This article focuses on the reading strategies of skimming, scanning and detailed reading, which learners mostly from elementary to pre-intermediate require for the effective comprehension of a reading text. It also analyses the issues in teaching sub-skills of reading and provides suggestions pertaining to those issues discussed.
Skimming
Skimming is done at high speed. It requires “quickly running one’s eyes over a text to get the gist of it” (Grellet, 1981: 4). A reader does not try to read for details. Skimming may involve trying to decipher the main idea of the text through textual clues such as headings, sub-headings and some lines from each paragraph to understand the gist of the text. Skimming to get a top-down view of the text is particularly useful for reading difficult texts (Nuttall, 2005).
Scanning
Reading for specific information, also known as scanning, happens at high speed. It requires “quickly going through a text to find a particular piece of information” (Grellet, 1981: 4). When scanning, the reader’s focus is on the key words, numbers or dates, etc., to locate the information quickly, whether it is the beginning, or middle or at the end. Nuttall defines scanning as glancing rapidly through a text “to search for a specific piece of information” (2005: 49).
Activities such as skimming and scanning prepare the reader for reading in detail. “As they read more fluently and get the gist of a text more easily, a deeper and more detailed understanding of the text can be worked toward” (Grellet, 1981: 6).
Detailed Reading
In contrast to skimming and scanning, reading in detail is a slow and careful process in which a reader stops to think, go back and re-read a text. This involves reading shorter texts to extract maximum details from it. For detailed reading of a text, the learner will need an understanding of:
Inferring: The ability to read between the lines or to get the meaning an author implies but does not state directly. All comprehension strategies involve inferring in the sense that comprehension requires readers to note text clues, to access prior knowledge associated with those clues and infer what is meant. A reader’s understanding of meaning involves the understanding of conceptual, propositional, contextual and pragmatic meanings within the text (Nuttall 2005: 21-22).
Cohesion: It involves identifying referencing words and cohesive features, such as pronoun reference, and lexical cohesion to understand the text. In addition to cohesive devices, the learner should be aware of the use of discourse markers, such as thus, and, however, although, which “help to point out the intended value of the sentence in which they occur” (Nuttall, 2005: 26).
Sequencing of sentences: It involves how the sentences and paragraphs are organized in a text. Nuttall (2005: 28) points out that paragraphs follow a pattern, which can be found in a variety of text types.
Issues in Understanding the Reading Text
One of the issues with reading, be it skimming, scanning or detailed reading, is that the learners sometimes find textbooks uninteresting. Many learners often complain that the topics are boring and they do not feel motivated to read. Learners do not understand the concept of skimming or scanning and tend to read each text in detail. They tend to read word by word. Learners often find it difficult to read the text when they come across unknown lexis. They are unable to guess the meaning from the context and therefore do not skip the sentence and move forward. Learners are unable to infer the overall meaning of the text, which sometimes leads to apprehension when faced with a new text.
Suggestions for Teaching
Use of Authentic texts for reading: As Wallace says, a reading text should “offer high-interest content” (1992: 75) that is, it should evoke learners’ prior knowledge, interest or curiosity. “Authentic texts can be motivating because they are proof that the language is used for real-life purposes by real people” (Nuttall 1996: 172).
Reading speed: For improving the reading speed in general, using a cardboard mask above the first line and moving it down as one reads helps to focus the eyes on the line and discourages regressive eye-movement (Nuttall 2005).
Cohesion: A short text could be given to identify cohesion within the text to raise their awareness of referencing or how sentences are connected in the text.
Sentence Sequencing: Learners at Pre-intermediate level could be asked to read the text and identify the organisation of the text by arranging the events in the right sequence.
Reciprocal Teaching: One can practice reciprocal teaching in class to break the monotony of a reading class, especially when the learners are asked to read the text in detail. In reciprocal teaching, a student in each group is assigned the role of a teacher and he/she demonstrates to the group how the reading strategies could be effectively applied and provides feedback to the learners. Such a practice motivates the class as they respond with greater interest when tutored by their peers.
Works Cited
- Duffy, G. (2009) Explaining Reading: A resource for Teaching Concepts, Skills and Strategies. 2nd ed. The Guildford Press.
- Grellet, F. (1981) Developing Reading Skills. CUP.
- Hedge (2000) Teaching and Learning in the Language Classroom. OUP.
- Nation, I.P.S (2009) Teaching ESL/EFL Reading and Writing. Routledge.
- Nuttall, C (1996) Teaching Reading Skills in a Foreign Language. Oxford, Heinemann.
- Richards, J.C & Renandya, W.A (2011) Methodology in Language Teaching. (15th impression). Cambridge University Press.
- Wallace, C (1992) Reading. Oxford University Press.