University of Education Lahore
Department of English
Course Title: Communication Skills
Programme: BS
Course Code: ENGL1119
Course Instructor: Jahanzeb Jahan
What is Reading?
Reading is the complex cognitive process of decoding symbols to derive
meaning. It is a form of language processing. Success in this process is
measured as reading comprehension.
What is Reading Process?
fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too. I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod
aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan
mind! Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno’t mtaetr in
waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit
and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll
raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey
lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? Yaeh, and I awlyas
tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!
What is reading process ?
• Reading is a visual process. It is the ability to see symbols clearly with
the eyes.
• It is a perceptual process-perception meaning that our thought
process are able to take these symbols and to invest them with
meaning. It is an experimental process; because, without experience
the mind will be unable to invest meaning to the symbols that we see.
Reading is a trans active process in which readers negotiate meaning or
interpretation.
During reading, the meaning does not go from the page to the reader;
instead it is a complex negotiation between the text and the reader that
is shaped by the immediate situational context and broader socio-
linguistic contexts (Weaver, 1988)
• The immediate situational context includes the readers knowledge
about the topic, the reader’s purpose for reading, and other factors
related to the situation.
Reading and Reading Skill
Reading in general is an ability. The reader decodes meaning from
the printed or written words. In the process of reading, the reader
employs his reading skill. The degree of reading skill varies from
person to person according to the linguistic competence and
background knowledge he possesses.
Reading Speed
http://www.readingsoft.com/
However, the following are some of the important
components of reading skill.
1. Recognition of the graphemes.
2. Recognition of the correlation of graphemes within words.
3. Recognizing relationship between and among sentences in a
discourse.
4. Deducing meaning of unfamiliar words
5. Inferring implicit and explicit information and ideas of text, etc.
I eat Glit Mlit in Breakfast.
Reading Skills
Time: Only 3 Minutes
Most Important Note: Please read all the directions given below first and then start filling in.
1. Write your name in capital words
2. Write your date of birth
3. Draw a square
4. Draw a triangle
5. Draw a circle
6. Turn the top left corner of the page
7. Give a smile
8. Show angry face expressions
9. Stand and sit 3 times
10. Scratch your head for 3 seconds
11. Look at your teacher for 3 seconds
12. Loudly speak out your name
13. Write the name of your favourite teacher
14. Write your horoscope
15. Write the name of your favourite movie
16. Write the name of your favourite drama
17. Hurry up and look out from the door of the class
18. Stand and look at everyone in the class
19. Just do activity no 1 and 2, as rest are all useless
20. Now give a smile as you did not act upon the most important note given in the beginning.
Classification of reading
Reading is classified as
Skimming.
Scanning.
Extensive reading.
Intensive reading.
Classification (Continued)
• Skimming involves quickly running one's eye over at text to get the
gist of it.
• Scanning involves quickly going through a text to find a particular
piece of information.
Classification (Continued)
• Extensive reading is nothing but reading longer text usually for one's
own pleasure. This is a fluent activity, mainly involving global
understanding.
• Intensive reading involves reading shorter texts to extract specific
information. This kind of reading is otherwise known as reading for
details.
What is skimming?
• Skimming is very fast reading. When you skim, you read to get the
main ideas and a few, but not all, of the details. To skim rapidly, you
must leave out parts of an article or story.
• Skimming is very useful skill. It will allow you to get information
quickly from anything you read. Knowing how to skim will make you a
better reader.
when is skimming required?
• Pre‐read
• Reviewing
• Reading.
How to skim?
• Read the title. If it is an article, check the author, publication date,
and source.
• Read the introduction. If it is very long, read only the first paragraph
completely. Then, read only the first sentence of every paragraph.
That sentence will usually be the main idea of that paragraph.
• Read any headings and sub-‐headings. The headings, when taken
together, form an outline of the main topics covered in the material.
• Notice any pictures, charts, or graphs; they are usually included to
emphasize important dates or concepts.
• If you do not get enough information from the headings, or if you are
working with material that does not have headings ,read the first
sentence of each paragraph.
• Glance at the remainder of the paragraph. a. Notice any italicized or
boldface words or phrases. These are key terms. b. Look for lists of
ideas within the text of the material.
• The author may use numerals, such as (1), (2), (3) in the list, or signal
words such as first, second, one major cause, another cause ,etc.
• Read the summary or last paragraph.
Define scanning?
• Scanning is a method of selective reading, when searching for a
particular fact or answer to a question. Scanning can best be
described as a looking rather than a reading process.
What is scanning?
• Scanning is a reading skill you use when you want to locate a single
fact or a specific bit of information without reading every part of
story, article, list,or document.
• You use scanning many times in your daily activities. For example, You
scan: the channel listing on the TV, the telephone directory, and then
an alpabhetic word on the dictionary.
How to scan?
• State in your mind specifically the information for which you are
looking. Phrase it in question form, if possible.
• Try to anticipate how the answer will appear and what clues you
might use to help you locate the answer.
• Determine the organization of the material; it is your most important
clue to where to begin looking for information. Especially when
looking up information contained in charts and tables, the
organization of the information is crucial to rapid scanning.
continue…….
• Use headings and any other aids that will help you identify which
sections might contain the information for which you are looking.
• Selectively read and skip through likely sections of the passage,
keeping in mind the specific question you formed and your
expectations of how the answer might appear. Move your eyes down
the page in a systematic way.
• When you have found the needed information, carefully read the
sentences in which it appears in order to confirm that you have
located the correct information.
Which object is used for
all these types of Reading?
References
• Sari, D. F., & Yusuf, Y. Q. (2009). The role of attitudes and identity from nonnative speakers of English towards
English accents. English as International Language Journal, 4, 110-128.
• Fry, E. B. (2000). Skimming and Scanning Jamestown Reading Improvement. Advanced Level Book, 1-2.
• Yusuf, Y., & Fauzan. (2016). EFL students’ difficulties in comprehending English reading texts. Proceedings of
the 1st English Education International Conference (EEIC) in Conjunction with the 2nd Reciprocal Graduate
Research Symposium (RGRS) of the Consortium of Asia-Pacific Education Universities (CAPEU) between Sultan
Idris Education University and Syiah Kuala University (pp. 510-514). November 12-13, Banda Aceh, Indonesia.
