Hi all, thanks for dropping by. To make things easier, I've decided to merge some of my blogs, which, including this one, can now be found at ELT World. I've been getting off my backsides and writing recently, so come over to the new URL and leave lots of lovely comments.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Friday, August 8, 2008
Latest from ELT World
Monday, August 4, 2008
Are you an Effective Teacher of Reading?
Adam simpson asks the question in this article from issue 4 of the ELT World journal, available to download free:
Reading occurs in our lives on a constant basis. Nevertheless, defining reading is not easy. Different people use the term reading for different purposes, which can cause much confusion.
For the context of the language classroom this article will concern itself with the notion of reading as the extraction of meaning from a written text . In other words, the text is viewed as a vehicle of communication from the writer to the reader; Aebersold and Field (1997) acknowledge this by stating that it is the interaction between the text and reader that constitutes actual reading .
However, simply stating that this is what constitutes reading is to risk forgetting that, in the reading class, the most important thing is that both the teacher and the student should understand the reading process.
In my experience, some of the things that happen in classrooms seem to interfere with reading rather than promote it. Among the biggest is the failure to apply skills to second language reading in the way that they are applied to reading in L1 . Furthermore, some learners may read extensively in their L1 while others, perhaps due to cultural influences or personal learning styles , dislike reading in a foreign language. This will consequently affect the enthusiasm with which they approach a text. Although at a variety of times all literate people read, there is a constant danger in the language classroom to forget that reading is a process with a distinct purpose, and reading different things requires different approaches and processes. Indeed, as Nuttall (1998) notes;
‘If the only foreign language items… read recently were directly concerned with teaching, it may be that you, and your students too, do not really need to read that language except for classroom purposes.’
If this is the case, even the avid reader’s motivation to read will be low, as the purpose for reading is contrived, merely for the language classroom. I have noted in my past attempts to teach reading that motivation can sink when the learner is presented with no genuine reason to complete the activity; this is a particular problem when working with texts in course books, which may have been produced so as to offend no one, but also end up of interest to no one too.
Read the full article here.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Summer Reading Plus
Article by Celia Webb
All of the work your children put in during the school year can be lost over the summer holidays. Reading, math, other information, and skills must be used to be retained. It is easier for children to get back in the groove of learning when autumn rolls around, if during the summer break they are given a chance to exercise what they have learned. Your children will be more motivated to exercise their skills if the practice sessions are fun. With that in mind, here are some ideas of activities to include in your child's summer plans to help sustain their reading and math skills.
Visit a state or local park which offers programs for children. Parks are wonderful places to learn about nature or history. Many parks offer docent-led tours and have special events or activities for children. There are signposts explaining park details which children can read aloud. In addition to these learning opportunities, parks offer great ways to exercise and enjoy the outdoors.
Iron Chef HOUSE. Cooking is an important life skill since eating is essential to continued survival. Have your child cook a meal for the family once a week. Skills your child will practice include reading, following instructions, understanding fractions, and learning about good nutrition.
Trip Planner. Are you planning to take a trip this summer? No matter how far you plan to travel, your child can benefit by helping you plan the trip. Get maps or connect to the internet. Have your child calculate how far you have to travel, what route you will take, how much it will cost, and where you might stop along the way. If the first trip agenda turns out to be too expensive, figure out where costs could be trimmed (stay closer to home, spend less time at your destination, include fewer side trips, eat at less expensive restaurants, get sandwich fixings at the grocery store for lunches, and so on). Have your child do as much of the planning as possible. Factoring how long it takes to drive to Yellowstone or budgeting for five days of meals for your trip are very real uses for math skills.
Summer Reading Program at the library. Local libraries usually run Summer Reading Programs. Help your child participate by visiting the library weekly and signing up for the program. These programs usually encourage children to read a wide selection of books. Once your child has read a certain number of books they are recognized for their achievements.
Summer Journal. Buy your child a blank journal or notebook and encourage them to keep a daily journal of happenings. It does not matter if there are no big events planned for the summer. The weather conditions, names of plants as they flower in the garden, thoughts your child may have, their daily activities, the activities of their little brother or sister, and anything else that is of interest to them can be jotted down in their journal. Recording their day gives them a chance to recall enjoyable happenings and is a great source for the "What did you do this summer?" essay they will write in September.
Independent Reading. Encourage any reading your child does of their own accord. If your son wants read about baseball, let him. A book or article he finds personally interesting will not only reinforce valuable reading skills, but will also spark his curiosity about the meanings of new words.
The summer break from school can be fun and an opportunity to reinforce key skills. Try including at least one of these suggestions to help your child practice knowledge they have acquired while in school. It will make returning to school a little easier.
About the Author
Celia Webb, President of Pilinut Press, Inc., publishers of advanced readers for children and ESL students. Check out http://www.pilinutpress.com for more free articles on developing reading-related skills, word games and puzzles, and activity sheets for the company's entertaining and educational books.
All of the work your children put in during the school year can be lost over the summer holidays. Reading, math, other information, and skills must be used to be retained. It is easier for children to get back in the groove of learning when autumn rolls around, if during the summer break they are given a chance to exercise what they have learned. Your children will be more motivated to exercise their skills if the practice sessions are fun. With that in mind, here are some ideas of activities to include in your child's summer plans to help sustain their reading and math skills.
Visit a state or local park which offers programs for children. Parks are wonderful places to learn about nature or history. Many parks offer docent-led tours and have special events or activities for children. There are signposts explaining park details which children can read aloud. In addition to these learning opportunities, parks offer great ways to exercise and enjoy the outdoors.
Iron Chef HOUSE. Cooking is an important life skill since eating is essential to continued survival. Have your child cook a meal for the family once a week. Skills your child will practice include reading, following instructions, understanding fractions, and learning about good nutrition.
Trip Planner. Are you planning to take a trip this summer? No matter how far you plan to travel, your child can benefit by helping you plan the trip. Get maps or connect to the internet. Have your child calculate how far you have to travel, what route you will take, how much it will cost, and where you might stop along the way. If the first trip agenda turns out to be too expensive, figure out where costs could be trimmed (stay closer to home, spend less time at your destination, include fewer side trips, eat at less expensive restaurants, get sandwich fixings at the grocery store for lunches, and so on). Have your child do as much of the planning as possible. Factoring how long it takes to drive to Yellowstone or budgeting for five days of meals for your trip are very real uses for math skills.
Summer Reading Program at the library. Local libraries usually run Summer Reading Programs. Help your child participate by visiting the library weekly and signing up for the program. These programs usually encourage children to read a wide selection of books. Once your child has read a certain number of books they are recognized for their achievements.
Summer Journal. Buy your child a blank journal or notebook and encourage them to keep a daily journal of happenings. It does not matter if there are no big events planned for the summer. The weather conditions, names of plants as they flower in the garden, thoughts your child may have, their daily activities, the activities of their little brother or sister, and anything else that is of interest to them can be jotted down in their journal. Recording their day gives them a chance to recall enjoyable happenings and is a great source for the "What did you do this summer?" essay they will write in September.
Independent Reading. Encourage any reading your child does of their own accord. If your son wants read about baseball, let him. A book or article he finds personally interesting will not only reinforce valuable reading skills, but will also spark his curiosity about the meanings of new words.
The summer break from school can be fun and an opportunity to reinforce key skills. Try including at least one of these suggestions to help your child practice knowledge they have acquired while in school. It will make returning to school a little easier.
About the Author
Celia Webb, President of Pilinut Press, Inc., publishers of advanced readers for children and ESL students. Check out http://www.pilinutpress.com for more free articles on developing reading-related skills, word games and puzzles, and activity sheets for the company's entertaining and educational books.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
How Can Speed Reading be Useful?
By Adam Harley
Speed reading is an essential skill when you need to read large information quickly. Speed of reading means how many words you read in a minute. Different people have different speed of reading which can be improved by using different techniques and methods. It is analyzed that nearly 300 words can be read accurately in a minute by an average person. Those people who claim that they can read 10,000 or more words use skimming and scanning techniques. However good speed in reading is considered in between 500 to 700 words per minute but you can improve it further with the help of some programs, courses and exercises. Good command on word recognition and vocabulary play an important role to improve speed of reading. Some other abilities that can help you to improve reading speed are eye movement, large blocks of words, spent less time in reading fixation and always try to move forward. If a person has good reading speed then he can learn and understand fast as compare to poor readers.
There are many types of reading materials like newspapers, notices, essays, letters and research papers etc. Every kind of material demands different speed reading due to its nature and importance. When you read a document you should know well what information you want to extract from it because if you want outline or summary then you don't need to read it thoroughly. You need to search your required information from the notice and your related news from the newspapers but while reading a research paper you need to read it thoroughly. Writing style and size of the text also affects the reading speed. If the size of writing or style is not easy to read then your speed of reading will be decreased and there are chances of mistakes. Then it depends on the way you read it, you read aloud or silent.
There are many self paced methods as well as courses, software programs that you can use to speed up your reading skill. You can use self paced methods easily without delay and cost. Different institutes offer different courses to improve your reading skill; software and other programs help you to correct your pronunciation, understanding idea of the writing, speed and recognition.
People read for two different purposes; information and pleasure. If you read fast then you can get knowledge, information and appreciation quickly. You can save time by speed reading because sometimes you read something which is not very interesting and it becomes difficult to swallow it by reading thoroughly so you use skimming technique and increase your reading speed just to get main idea or theme. When you are able to read in speed then you can write and recognize words speedily.
Another very important fact which contributes in speed reading is the language in which you want to increase your reading speed. If it is your mother tongue then it becomes easy to read speedily but if it is the second or foreign language then you can face some problems but with the help of useful courses and software programs you can improve it. It is seen that people who are good at reading have advantage and are more effective than poor readers.
About the Author
If you need any more tips, check out the Speed Reading Manual. It's written in much better English than mine, and contains much more useful tips as well! Download the Speed Reading Manual today: http://www.speedreadingisreal.com/ I highly recommend it.
Speed reading is an essential skill when you need to read large information quickly. Speed of reading means how many words you read in a minute. Different people have different speed of reading which can be improved by using different techniques and methods. It is analyzed that nearly 300 words can be read accurately in a minute by an average person. Those people who claim that they can read 10,000 or more words use skimming and scanning techniques. However good speed in reading is considered in between 500 to 700 words per minute but you can improve it further with the help of some programs, courses and exercises. Good command on word recognition and vocabulary play an important role to improve speed of reading. Some other abilities that can help you to improve reading speed are eye movement, large blocks of words, spent less time in reading fixation and always try to move forward. If a person has good reading speed then he can learn and understand fast as compare to poor readers.
There are many types of reading materials like newspapers, notices, essays, letters and research papers etc. Every kind of material demands different speed reading due to its nature and importance. When you read a document you should know well what information you want to extract from it because if you want outline or summary then you don't need to read it thoroughly. You need to search your required information from the notice and your related news from the newspapers but while reading a research paper you need to read it thoroughly. Writing style and size of the text also affects the reading speed. If the size of writing or style is not easy to read then your speed of reading will be decreased and there are chances of mistakes. Then it depends on the way you read it, you read aloud or silent.
There are many self paced methods as well as courses, software programs that you can use to speed up your reading skill. You can use self paced methods easily without delay and cost. Different institutes offer different courses to improve your reading skill; software and other programs help you to correct your pronunciation, understanding idea of the writing, speed and recognition.
People read for two different purposes; information and pleasure. If you read fast then you can get knowledge, information and appreciation quickly. You can save time by speed reading because sometimes you read something which is not very interesting and it becomes difficult to swallow it by reading thoroughly so you use skimming technique and increase your reading speed just to get main idea or theme. When you are able to read in speed then you can write and recognize words speedily.
Another very important fact which contributes in speed reading is the language in which you want to increase your reading speed. If it is your mother tongue then it becomes easy to read speedily but if it is the second or foreign language then you can face some problems but with the help of useful courses and software programs you can improve it. It is seen that people who are good at reading have advantage and are more effective than poor readers.
About the Author
If you need any more tips, check out the Speed Reading Manual. It's written in much better English than mine, and contains much more useful tips as well! Download the Speed Reading Manual today: http://www.speedreadingisreal.com/ I highly recommend it.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
An Introduction to Speed Reading
The first of two articles on speed reading by Adam Harley
Speed reading isn't too difficult. Try a couple of these tips and techniques, and you can already increase your reading speed.
Speed reading is an enhanced form of reading. It uses many of the same methods and ideas, but enhances them to the point where speed reading is better than regular reading in nearly every way. Speed reading mainly has to do with better understanding language structure, and applying that knowledge when reading.
These are just a couple of tips that might help you increase your reading speed. This is by no means a speed reading manual or course, but it will help you get an idea of good techniques for increasing reading speed and comprehension.
In the same way writers write for different purposes, readers should always pay attention to what exactly they're reading and why. Some readers read mainly for pleasure and entertainment, while others read for learning and information. The main purpose before reading should always be to know what the writer wants to convey. Using this information, you can already improve your reading speed and comprehension.
Fast reading is very important for any adult. The faster you can read, the more you can read. It's as simple as that. It doesn't matter if you're one of the people that has to read large texts, articles, journals and books. Regardless of your primary use for reading, reading faster will be extremely beneficial.
First of all, you can improve your learning, memory and reading speed by paying attention to the things outside of the main body of the text. Read the titles and headings. Check for charts, diagrams and graphs. Try to get an overall understanding of the entire text before you even start reading it. You should always try to determine the theme and general sense of the text before reading it.
If you're reading about something you're unfamiliar with, try reading other things on the side, dealing with the same topic. Even if you have knowledge about the subject, you can enhance your understanding by reading a little more. Look up some articles on the internet, and check Wikipedia for some info. The more you know about the topic, the easier it will be to read about the topic.
When you're reading, make sure to make regular use of the dictionary. This is an extremely valuable and extremely easy way to enhance your vocabulary. After reading through a couple difficult texts, and looking up the words you don't know, you'll notice it'll become easier and easier to read "difficult" material.
About the Author
If you want a full and complete training on speed reading, check out the Speed Reading Manual here: http://www.speedreadingisreal.com It's only $12, and it's guaranteed to double your reading speed. Try it out today.
Speed reading isn't too difficult. Try a couple of these tips and techniques, and you can already increase your reading speed.
Speed reading is an enhanced form of reading. It uses many of the same methods and ideas, but enhances them to the point where speed reading is better than regular reading in nearly every way. Speed reading mainly has to do with better understanding language structure, and applying that knowledge when reading.
These are just a couple of tips that might help you increase your reading speed. This is by no means a speed reading manual or course, but it will help you get an idea of good techniques for increasing reading speed and comprehension.
In the same way writers write for different purposes, readers should always pay attention to what exactly they're reading and why. Some readers read mainly for pleasure and entertainment, while others read for learning and information. The main purpose before reading should always be to know what the writer wants to convey. Using this information, you can already improve your reading speed and comprehension.
Fast reading is very important for any adult. The faster you can read, the more you can read. It's as simple as that. It doesn't matter if you're one of the people that has to read large texts, articles, journals and books. Regardless of your primary use for reading, reading faster will be extremely beneficial.
First of all, you can improve your learning, memory and reading speed by paying attention to the things outside of the main body of the text. Read the titles and headings. Check for charts, diagrams and graphs. Try to get an overall understanding of the entire text before you even start reading it. You should always try to determine the theme and general sense of the text before reading it.
If you're reading about something you're unfamiliar with, try reading other things on the side, dealing with the same topic. Even if you have knowledge about the subject, you can enhance your understanding by reading a little more. Look up some articles on the internet, and check Wikipedia for some info. The more you know about the topic, the easier it will be to read about the topic.
When you're reading, make sure to make regular use of the dictionary. This is an extremely valuable and extremely easy way to enhance your vocabulary. After reading through a couple difficult texts, and looking up the words you don't know, you'll notice it'll become easier and easier to read "difficult" material.
About the Author
If you want a full and complete training on speed reading, check out the Speed Reading Manual here: http://www.speedreadingisreal.com It's only $12, and it's guaranteed to double your reading speed. Try it out today.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Reading - A Positive Attitude Adjuster
By Jaycee Fox
Life can be tough. Sometimes the daily pressures of everyday life are overwhelming. And when pressures are bombarding us from all sides, our attitudes are usually affected... UNLESS we have a bag of attitude-rescue tricks. Attitude-rescue tricks are personal and can range from a yoga class to visiting the elderly,and even to reading. I'll focus on one that I feel is the easiest to incorporate into our lives. Maybe we feel we don't have time to take a class or run three miles or serve others when we don't even have time to serve ourselves. But can't we each steal fifteen minutes -- when we're looming on a depressing precipice -- to pick up a positive book and infiltrate our minds with positive messages. This works for me -- amazingly -- and can lead me from the depths of despair to a renewed sense of hope. Our lives at times can be inundated with negative messages, from a verbal attack from someone with their own problems to being cut off on the highway. Most of the television programs are not exactly uplifting; they thrive by pulling us into the drama of revenge and betrayal. I'm not saying watching T.V. or a good revenge flick is bad, but rather sometimes with the harshness of life itself, we need a more counterbalanced approach. Reading can do that, if we choose wisely.
I have to admit, sometimes I'm reading five books at the same time. My husband is puzzled by me; he reads one at a time, very sequentially, but mine all depend on my mood. Do I need a change in attitude? Do I merely want to read a well-written story with an intriguing plot for the sake of good entertainment?
Besides all my personal philosophies of why reading is wonderful, it is a proven productive activity. Here are the benefits in a nutshell:
-Attitude Adjuster
-Increases your Knowledge
-Improves your Vocabulary, thus improving your conversational skills
-Enhances Creative Imagination
-Encourages Attentiveness
-Boredom is far less frequent when there's a love for reading
Time is precious. Let's choose our activities wisely. With a positive attitude, we can become more productive and reading can be a stepping stone in this process. If we start when our children are young -- encouraging a love of reading -- then they too may find that reading can be a tool to uplift their souls and redirect their thoughts to a more positive outlook on life.
About the Author
Jaycee writes on subjects with the goal of achieving a healthy and balanced life. She has a Bachelors in Psychology and a Masters Degree. If you're interested in the many resources in helping to achieve that balance, then check out Jaycee's website -- especially her recommended books -- at www.jayceeliving.com
Life can be tough. Sometimes the daily pressures of everyday life are overwhelming. And when pressures are bombarding us from all sides, our attitudes are usually affected... UNLESS we have a bag of attitude-rescue tricks. Attitude-rescue tricks are personal and can range from a yoga class to visiting the elderly,and even to reading. I'll focus on one that I feel is the easiest to incorporate into our lives. Maybe we feel we don't have time to take a class or run three miles or serve others when we don't even have time to serve ourselves. But can't we each steal fifteen minutes -- when we're looming on a depressing precipice -- to pick up a positive book and infiltrate our minds with positive messages. This works for me -- amazingly -- and can lead me from the depths of despair to a renewed sense of hope. Our lives at times can be inundated with negative messages, from a verbal attack from someone with their own problems to being cut off on the highway. Most of the television programs are not exactly uplifting; they thrive by pulling us into the drama of revenge and betrayal. I'm not saying watching T.V. or a good revenge flick is bad, but rather sometimes with the harshness of life itself, we need a more counterbalanced approach. Reading can do that, if we choose wisely.
I have to admit, sometimes I'm reading five books at the same time. My husband is puzzled by me; he reads one at a time, very sequentially, but mine all depend on my mood. Do I need a change in attitude? Do I merely want to read a well-written story with an intriguing plot for the sake of good entertainment?
Besides all my personal philosophies of why reading is wonderful, it is a proven productive activity. Here are the benefits in a nutshell:
-Attitude Adjuster
-Increases your Knowledge
-Improves your Vocabulary, thus improving your conversational skills
-Enhances Creative Imagination
-Encourages Attentiveness
-Boredom is far less frequent when there's a love for reading
Time is precious. Let's choose our activities wisely. With a positive attitude, we can become more productive and reading can be a stepping stone in this process. If we start when our children are young -- encouraging a love of reading -- then they too may find that reading can be a tool to uplift their souls and redirect their thoughts to a more positive outlook on life.
About the Author
Jaycee writes on subjects with the goal of achieving a healthy and balanced life. She has a Bachelors in Psychology and a Masters Degree. If you're interested in the many resources in helping to achieve that balance, then check out Jaycee's website -- especially her recommended books -- at www.jayceeliving.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
