How to Be Effective Readers I. Introduction of reading and how to be effective r

How to Be Effective Readers
    Good morning, in today’s lecture, we shall discuss how to be effective readers. I’d like to spend some time discussing with you the following topics; What is reading? How can we read effectively? And what are the types and skills of reading?
    First of all, I’d say, (1) reading is a method of absorbing written information. It mainly contains two aspects: the degree of comprehension and the reading speed. (2) Our reading ability is closely related to our vocabulary, cultural background knowledge and reading techniques. However, we vary widely in every significant aspect—intelligence, language skills, interest, etc. So we are supposed to recognize our individual differences and work hard to be effective readers. In my opinion, there are many things that we could do. Firstly, we should develop a love of reading by making reading a regular and enjoyable activity. If so, we will be keen on reading and keep reading everyday. In this way, we will get different information from reading. Secondly, we should have a clear purpose in reading. (3) And we should know why we need to improve our reading speed and use different strategies for different reading tasks. Thirdly, developing good reading habits is quite important. We should concentrate on the important parts, skim the rest, and skip the insignificant parts. Sometimes we should read silently rather than read aloud.
    The second point I’d like to make is about the types of reading. Many books, papers and dissertations have been written about various types of reading, as well as methods of teaching reading. We will not go into details but will briefly revise basic types of reading. In academic environment, there are two basic types of reading: intensive and extensive. Let us briefly look at them separately. What is intensive reading? (4) Intensive reading is reading carefully for an exact understanding of text. In practical life, acquired intensive reading skills are used for comprehension of contracts, business letters, memorandums, application forms and legal documents. Intensive reading equips us with basic reading strategies to enable us to achieve fluency and competence in the areas of vocabulary recognition and to develop critical thinking skills. The objectives of intensive reading courses are usually achieved through the following activities, such as, distinguishing a variety of text types and genres, guessing and predicting the content of a text, interacting with a variety of texts for different purposes, and so on.
    Then what is extensive reading? (5) Extensive reading is reading a lot for pleasure at a fairly easy level with emphasis on general understanding so that whatever is read is comprehended without the use of a dictionary. Extensive reading increases language proficiency, especially reading level and speed. (6) Extensive reading encourages us to take charge of our own reading development and produce independent readers who value reading as a life-long pursuit. Also it develops the habit of reading not just for information or to perform certain tasks but for pleasure. The objectives of extensive reading are usually achieved through establishing personally relevant reading goals, comparing a variety of question types and narrations, maintaining a record with details of reading accomplished each week, and so on.
    To be specific, while reading intensively or extensively, we should notice a balance—a balance to be struck between real reading materials on the one hand and our levels and interests on the other. There is some authentic written material which beginners can understand to some degree; menus, timetables, signs and basic instructions. But for intermediate or advanced readers, many original and abridged books and books via the Internet can be offered. Anyway, the materials to be read should be interesting and meaningful.
    Thirdly, I’d like to say, generally speaking, reading programs for different levels of readers have different focuses and emphasize specific reading skills. (7) Programs for beginners generally focus on developing a basic reading vocabulary, decoding skills, and reading for meaning. (8) Programs for intermediate or advanced readers are shifted to expanding vocabulary, refilling comprehension skills, and mastering skills. In order to make reading more efficient, it is necessary for us to know some reading strategic skills. Skimming and scanning are two specific reading strategic skills for quick and efficient reading. (9) The purpose of skimming is to find the main idea of the passage. Readers often do skimming when they have lots of material to read in a limited amount of time. When skimming, readers only try to locate specific information and they often do not even follow the development of the story. Scanning is another technique readers often use when looking up a word in a telephone book or dictionary to (10) search for key words or ideas. Scanning involves moving your eyes quickly down the page to seek specific words and phrases.
    Based on this, I will introduce to you three strategies which may help you to conduct effective reading. First, make sure the books are specific to your age and reading levels. Second, find some background information which relates to the book before reading. Third, leave plenty of time for reflection and let yourself be free to develop imagination at the end of the reading.
    OK, today we had a brief look at the ways of how to be effective readers, and the types and skills of reading as well. Undoubtedly, reading is always beneficial. I hope you’ll enjoy reading and keep reading after today’s lecture. Thank you for your attention.