Relating to the ideas of my partner, Martin, it is obvious that reading aloud is not a natural type of reading,...
Relating to the ideas of my partner, Martin, it is obvious that reading aloud is not a natural type of reading, that's not the way we tend to read in real life. Therefore, I do agree that reading should be combined with activities, which make it more meaningful e.g., reading and looking up or a mirror reflection of a text. Additionally, it is important that the learners be engaged with the content of the text. Here we could use pictures, questions, puzzles, anything which will give meaning to a seemingly mechanical nature of reading.
I do see eye to eye with Martin who suggests that learners should take responsibility for their learning, being occasionally guided on the way. However, it is crucial to understand (again referring to OBE of John's ideas from the video) that the challenge is optimal (not too easy, not too hard).
I do see eye to eye with Martin who suggests that learners should take responsibility for their learning, being occasionally guided on the way. However, it is crucial to understand (again referring to OBE of John's ideas from the video) that the challenge is optimal (not too easy, not too hard).
M and M--not M and Ms, the candy
ReplyDeleteI see reading as I see all learning as predicting. While pictures, questions, puzzles can be used to give meaning I believe meaning comes from the text. Of course matching pictures with text can clarify.
I also see reading as a means not only to be able to share emotions with characters in fiction or get excited about new information but a means to master the patterns and vocabulary of English--integrated!
I have a few chapters on read and look up in Small changes, big results so I will not repeat a lot of my suggestions here.
But in most so called reading lessons I have observed through the years and in lesson plans suggested in most methods books teachers are told to introduce the key words, out of context and define them or translate them. Then teaches as students what they think the reading is about, then students read aloud one by one looking at the text or silently and then answer so called comprehension questions. The time spent reading is maybe 5 minutes out of a 40 minute class. It is like trying to learn to swim by doing warm up movements on the side of the pool for 10 minutes, splashing in the pool for 5 minutes, swimming one length, getting out of the pool to walk back to the starting point while another person swims one length and at the end a few more stretching exercises. In a 40 minute so called swimming lesson the time spent actually swimming is often 10 minutes at the most.
Back to read and look up, the idea is not to master reading aloud which is as you point out an unusual activity which most people do poorly even if they do it a lot like politicians who use tele-prompters, but to master speaking, listening, writing and silently reading the language--integrating the 4 skills and integrating grammar and vocabulary.