the amount of information they need to store in short-term memory.
3. Select strategies appropriate to the reading task and use them flexibly and interactively.
4. Check understanding while reading and when the reading task is completed [7].
A fully developed reading activity support students as readers through pre-reading, while reading, and post reading activities. Reading activities that are meant to increase communicative competence should be success oriented and build up students' confidence in their reading ability.
It is very important that students should be taught each of the reading types mentioned above, as each of them provides different involvement in the text, different ways of perception and different time you spend thinking about what you have read. However, they all contribute to the improved understanding of written speech. In addition, mastering all types of reading, students expand their vocabulary, learn grammatical constructions better and practice their spelling with the help of visual memorization.
In conclusion it could be said that for many years comprehension is the only reason for reading. Without comprehension, reading is a frustrating, pointless exercise in word calling. It is no exaggeration to say that how well students develop the ability to comprehend what they read has a profound effect on their entire lives. Comprehension instruction followed what the study called mentioning, practicing and assessing procedure where teachers mentioned a specific skill by completing work book pages. It is plausible that preparation in the nature of the foundational reading skills and research-based instructional approaches would improve teacher's practice to a degree that would be evident in earning outcomes for their students. References
1. Yukselir C. An Investigation into the Reading Strategy Use of EFL Prep-Class Students // Social and Behavioral Sciences Journal. - 2014. - №158. - P. 65-72.
2. Hung D.M., Ngan V.P.T. Investigating Reading Strategies Used by EFL Students at Dong Thap University // Asian Journal of Educational Research. - 2015. - №3 (4). - P. 10-20.
3. Bukharkina M.Yu. Technology of Differentiated Teaching // Foreign Languages at School. - 2003. - №3.
4. Unt I.E. Individualization and Differentiation in Teaching. - Moscow: Pedagogical, 1990. -192 c.
5. Galskova N.D. Modern Methods of Foreign Language Teaching: Manual for Teachers. -M., 2004. - 192 p.
6. Ibragimova Z.N. The Role of Reading in the Process of Foreign Language Teaching // Philology and Linguistics in Modern World: Matters of I International Scientific Conference (Moscow, June, 2017). - Moscow: Buki-Vedi, 2017. - P. 83-85.
7. Sheeba, Mohd H.A. Teaching Reading: Goals and Techniques / Emerging Trends in Education, Publisher: New Delhi Publisher. - URL: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328449849_Teaching_Reading_Goals_and_Technique s (Access date: 19.05.2020).
ЗНАЧЕНИЕ ОБУЧЕНИЯ РАЗНЫМ ВИДАМ ЧТЕНИЯ НА ИНОСТРАННОМ ЯЗЫКЕ СТУДЕНТОВ НЕЯЗЫКОВЫХ ВУЗОВ
И.В. Кондрашова, канд. пед. наук
Южно-Уральский государственный университет (НИУ) (Россия, г. Челябинск)
Аннотация. Чтение является одним из важнейших средств получения информации. Навыки чтения особенно важны при изучении иностранного языка, поскольку это один из самых эффективных способов расширить словарный запас и закрепить грамматический материал. Данная статья посвящена роли чтения в процессе обучения иностранному языку студентов неязыковых вузов. В статье дана характеристика таким видам чтения как поисковое, просмотровое, ознакомительное и изучающее. Приводятся примеры упражнений для работы над каждым из указанных видов.
Ключевые слова: обучение иностранному языку, чтение на иностранном языке, виды чтения, поисковое чтение, просмотровое чтение, ознакомительное чтение, изучающее чтение.