i
An Introduction to
EFL College Students'
Reading
Comprehension Skills
ESP
By
Dr. Bushra Saadoon Mohammed Al-Noori
Mr. Yousuf Taresh Hilal
IDEA PUBLISHING WWW.ideapublishing.in
ii
Publishing-in-support-of,
IDEA PUBLISHING
Block- 9b, Transit Flats, Hudco Place Extension
Near andrews Ganj, New Delhi
Zipcode : 110049
Website: www.ideapublishing.in
__________________________________________________
© Copyright, Author
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted, in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, magnetic, optical, chemical,
manual, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written consent of its writer.
ISBN: 978-93-86518-43-9
Price: D 1000.00
Publishing Year: December 2017
The opinions/ contents expressed in this book are solely of the author and do not represent the opinions/ standings/ thoughts of idea publishing.
Printed in India
iii
About the Authors
X Bushra Saadoon M. Al-Noori has received her Ph.D.
degree in English Language Teaching from Baghdad
University, Iraq in 1995.
She is Currently an Associate Professor In English
Language Teaching, Baghdad University College of
Education, Ibn Rushd For Human Sciences, English
Department, Baghdad, Iraq & She also Visited Italy As a Visiting
Professor In the Year 2015-16 in Florence University, to evaluate the
English Language Program between Iraq and Italy & she has got her
Excellent Marks. She participated in an International Conferences in
Italy, Germany, India , Dubai, Yemen and Turkey .
She published many Articles and researches in English Language
Teaching inside and outside Iraq Her Research Include Method of
Teaching English as a Foreign Language. Dr. Bushra is a member of the
Iraqi Translation Association & Psychological Education and Iraqi
Teacher Union. She has published Three books in IDEA Publishing. The
first book with Dr. Fatima Al-Musawi entitled Reading and Writing
Skills practice book and The second book with Dr.Bushra Nima Rashid
entitled Teaching English Grammar In Iraq and The Third one is the
current book with Mr.Yousuf Tarish this year 2017 in India and she had
revised one book in Iraq with Ajwad T. Abood entitled Methods of
Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Iraq 2017.
iv
Yousuf Taresh Hilal has received his BA degree in
English Arts from Baghdad University, College of
Education, English Department. He has received his
MA degree in English language Teaching from Jordan.
He is currently an Assistant lecturer in English
Language, Al-Muthana University. Iraq He is the Head
of TEOFL centre and participated in the University Educational
Activities.
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About the Book
X This book is talking about an introduction of Reading Comprehension
and ESP English for Specific Purposes. It provides the College Students
with the basic principles of reading comprehension. It helps them to
focus on their needs to succeed in studying other University courses
It is written in a clear and logical way that shows various subjects in
Psychology, History and General Sciences (Biology, Chemistry and
Physics).So the students can gain a deeper conceptual understanding of
the basic material of Human and Scientific areas. We dedicated this
humble efforts to our distinguished students in English Department and
other Departments ,with respect.
vi
Contents
X Chapter
No.
Page No.
Introduction 1-2
1. Educational Psychology: Behaviour 3-44
The Aims of Psychology
Psychology and Educational
Psychology
Meaning of Educational
Psychology
Status of Educational Psychology
Educational Psychology
Branches of Psychology
Meaning and Definitions of
Educational Psychology
Brief History of Educational
Psychology
Nature of Educational Psychology
Functions of Educational
Psychology
vii
Major Areas of Educational
Psychology
Limitations of Educational
Psychology
Educational Psychology as a
Science
Critical Thinking
Needs and Problems of Children
Physiological Needs and their
Satisfaction
Emotional Needs and their
Satisfaction
Social Needs and their
Satisfaction
Intellectual Needs and their
Satisfaction
Sequences in the Development of
Social Behaviour of Students
2. Psychological Counselling and
Educational Guidance
45--68
Counselling in Schools
Elementary School Education in
the 21st Century
Counsellors are social change
experts
Effective Counselling Services
viii
3. The Foundations of Civilizations
(Prehistory 3000 B.C.)
69-94
Greek Civilization
The Roman Republic
Sumerian Civilization
Civilizations in India and China
The Greek City-States
The Roman Empire
Different Religions in India and
China
The Middle Ages in Europe -1
The Middle Ages in Europe -2
The Middle Ages in Europe – 3
4. General Sciences 95-150
Automation
Science and Technology in the
Middle Ages
Universities in the Middle Ages
(1000-1500)
Modern Universities
The Science of Cells
Discoveries in Biology and
Chemistry
ix
Science and the Church
Science and Community
The Age of Reason
The Topic Sentence in the
Scientific Paragraph
Disease
Language Activities for the
Students of Science
Synonyms and Hyponyms
What is Chemistry?
Biology (Basic Concepts)
Biological Issues
Ecology and Ecomssyste
General Scientific Issues
Scientific Definitions
The Biosphere
What is the Scientific Method?
5 Reading Comprehension Skills and
Basic Grammatical Structures
151-212
Nothing to Sell and Nothing to
Buy
Wanted: a Large Biscuit Tin
By Heart
“It’s Only Me”
x
The Death of a Ghost
A Puma at Large
A Very Dear Cat
Mary had a Little Lamb
Thirteen Equals One
The Double Life of Alfred Bloggs
One Man’s Mean is Another
Man’s Poison
Basic Grammatical Structures:
Simple Present Tense
Present Continuous Tense
6 Philosophy of Education 213-224
Materials and Energy
Life has Unity
Important Biological Issues
History of Biology
The Origins of Organic Chemistry
Basic Chemistry Principles
7 Important Skills in Historical Studies 225-346
The Dawn of Civilization
(Prehistory)
Human Origins
xi
Adapting to New Environments
Life in the Stone Age
Can DNA Help Trace Human
Origins?
Stone Age Art and Religion
The Beginnings of Agriculture in
History
Foundations of Civilizations
The First Civilizations (Fertile
River Valleys)
Characteristics of Early
Civilizations
Developed Cities
Organized Governments
Formulized Religion
Specialization of Labour
Record Keeping and Writing
Change in Civilizations
River Valleys and Civilizations
The Ancient Near East (4000 B.
C.– 550 B. C.)
Mesopotamia and Sumer
Sumerian Civilization
Sumerian Culture
Mesopotamian Achievements
xii
Fertile Crescent Empires
World History
General Historical Subjects
Two Kingdoms
Industrialization and Nationalism
(1700 – 1900)
Greek Achievements (2100 B.C.
– 150 B.C.)
Socrates
Plato
Aristotle
Great Events in History
Alexander’s Conquests
End of the Empire
General Concepts in History
Society and Culture in the Islamic
Civilization
Astronomy and Mathematics
Medicine
Discoveries in Astronomy,
Physics, and
Mathematics
xiii
EFL Proficiency Tests in History:
Various Subjects
347-398
Dictators in Europe (After the
World War I)
Critical Thinking: Why Should
We Study History?
General Tests in History
References 399-400
1
Introduction
University students are studying many subjects in English. This means
that they will be listening to lectures and taking notes in English.
Furthermore, they should be able to write scientific texts and
examination answers in English. The general aim of this book is to help
undergraduate students study their courses in English. They will learn
reading comprehension skills that will help them read their textbooks
more efficiently. In fact, undergraduate students should be able to learn
writing skills that will help them write scientific texts.
Through a scientific (academic) study of history, university students
will become familiar with the varied experiences of people throughout
history as well as with the common patterns of civilizations. University
students will learn about the political, social, and economic
developments that have created the world as they know it. As university
students study the past, they will begin to better understand the
challenges of the present and the major issues of the future.
This book enables university students to better understand
fundamental principles, solve problems, and focus on what they need to
know to succeed in studying other university courses. It is written in a
way that clearly shows various subjects in psychology, history, and
general sciences (biology, chemistry, and physics). So that university
students can gain a deeper conceptual understanding of the basic
materials of human and scientific areas.
3
Educational Psychology: Behaviour
In fact, behaviour covers everything a human or an animal does during
its life. Scientists who study behaviour are interested in finding out what
affects behaviour. They want to know why an animal or a human
behaves in a certain way in a particular situation, for example, the way
people behave in groups, how they sit or look at each other, or why they
differ in solving the same problems.
Behaviour has been divided into three main types. They are:
1. Reflex Actions: Reflex actions are not planned or decided before.
For example, if you accidently touch a hot object, you pull your hand
away without thinking.
2. Instinctive Behaviours: Instinctive behaviour is the behaviour that
is not learned at all. For example, A young bird that has never seen
another bird built a nest, does not have to be taught how to build one.
3. Learned Behaviours: Scientifically, behaviour can be changed by
learning. For example, many animals learn what is safe and what is
not safe by experience.
Scientists study behaviour by experiments. They often use
statistics to analyse their observations.
Study Questions:
1. Scientists claim that psychology studies certain behaviours in
humans only.
(True / False)
Chapter 1
Dr. Bushra Saadoon Mohammed Alnoori & Mr. Yousuf Taresh Hilal
4
2. When scientists study behaviour, what do they want to discover?
When scientists study behaviour, they want to discover what
affects behaviour.
3. Find a word in the text which means “discover”.
“find out” means “discover”.
4. What are the three main types of behaviour?
The three main types of behaviour are: Reflex Actions,
Instinctive Behaviours, and Learned Behaviours.
5. Choose the correct answer: “Many animals learn what is safe and
what is not safe by experience”.
(Reflex Behaviour / Instinctive Behaviour / Learned Behaviour)
The Aims of Psychology
(Psychology is the science of mind and behaviour)
As a science, psychology has five central aims:
1. To describe how people and other animal species behave.
2. To understand the causes of these behaviours.
3. To predict how people and other animal species will behave under
certain conditions.
4. To influence behaviour through the control of its causes.
5. To apply psychological knowledge in ways that enhance human
welfare.
In fact, the scope of modern psychology stretches from the
borders of medicine and the biological sciences to the social sciences.
Because we are biological creatures living in a very complex world,
psychologists scientifically study all the factors that affect human
behaviours to understand why people and other animal species behave,
think, and feel as they do.
An Introduction to EFL Collage students’ Reading Comprehension Skills ESP
5
Study Questions:
1. Why do psychologists scientifically study all the factors that affect
human behaviours?
Psychologists scientifically study all the factors that affect
human behaviours because we are biological creatures living
in a very complex world.
2. The underlined word “complex” means ………………..
(complicated / simple / comprehensive / reasonable)
3. According to the five aims of psychology, what does psychology try
understand?
According to the five aims of psychology, psychology tries
to understand the causes of human and animal behaviours.
4. According to the five aims of psychology, what does psychology
describe?
According to the five aims of psychology, psychology
describes how people and other animal species behave?
5. What does the underlined pronoun “they” refer to?
The underlined pronoun “they” refers to “people and other
animal species”.
6. According to the five aims of psychology, what does psychology
apply?
According to the five aims of psychology, psychology
applies psychological knowledge in ways that enhance
human welfare.
Psychology and Educational Psychology
In fact, psychology deals with the study of human behaviour in general.
It emphasizes on learning theories and principles. Educational
psychology studies the behaviour of humans in the educational situation,
the process of learning, conditions that help and reinforce learning, and
Dr. Bushra Saadoon Mohammed Alnoori & Mr. Yousuf Taresh Hilal
6
motivation to learn. Actually, educational psychology focuses on ways to
achieve effective improvements in learning and problem solving
capacities.
Study Questions:
1. What does psychology does study in general?
Psychology studies human behaviour in general.
2. What does educational psychology study?
Educational psychology studies the following important
scientific aspects:
A. The behaviour of humans in the educational
situation.
B. The process of learning.
C. Conditions that help and reinforce learning.
D. Motivation to learn.
E. Ways to achieve effective improvements in learning.
3. What does the underlined pronoun “It” refer to?
The underlined pronoun “It” refers to “psychology”.
Meaning of Educational Psychology
Different psychologists and scholars have defined educational
psychology in different ways:
1. Walter (1935) considers that psychology for teachers should be a
branch of social psychology concerned with the study of human
beings.
2. Anderson (1949) argues that educational psychology should aim at
providing effective information and related principles for the
solution of education problems and further development of skills in
dealing with children in different situations.
3. Freeman (1953) argues that educational psychology should include
topics (issues) such as motivation, personality, development, factors
An Introduction to EFL Collage students’ Reading Comprehension Skills ESP
7
in mental growth, and social development, in the context of
influencing learning.
4. Caroll (1965) defines educational psychology as the study of school
learning in all its aspects.
5. Klausmier (1975) suggests that educational psychology is the science
that studies student behaviour in an educational setting.
6. Ausubel (1969) argues that educational psychology is concerned
with the nature, conditions, outcomes, and evaluation of school
learning. He also argues that the school situation can be considered
as a system.
7. Skinner (1968) argues that educational psychology deals with
developing concepts, principles, and theories of teaching. He also
argues that educational psychology needs to develop a general
methodology of teaching based on the understanding of the learning
process with application to teaching. Teaching and learning are in
this context required to be considered as closely inter-related.
8. Anderson (1967) also stresses on the centrality of teaching and
learning in the study of educational psychology. He argues that
educational psychology should mainly deal with two questions:
1) What are the effective conditions that can develop
student learning?
2) What are the features of instructional materials that
facilitate student learning.
In fact, educational psychology is aimed at generating
knowledge and organising it systematically in the form of information,
principles, theories and systems to be applied to teaching and learning.
Status of Educational Psychology
Susan Isaac (1924) said that there was little knowledge about learning
and instruction in educational colleges. Drever (1935) argued that
since education is the process of modifying and controlling the behaviour
of children, and psychology is the scientific study of behaviour, the
teacher must be fully and clearly informed about the facts and principles
of human behaviour.
Dr. Bushra Saadoon Mohammed Alnoori & Mr. Yousuf Taresh Hilal
8
Drever found that teachers did not make analysis of specific behaviours
of children. He suggested that psychology should be taught as a
discipline in its own right.
Study Questions:
1. What does the underlined pronoun “He” in the second paragraph
refer to?
The underlined pronoun “He” in the second paragraph refers
to “Drever”.
2. What did Susan Isaac say about learning and instruction in
educational colleges in 1924?
Susan Isaac said that there was little knowledge about
learning and instruction in educational colleges.
3. According to the text, what is education?
According to the text, education is the process of modifying
and controlling the behaviour of children.
4. Why did Drever argue that the teacher must be fully and clearly
informed about the facts and principles of human behaviour?
Drever argued that the teacher must be fully and clearly
informed about the facts and principles of human behaviour
because education is the process of modifying and
controlling the behaviour of children, and psychology is the
scientific study of behaviour.
5. Why dis Drever suggest that psychology should be taught as a
discipline in its own right?
Drever suggested that psychology should be taught as a
discipline in its own right because he found that teaches did
not make analysis of specific behaviours of children.
6. Find a word in the text which means “completely”.
“fully” means “completely”.