Interacting with Texts for both Native and Non-Native Speakers of English

Vickie ConnollyConstance Leonard

United States Air Force Academy

2014 Annual Mini-ConferenceApril 11 & 12, 2014Red Rocks Community College

The last book you read for pleasure?

Connie

Cold Heart By Gunnar

Staalesen

VickieLoving Frank

by Nancy Horan

Reading Enhancement Course

Rate Clustering, Pacing, Pushing

Comprehension & RecallPreviewing, Visualizing, Summarizing

English for Academic Purposes Course

Prepare internationals for U.S. Academics & Freshman English

Diversity at USAFA

80% male and 20% female23% minorities1.5% international

Brunei, Canada, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Iraq, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Lebanon, Lithuania, Malaysia, Moldova, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Romania, Rwanda, Senegal, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, The Gambia, Tunisia

16% First generation college6% language other than English at home

“Language acquisition proceeds best when the input is not just comprehensible, but really interesting, even compelling; so interesting that you forget you are listening to or reading another language.”

Stephen Krashen

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE BOOK

Activity OneWhat is reading?

Activity TwoWhat are the traits of a good reader?

Previewing: Step One

Looking at the title, what do you predict the book will be about?

What information do you get from the front and back covers?

When was the book published?

Are there any visual clues in the book?

Previewing: Step Two

Review two to three five-page sections of the novel at 5 seconds per page.

Look for names of characters, where and when the story takes place, and any events, words, or phrases that may seem significant.

Activity ThreeWhat is your reading speed and why doesit matter?

Mikulecky, 2008)

Bottom-up: Vocabulary & Culture

Local Color

third floor piazzatenementcorner marketthree-decker

piazzathree-decker(triple-decker)tenement

Corner Market

Bottom-up: Vocabulary & CultureRacial Epithets

“Jack Antonelli’s a greaseball,” Mr. Hairston said.

“Look at him Selsky. A kike. Charges too high for his goods.”

“There goes Mrs. O’Brien. An Irisher. Nine kids.”

Top-down: Prior Knowledge