Post on 02-Jan-2016
TEACHING READING
ENGLISH METHODOLOGY II
PROF: R. Correa
I Semester 2008
INTERACTIVE SOCIOGOGNITIVE PROCESS
TEXT
READER SOCIALCONTEXT
IS THERE ANY OPTIMAL WAY TO TEACH READING?
From the parts to the whole. Overall construction of meaning from connected or whole texts
From the parts to the whole/Overall constrution of meaning
Part Centered
Code-emphasis
Bottom up
Socio-phsycho-linguistic Meaning-emphasis
Top-down
The bottom up view of Reading
It was influenced by behavorist psychology of the 50s’ some patterns of language are reinforced.
Today, bottom up is associated to phonics
( match letters with sounds).
The bottom up view of Reading
Reading is considered a linear process by which readers decode a text word by word, linking the words into phrases and then sentences. ( Gray and Rogers 1956)
Textual comprehension involves adding the meaning of words to get the meaning of clauses.
The bottom up view of Reading
Most activities are based on recognition and recall of lexical and grammatical forms.
It requires a strong emphasis on repetition and on drills using the sounds that make up words.
The top-down view of Reading
In the 1960’s a paradigm shift occured in the cognitive sciences.
Behaviorism became somehow discredited as the new cognitive theory represented the mind´s innate capacity for learning.
This gave new explanatory to how humans acquired their first language and produced and impact in the field of ESL/EFL
The top-down view of Reading
The emphasis on meaning -Ausebel 1968, meaningful learning – informed the top-down approach.
In this view , Reading is not just extracting meaning from a text, but a process of connecting information in the text with the knowledge the reader brings to the act of reading.
The top-down view of Reading
Reading is a matter of making sense of written language rather than decoding print sound ( Smith 1994)
We draw on our own intelligence and experience to understand a text (Brown 2001)
The top-down view of Reading
Schema theory How do readers construct meaning? How do they decide what to hold on to? How do they infer writer’s message?
The top-down view of Reading
Schema theory:
It describes how the the background knowledge of the learner interacts with the reading task and illustrates how a student’s knowledge and previous experience with the world is crucial to deciphering a text.
Schema theory and the reading process
Schema theory is based on the notion that past experiences lead to the creation of mental frameworks that help us make sense of new experiences.(Nunan,1999)
A reader comprehends a message when he is able to bring to mind a schema that gives account of the objects and events described in the message( Anderson 1994)
Schema theory and the reading process
A learner’s schemata will restructure itself to accomodate new information as that information is added to the system (Ommaggio 1993)
Schema theory and the reading process
Content and formal schemata FS: knowledge about the structure of a
text. CS: knowledge about the subject matter
of a text.CS and FS enables students to predict
events and meaning as well as to infer meaning from a wider context.
Schema theory to L2 reading
Select texts that are relevant to the students needs , preferences, individual differences and cultures
After selecting the text, follow the three stages that are used to activate and build students’ schemata: Pre, While and Post reading actvities
Schema theory to L2 reading
While schema activation and building can occur in all three stages , the pre-reading stage deserves special attention since it is here where their schemata will be achieved
Pre-reading activities
To activate existing schemata To build new schemata To provide information to the teacher
about what the students know
Devices for bridging the gap between the text’s content and the reader’s schema(Chen and Graves 1995)
Pre-reading activities
Formal schemata will be activated by using devices such as advance organizers and overviews to draw attention to the structure of the text.
Content schemata will be activated by using various pre-reading activities to help learners brainstorm and predict how how the information fits in with their previous knowledge.
Pre-reading activities
Predicting Previewing Semantic mapping Reconciled reading lesson
The Interactive Model (IM)
This model considers the interaction between bottom-up and top-down processing skills.
The IM acknowledges that lower level processing skills are essential for fluent and accurate reading.
The Interactive Model (IM)
It emphasizes that as bottom –up becomes more automatic , higher-. level skills will become more engaged.
Efficient and effective readers entails both processes interacting simultaneously.
To think about…
Relying too much on either top-down or bottom up processing may cause problems for beginning ESL/EFL readers.
To develop reading abilities both approaches should be considered, as the interactive approach suggests.
GOOD READERS:
Read extensively Integrate information in the text with
existing knowledge Have a flexible reading style,
depending on what they are reading
GOOD READERS:
Are motivated Rely on different skills interacting:
perceptual processing, phonemic processing, recall
Read for a purpose; reading serves a function
Reading Comprehension
Reader skills and strategies
type of text reading purpose
Strategies for Developing Reading Skills
Previewing Predicting Skimming and scanning Guessing from context Use semantic mapping Distinguish between literal and implied
meanings Capitalize on discourse markers to process
reationships Paraphrasing
TYPES OF CLASSROOM READING PERFORMANCE
Oral Silent
Intensive Extensive
Linguistic Content
Skimming Scanning Global
How to promote Reading Strategies?
BEFORE READING: Plan for the reading task Decide in advance what to read for Decide if more linguistic or background
knowledge is needed Determine whether to enter the text from the
top down ( overall meaning) or from the bottom up (focus on the words and phrases)
How to promote Reading Strategies?
During and After Reading: Monitor comprehension
Verify predictions and check for inaccurate guesses
Decide what is and is not important to understand
Reread to check comprehension
How to promote Reading Strategies?
After Reading: Evaluate comprehension and strategy use
Evaluate comprehension in a particular task or area
Evaluate overall progress in reading and in particular types of reading tasks
Decide if the strategies used were appropriate for the purpose and for the task
Modify strategies if necessary
Principles for designing interactive reading
techniques Don’t overlook the importance of specific
instructions. Use motivating techniques Balance authenticity and readability in
choosing texts Encourage reading strategies Include both bottom-up and top-down
techniques
Principles for designing interactive reading
techniques Follow the “SQ3R” ( survey, question.read,recite, review) Subdivide yourtechniques into pre,while
and after reading phases. Build in some evaluative aspects to your
techniques.
Responses that indicate comprehension
Doing Choosing Transferring Answering Condensing Extending Duplicating Modeling Conversing
There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them.
Joseph Brodsky, Russian poet
Nobel Prize in Literature (1987)