essay trpsthe teaching of intensive and extensive reading. my personal perspective

Running head: EXTENSIVE OR INTENSIVE READING?

The teaching of intensive and extensive reading.

My personal perspective.

Maria Laudelina Dìaz Navarro.

Cecyte Cancun III.

Marìa Laudelina Dìaz Navarro, Language Department, Cecyte III.

Marìa L. Dìaz N., Language Department, Cecyte III, 20 de Noviembre Av., Reg.203.

Contact: [email protected]

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Abstract:

The presente paper is intended to briefly show the author`s viewpoint about the

teaching of reading nowadays and the way teachers and students deal with it. Reading in

FLT must be seen not only as an ability to form and develop in the students, but also as a

necessary activity on which their growing in all fields of life depend. It is in this sense that

teachers must become a real model of a reader to demonstrate how rewarding reading

can become. We as teachers, are the first to be conscious of increasing reading since

educational researchers have demonstrated that there is a correlation between reading

and academic success, and later, to succeed in life. There is also a correlation between

reading and vocabulary acquisition. From the psychopedagogical viewpoint, reading is also

a good tool because it relieves tension and loneliness and make the students become

better citizens.

.

Key words: teaching, learning, reading, extensive, intensive.

In our days, teaching Reading is essential, not only as one of the abilities

for learning a language, but also as a way to getting some other elements as culture,

information about various fields, and knowledge in general, i.e., Reading is a great source

of knowledge .From the author`s viewpoint, Reading can be defined as the activity by

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means of which we make sense of the printed word. We read in order to get something

from the text, whether it be a dictionary, a newspaper, a novel, or a scientific text. What is

important is that we must have a reason for reading. That is why in our roles as teachers,

we have to be aware that our students be able not only to read, but also to discuss and

criticize. We have to teach them how to develop their intellectual capabilities while

analyzing a text. The ability to read is highly valued; it is also important and necessary for

social and economic advancement, but it is not an ability easy to get and it is the teacher`s

task to develop it in the students.

For a better teaching of it, Reading has been divided into intensive and extensive. I

consider that both approaches are essential in the teaching of a second language and they

share some of the same strategies. Intensive reading focuses on a short text. Its aim is to

help the students understand it by using a variety of skills. Students are encouraged to

work out, for example, how the writer leads them to infer the message implicit in it.

Further, by focusing on a short text, the students learn how to cut it up in order to

understand the exact meaning.

Firstly, I consider that all materials selected must be stimulating for the students

because it commonly happens that the texts contained in textbooks, are not really of the

interest of the them; it may seem that the authorities in the field of education in the

country have suddenly turned their attention to the matter of reading and have put

together an amount of reading materials in books as if it were the correct way for having

the pupils get the habits of reading, but the results are quite far away from the intention,

since this is a process that has to be built using certain strategies and following certain

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methodologies. It is a fact that our students have not been trained since they started

elementary school (and in their own mother tongue) to be good readers, so that it

becomes a hard task in foreign language learning. Secondly, I believe that while reading,

they need to feel they can contribute with their personal opinions to enrich that one of

the author.

In an intensive reading lesson, we must lead the students to practice scanning and

skimming skills. Scanning a text is the activity by means of which a student reads very

rapidly in order to find out a particular piece of information, for example, dates, names, or

any other details that may further take them to comprehension. It is also used to ascertain

whether a text is useful, for example, whether the chapter contains relevant information

they may use later in their own school woks as in writing essays. This indications can be

given orally to encourage reading quickly. On the other hand, skimming a text is when

students read for gist. For instance, when we ask the class to find out what topics the text

deals with ensures fast reading. Both scanning and skimming techniques need a

systematic practice.

An important aspect we must train our students to develop is their memories in

order to retain, understand, and better analyze what they read, as Ross Lee Graham, PhD

(2001) stated:

The feelings that you have during certain experiences represent a certain kind of

knowledge that you have of your reactions to the experiences (…) This aspect of

feelings can be used to aid memory. If you are NOT interested in what you are

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reading, then you can expect a more rapid forgetting. You have to put yourself into

state of mind that makes you interested in what you are reading if you want have

an effective memory of it. (p.103).

Motivation, in my personal perspective, is also a decisive factor for reading. On this

regard, I personally agree with Jack C. Richards (2008):

Sometimes, reward-driven behavior is dependent on extrinsic (externally

administered by someone else) motivation. But a more powerful category of

reward is one which is intrinsically driven within the learner. When behavior stems

from needs, wants or desires, within oneself, the behavior itself has the potential

to be self-rewarding. (p.12)

According to Richards`s opinion about the role of intrinsic motivation in the

development of reading abilities, it has been widely demonstrated that our pupils feel

more comfortable with texts when they themselves decide what to read, though on this

regard, the teacher’s role in guiding the activity (i.e., in motivating, awakening their

interests, making them see or understand certain points that maybe they cannot see by

themselves) is also of a great help.

In reference to Extensive reading, and in my own perception, it is a higher step on

the field of reading since it is the student the one who decides what, when, and how to

read, so that it becomes a student-centered activity. Nevertheless, a long way has to be

run before getting here and it depends of course, on the teacher`s management of his/her

pupils, on the work done with them while making them realize what reading can really do

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for them nowadays. Extensive reading brings about benefits not only in improving the

students’ reading skills and speed, but also it carries out changes in the students’ language

use and their attitude towards learning it.

Some characteristics I consider a good extensive reading program should have are

the following:

1-Students read as much as possible (in and definitely out of the classroom).

2-They should count on a variety of materials on a wide range of topics.

3-Students are the ones that select what they want to read and have the freedom to stop

reading material that are not really of their interest.

4-The purposes of reading are usually aimed at pleasing, informing, and giving general

understanding.

5-Reading is a compensation for them and not another task in the learning process.

6-Reading materials are comprised within the linguistic competence of the students in

terms of vocabulary and grammar.

As a conclusion, I may state that books are a faithful friend in everyone`s life and

that unfortunately, our pupils are not so aware of this; yet, it is our role to make them

change their minds about it and to lead them become successful readers; at the same

time, we have to be aware of the use of the different approaches, techniques, and

strategies for teaching reading; we have to decide when to implement bottom-up or top-

down exercises and notice when our students are ready for an intensive or extensive

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reading. Furthermore, we have to realize that a combination of both, intensive and

extensive reading, will let to the final goal: learning.

References:

1-Day, Richard R.and Julian Bamford (2007) Extensive Reading in the Second Language

Classroom. USA: Cambridge University Press.

2-Graham, R. L. (2001): TIME MODULE INTENSIVE READING PROGRAM. USA: Writers Club

Press.

3-Hedgcock, John S. and Dana R. Ferris (2009).Teaching Readers of English. Students,

texts, and contexts. USA: Taylor and Francis.

4-Jacobs, G. M. and Thomas S.C. Farrell (2012) Teachers Source Book for Extensive

Reading. USA: Library of Congress.

5-Richards, J.C. and Willy A. Renandya (2008). Methodology in Language Teaching.an

Anthology of Current Practice. USA: Cambridge University Press.

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Lesson Plan.

Reading Class: Thanksgiving Day in the USA.

Objective:

To give intensive reading practice.

To trigger free thinking and speaking about it.

Lesson Stages Teacher’s activity Student’s activity

Teaching Aids

Comment(s)

Induction

1. Teacher shows some pictures in a power point presentation and ask about them.

Students watch and give opinions.

LCD, Projector, Laptop

Pre- Reading 1. Teacher asks students what the pictures refer to.

1. Teacher asks some questions(related to the pictures) to the students.(Refer to Figure 1; they also complete columns K and W in the K-W-L chart; ‘K’ stands for know, ‘W’ stands for want to know, and ‘L’ stands for learned to each group.(Refer to Figure 2 )

2. The students then are divided into groups of 4-6. There are 5 groups.

3. The teacher instructs the students to discuss about what they know about the topic and fills the ‘K’ column and fills up what they want to know in the ‘W’ column and 5 minutes are given for this task.

Students share their views

Students answer the questions

LCD, Projector, Laptop, Pictures

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While- Reading 4. With all the information

available, the teacher now gives the papers containing the excerpt and have them read.

4. The students need to read the excerpt, and with the guidance of the questions that are given below the excerpt, they need to discuss with the group members and find out the answers for the questions and also complete the final column, that is what they have learned (L column) based on the excerpt.

5. The teacher gives 2 minutes for them to read silently and teacher asks them for difficult words. If there is any, the teacher tries to teach the word from the context. Other students are encouraged to help as well.

6. Then, 5 minutes given for the students to conduct discussion among the members in the group to answer the questions.

7. Immediately after that, the students need to present the answers to the class which indirectly explains about the excerpt that they have. Other groups need to listen and write down the given information in the ‘L’ column. The presentation should focus on the second question which asks the students to come out with the most effective

Students form their group.

Students fill in ‘K’ and ‘W’ column

Students fill

K-W-L Sheet, Excerpts,

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method to preserve the environment.

8. At the end of this task, the ‘L’ column of the each group consists of information given by the other groups.

9. After all the groups have presented, teacher asks whether they have acquired the information that they want to know in the ‘W’ column. If there are still some students who have not get the information, firstly, the teacher allows the other students to help these students. If the students could not provide the information, the teacher will ask the students to find the information and this task is given as homework.

in the ‘L’ column

Students clarify the words which they are not sure about the meaning

Students discuss in their group and answer the questions

Students present and fill in the ‘L’ column and give feedbacks

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Students raise up the questions in the ‘W’ column

Post- Reading 1. Teacher asks them to briefly write their opinion about this holiday in the USA and if it helps in the formation of any moral values.

Students complete the task

Consolidation:

Teacher recaps the lesson by asking how we can share with family and friends in a fine and brotherly environment.

Students answer the questions

Closure

Teacher asks to share their opinions about whether the holiday has become a commercial date or continues to be a familiar day.

Follow up activities

Students should find information for the unanswered questions in ‘W’ column

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READING:

THANKSGIVING CELEBRATION.

On September 6th, 1620, a small ship called the Mayflower left Plymouth, England, carrying 102 passengers- religious separatists looking for a new home and freedom, looking for THE NEW WORLD.

The crossing lasted 66 days. Finally, they reached the tip of Cape Cod, far north of their intended destination at the mouth of the Hudson River. One month later, the Mayflower crossed Massachusetts Bay, and the Pilgrims, began to establish a village at Plymouth.

That first winter, was brutal and most of the colonists remained on the ship, where they suffered from contagious diseases. Only half of the Mayflower’s original passengers and crew lived to see their first New England spring.

In March, the remaining settlers moved ashore, where they received an astonishing visit from an Abenaki Indian who greeted them in English. Several days later, he returned with another Native American, Squanto to welcome them.

Squanto taught the Pilgrims, weakened by malnutrition and illness, how to cultivate corn, extract sap from maple trees, catch fish in the rivers and avoid poisonous plants. He also helped the Pilgrims become friends with the Wampanoag Indians.

In November 1621, the Pilgrims’ first corn harvest was successful and Governor William Bradford organized feast and invited a group of Native Americans, including the Wampanoag chief Massasoit.

Thanksgiving or Thanksgiving Day, currently celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November by federal legislation in 1941, has been an annual tradition in the United States by presidential proclamation since 1863 and by state legislation since the Founding Fathers of the United States.

It has lost much of its original religious significance; instead, it now centers on cooking and sharing meal with family and friends. Turkey is a Thanksgiving icon and a synonymous with the holiday.

Parades are also an integral part of the holiday in cities and towns across the United States.

Since 1924, New York City’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is the largest and most famous, attracting some 2 to 3 million spectators along its 2.5-mile route.

It contains turkey, waterfowl, venison, fish, lobster, clams, berries, fruit, pumpkin, and squash. Other traditional foods include mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. . William Bradford noted that, "besides waterfowl, there was great store of wild

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turkeys, of which they took many." Many of the foods that they ate in that feast (except the seafood) have become staples of the modern Thanksgiving dinner.

The “President´s Pardon” of one or two turkeys is a funny custom in the United States. President Obama has “pardoned” one or two turkeys each year, in this celebration.

ANNEXES:

Pictures to work with vocabulary building:

FALL/AUTUMN CORN

CRANBERRY PUMPKIN

PUMPKIN PIE

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AN INDIAN CHASING AFTER A TURKEY

ROAST TURKEY

ROAST TURKEY AND VEGETABLES

CRANBERRY CRANBERRY SAUCE

SWEET POTATOES

PUMPKIN PUMPKIN PIE

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DINNER TABLE

AN INDIAN AND A PILGRIM

THE MAYOR

WINE

PILGRIMS AT HARVEST

ROAST TURKEY A TURKEY

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THANKSGIVING DINNER

ROAST TURKEY BREAD, SAUCES, PIES

CORN, CARROTS, PUMPKINS, TOMATOES

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EXERCISES

I-Pre-reading:

1-What celebrations do we have in Mexico and all over the world during fall and winter?

3-Which one is your favorite?

4-Look at this picture. Do you know anything about this ship called the Mayflower?

5-Now look at these pictures. Are they familiar to you?

6-What holiday do you think it will refer to?

7-Now fill in the K-W-L (only K and W columns) chart expressing what you know about this holiday in the USA.

What I know What I want to know What I learned

II-While reading exercises:

1-As you read, circle the names of events, relevant information as dates, places, etc. Underline the main ideas. Use different colors to help you set the ideas into categories.

Comprehension checking:

1- The origin of the name “Thanksgiving” comes from:

a. thanks given to God

b. thanks given for the help the early settlers got from each other.

2. Thanksgiving is a time to

a. worship God

b. Thank god, eat and have fun.

3. It is a vacation for

a. everybody

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b. a lot of people

4. The main food that is prepared in this celebration is:

a. cranberry sauce, and pumpkin

b. turkey

III-After reading exercises:

1-Return to the K-W-L chart and fill in the third column.

2-Discuss with your classmates about the implicatures Thanksgiving Celebration has nowadays.

3-Share through a blog your and your opinions about Thanksgiving celebration in the USA in our days and encourage others to participate in the blog.

Video links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94S4bRcf3zU&list=UU0ScwXs0Lx5rnQ2OeqvnQMw

Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/Mrkarate9/videos

(This is my son`s since in mine I think it is not so well; this is for the first video)

2- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-lUOp40J20 (second video)

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBrN3WDk-A3vRsJJGBj-b3w (my channel)

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https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBrN3WDk-A3vRsJJGBj-b3w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-lUOp40J20

https://www.youtube.com/user/Mrkarate9/videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94S4bRcf3zU&list=UU0ScwXs0Lx5rnQ2OeqvnQMw