PHARMA HEALTH SCIENICE COLLEGE

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE& LITERATURE

Instructor’s Name: Aynalem Abebe

Email:ayneabebe37@gmail.com

Course Title: Communicative English Skill-I

Course Code: Enla 102

Credit Hours: 3

Assessment
ActiveParticipation =5%
IndividualAssignment 10%
GroupAssignment = 15%
Writtentest = 10%
Oralpresentation = 10%
Final Examination = 50%
"Reading" is the process of looking at a series of written symbols and getting meaning
from them. ...

Reading is a receptive skill - through it we receive information. But the complex process
of reading also requires the skill of speaking, so that we can pronounce the words that
we read.

What Is Reading?

Reading is defined as a cognitive process that involves decoding symbols to arrive at

meaning. Reading is an active process of constructing meanings of words. Reading with
a purpose helps the reader to direct information towards a goal and focuses their
attention. Although the reasons for reading may vary, the primary purpose of reading is
to understand the text. Reading is a thinking process. It allows the reader to use what he
or she may already know, also called prior knowledge. During this processing of
information, the reader uses strategies to understand what they are reading, uses
themes to organize ideas, and uses textual clues to find the meanings of new words.
Each of the three components of reading is equally important. Let's take a look at the
components!

The Reading Process

Reading is a process that involves recognizing words, leading to the development of

comprehension. According to research, reading is a process that negotiates the meaning
between the text and its reader. The reading process involves three stages.

The first is the pre-reading stage, which allows the reader to activate background
knowledge, preview the text, and develop a purpose for reading. A strategy for students
to utilize during this stage is to look at the title of the selection and list all the
information that comes to mind about the title.

The second stage occurs during reading, when the reader makes predictions as they
read and then confirms or revises the predictions. For example, a double-entry journal
enables the reader to write the text from the reading on one side and their personal
reaction on the other side.

The final stage occurs after reading and allows the reader to retell the story, discuss the
elements of a story, answer questions, and/or compare it to another text. For example,
students can create summaries, where they take a huge selection and reduce it to its
main points for more concise understanding.

Comprehension is an intentional, active, and interactive process that occurs before,

during and after a person reads a particular piece of writing.

Reading Comprehension

Reading comprehension has two elements that complete the process. The first element
is vocabulary knowledge. The reader must be able to understand the vocabulary used by
the writer. The second element is text comprehension, where the reader puts together
the vocabulary and different comprehension strategies to develop an understanding of
the text. Comprehension, or the mental process that allows the reader to understand
the text, begins before the reader starts the text and continues even after the reading
has finished. There are some specific strategies that can be used to increase
comprehension:

What are the types of reading in English?

The development of reading skills plays a big role in learning English. Tasks to check the
formation of this skill are included in various exams developed to obtain the certificate
of proficiency in English.

Most often, the understanding of the main content of what is read, the extraction of the
necessary information from the text and a complete understanding of what has been
read are checked at such exams.

Therefore, this article will be useful to those who learn and improve their English for
their pleasure, and those who are preparing for the exams.
Reading modes

There are different reading modes and each of them has its own peculiarities. Those are
scanning, skimming eyes, extensive reading and intensive reading. Also, reading modes
are classified by the degree of involvement — active and passive.

Scanning

This reading mode is aimed only at finding the necessary information in the text. It does
not mean a complete immersion in the text and a deep comprehension of the facts,
analysis of grammatical constructions. Often in this mode, the text is viewed for the
presence of unfamiliar words, so that after their translation it will be easier to read the
text fully. This type of reading is also called «diagonal reading».

Skimming

This reading mode is used to get to know and understand if this information is useful
to you (you are viewing a book in a store or a magazine on the shelf before buying it).
In this case, the text is also viewed quickly, but not as carefully as in the previous case.
The goal is not to search for specific facts, but to evaluate the text for complexity,
interest and a general storyline.

Extensive reading

The purpose of this type of reading is to get acquainted with new information. In this
mode, people read art or scientific literature, without being distracted by new,
unfamiliar words, if their meaning can be approximately understood from the context.

This type of reading implies the mastering of the general image and the receipt of new,
unfamiliar information. It will be necessary to form and express your opinion about
what you read or answer the questions.
Intensive reading

Typically, this type of reading is used in the study of English in order to intensively parse
the proposed short, teaching text. With this type of reading, grammatical constructions,
unfamiliar words and phrases are intensively examined.

Why should you give time to each of the reading modes mentioned above?

Because each of them provides different involvement in the text, different ways
of perception and different time you spend thinking about what you have read.
However, they all contribute to the improved understanding of written speech.

In addition, mastering all types of reading, you expand your vocabulary, learn
grammatical constructions better and practice your spelling with the help of visual
memorization.

Why do we read?

People read for many different reasons. They read to learn about news and events, to
communicate with one another, to get from one place to another, to acquire new
knowledge about an array of topics, to figure out what to eat, to learn the process for
making or doing something, and to entertain themselves, among many other purposes.
But what is reading, exactly? Is it more than drawing meaning from letters and words,
and deciding how to interpret a text? What is reading?

Reading is a combination of conscious and unconscious thinking processes (Mikulecky,

2008). When people read texts fluently in their native language, they use these
processes to extract meaning from the text. Reading comprehension involves a
combination of abilities to: recognise words rapidly and efficiently develop and use a
very large recognition vocabulary process sentences in order to build comprehension
engage a range of strategic processes and underlying cognitive skills (i.e. setting goals,
changing goals flexibly, monitoring comprehension) interpret meaning in relation to
background knowledge interpret and evaluate texts in line with reader goals and
purposes process texts fluently over an extended period of time (Grabe, 2014) Give
meaning Sentences and paragraphs Individual words and phrases Graded readers can be
used in a variety of teaching contexts, and for different purposes.

Teachers may wish to use them to expand learners’ knowledge on different topics, to
provide an engaging contrast to the usual course book, as a shared class activity and/or
to set them as homework activities. Topics can be explored in more depth and used as a
springboard to further discussion, language skills practice, or project work. Graded
readers are a flexible resource that complement and enhance any English course, at any
level and at any length – general English, Business English, EAP, Exam preparation. Used
for self-study, learners can choose the titles that interest them the most, at the
appropriate level, and use graded readers to improve their English while reading for
enjoyment. Increasing competency in second language reading has been shown to have
a direct effect on learners’ motivation for reading (González 2013, Takase 2007)

Reading: Meeting people

Reading I: My experience of meeting people

Task 1: Getting ready for the reading

Answer Keys to question 1 to 3: Answers to question 1 to 3 greatly vary.

The purpose of the questions is to prepare the learners for the reading task.
So, you may take any relevant answers.

Answer key to question 4:

A. Meeting new people broaden your horizon. (scope, view,

perspective)
B. I love meeting new people. Talking to people fascinates me.
(charms, attracts, interests)
C. Meeting new people teaches me to have an open-mind. (broad
thinking)
D. I have tough time meeting new people. (hard, difficult)
Task 2: While-reading
Suggestions: you may ask the students to sit in groups of threes and give
each of the three students, cuts of the three different stories below and ask
them to read and get ready to tell their stories orally to the other two in the
group.
 Story A

I really do love meeting people. I love to talk to people and get to know them. It
really fascinates me. When I was in fifth grade, I met this girl named Victoria. It
didn't take very long before we were best friends and literally did EVERYTHING
together. Before you knew it, it had been 2 years since we've been friends. It was
my friend Chloe who had introduced me to this girl. To be honest, I am really glad
she did. Even though something later on that happened made us not best friends, I
am really glad I got the chance to get to know such a wonderful person. I wouldn't
have gone back and changed anything. It's amazing how someone can really

Story B

I find meeting new people wonderful. It is broadening your horizon,

exploring new relationships and life. It's an adventure I will never tire of new
people, new experiences, new excitement a never-ending adventure. You
never know just who you will meet. It's a fascinating world filled with
mysteries and wonder and it's all at the tip of your fingers.

Story C

I can't initiate conversations for the life of me. I grow quiet and have a tough
time continuing a conversation. But then again, I love meeting new people.
Different people have different opinions, views, experiences, and I love
hearing about them cuz then it teaches me to have an open-mind.
Task 3: Post reading

Suggestions: Answers to these questions vary but it’s important for the
learners to do them as it encourages sharing ideas and further developing
the ideas in the reading. So, you may need to give them enough time to
share their responses to the answers.

Reading II: My experience of meeting a hobo

Task 1: Getting ready for reading two

Suggestions: The questions partly do not have one answer. Entertain any
relevant answer that can prepare the learners for the reading but don’t take
much time on this section.

Task 2: While reading

Answer Key to question 1: The answer to question one can be any of the
alternatives below

1. A woman who met a hobo

2. Meeting a hobo
3. My experience of meeting a hobo or any related
Answer Key to question 2: The answer to question two will be discussed in
the vocabulary section.

Task 3: Post reading

Answer keys
1. The story teller says ‘… I understood that it's not social status or
money that makes us special; it's who we are on the inside.’ What does
she mean?. She seems to suggest that the outside of a person is
misleading, so what is important is the inner personal qualities of the
individual.
2. What are the reasons the story teller thinks made the man a hobo? The
man drinks alcohol and takes drugs and also made poor decisions and
abandoned his family. These made him a hobo.
3. Do you think the story teller is sympathetic about the man? How do
you know? Yes, she tried to understand him and she thought he is
clever in creating the idea of playing the chess with payment.
Moreover, she shows her sympathy by saying ‘Hard Knox (difficult) life
for him…’
4. How many dollar bills the story teller paid to the hobo? Four because
she played three more games in addition the one she played earlier.
5. So what title will be appropriate for the story? (see the suggested titles
in the while reading section)
Vocabulary: Learning to learn vocabulary

Learning to learn vocabulary through guessing

Suggestions: An important part of students’ vocabulary development is

being able to use their own strategies for coping with new vocabulary in
written or spoken texts. Among the commonest strategies that they need to
use is problem solving by making guesses. This requires them to use their
prior knowledge and experience as well as clues in the context. Try to remind
them how important is to know guessing strategies because this is the best
strategy that can work every time. Teachers can tell them meanings of
words but they can be with them always. Friends can be good source of
learning words but they are not always better than the learners. Dictionaries
can be very helpful but students cannot get them in exam rooms and on the
streets. So, a reliable friend to them is themselves. If they know the guessing
strategies they can manage to learn new words without the help of others.

Task 1: Can you guess?

Answer Keys to question 1: These words are nonsense but they are made
on purpose to show the importance of guessing.

a. When I saw him, the thief was concoing to pick the television. He was
walking so quietly that no one could hear him. (tiptoeing, walking
slowly, walking cautiously, walking quietly)
b. She crackoed her clothes with a bucket of water and some soap. Her
clothes are clean now. (cleaned, washed)
c. She studied hard but she didoed. (failed)
d. She studied hard, so she totoed. (passed)
e. The hoho was barking when I was walking near their house. I was so
scared so I returned. (dog)
f. Please don’t pay them, they have ilcompete the task. (not finished,
not completed)
Answer Key to question 2: Students might have used more than one
technique for a question but to give some examples under each techniques,
here are some answers below.

 Context i.e. words before or after the new word? e.g. for question ‘a’: the
thief, to pick the television and walking quietly can be contextual clues for
the word concoing.
 Synonym i.e. similar words around the new word? Walking quietly for
concoing in question ‘a’.
 Antonym i.e. opposing words before or after the new word? Question ‘c’
because the word but shows opposing idea
 Life experience: question ‘b’ because from our life experience we know
we use water and soap for cleaning or washing clothes.

Suggestion for question 3: you may ask the students to read the note
themselves

‘How do you check if your guess is right?’

Some Notes
There are several ways to check if your guess is right:
 Check that the part of speech of the guess is the same as the part of
speech of the unknown word.
 Break the unknown word into parts and see if the meaning of the parts
relate to the guess.
 Substitute the guess for the unknown word. Does it make sense in
context?
 Look in a dictionary.
Some tips for learning vocabulary

1. Strategy choice: Remember we do not learn vocabulary in the same

way. Find the strategy that works for you.
2. In and outside of class: If you are to acquire enough vocabulary, the
few hours you spend on English in the classroom can never be enough.
You need to encourage yourself to work on this after class.
3. Regular revision: It is useful to know how much is forgotten rather
quickly. You need revision of vocabulary if you are to make your
knowledge more permanent.
Vocabulary: Words from the reading text

Task 1:

Answer Key

a. a smell, often one that is unpleasant (odor)

b. to slide something, especially a piece of cloth, over the surface of
something else, in order to remove dirt, food or liquid(wipe)
c. money, dollar (bucks (informal))
d. untidy; not cared for (unkempt)
e. left a place, thing or person forever (abandoned)
f. someone with a lot of skill and experience in planning, especially in
military, political, business matters or games (strategist)
Add on Vocabulary and pronunciation: Homophones

Task 1:

Answer keys and suggestions:

Answers question 1 and 2 comes from the students and the answer to
question 3 is in the note given below. You may give the students a copy of
the note and ask them check for their answers.
Task 2: Test your memory

Suggestions: This task is to help students remember new words. Encourage

them to memorize as money words as they can.
Grammar: Talking about the past

Task 1:

Answer Key to question 1: The story is told through present simple and
simple past.

Answer Key to question 2:

Finally, found

Was, already,

Talked, busily

Spoke

Conversed

Sat, just

Chose

Sat

Walked

Stopped
Task 2:

Suggestion: answers to question 1 and 2 are entirely subjective but you may need
to focus on the tense the students use in telling their stories.

Answer Key to question 3:

I remember the first day; I speak (spoke) English to a foreigner. She is (was) my
spoken English teacher of my two-year diploma course back in 1996. I think
(thought) I had enough words and grammar knowledge to make such a
conversation but as I started talking I began rambling. I even failed to make sense to
myself. She sees (saw) me with a surprise and asked me to stop. It was really
terrible. I don’t (didn’t) dare to speak to any one in English for a very long time
after that but I didn’t stop working hard. Though my grammar is not perfect yet, I can
express myself with ease.