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Abstract:This article intends to shed some light on effective use of three reading strategies: skimming, scanning and studying for non-English-speaking middle school students. The article also presents some advice for the teacher’s consideration when designing and preparing reading materials.
Key words:skimming scanning studying reading comprehension
I. Introduction
Reading is the basic communication skill needed to receive information, as receiving information is basic to any learning activity. According to Biarritz(1985): Reading refers to "perceiving a written text in order to understand its contents", and reading comprehension refers to "intentional thinking during which meaning is constructed through text and reader"(Harris et al.1995). Reading comprehension has come to be the "essence of reading". Successful reading not only refers to the quantity of reading, but increase reading speed.
Ⅱ. Descriptions of 3S
A. Definitions of 3S
Three reading skills recognized as essential by most language instructors are: scanning, skimming, and studying. Skimming and scanning "is to utilize text in as pragmatic a way as possible with a minimum of time and effort" (Cheek and Collins, 1985). Specifically speaking:
Skimming is drawing out the main ideas by reading important portions of the text and leaving the rest, just as we normally read a newspaper.
Scanning is looking at the material to search for key words or ideas, just as we find the meaning of a word in the dictionary.
Studying refers to careful reading aiming at discovering exactly what the author seeks to convey; readers need to understand linguistic and semantic detail and pay close attention to the text.
B. Requirements of 3S
Skimming requires the student to read quickly and look for main ideas or supporting details in a paragraph and to take in large chunks of text at one time. The student is concerned with getting an idea of the whole passage. Comprehension does not depend on reading every word. Teach students to read the first and last paragraph of sections for summaries of the content and the first and last sentences of paragraphs to gain an impression of the topic.
Scanning requires the student to move his or her eyes quickly over a piece of reading material looking for one specific point. It is employed for pinpointing needed facts or ideas from the text or the index. It involves skipping words, but the emphasis is on recognition, the reader knows what to look for and rapidly scans until words are found and closer reading can occur.
Scouring requires the students to read through a text very carefully, almost every word, because it is important to understand everything. Studying is better utilized if preceded by skim reading. In studying, the emphasis is on details that support the main points picked out at the skimming level.
Ⅲ. Effective use of 3S
To become an efficient reader, the student needs to master the three basic strategies of reading mentioned above. They can be applied to different kinds of texts. For the same piece of text, the three strategies can be used at the same time for different purposes.
A.Effective use of skimming
1. Read the title. This focuses your attention on the topic.
2. Read the introduction. This may be the first paragraph or two. It usually describes, in general, what the entire selection will be about.
3. Read the first sentence in each paragraph. Often as many as 80% of the paragraphs start with a summary or topic sentence, the rest of the sentences in the paragraph simply elaborate. You may skip the elaboration unless it is obviously necessary - such as the definition of a very important term. When you skim, you really are only looking for general ideas, not for all the details.
4. Read the conclusion. This may be the last paragraph or two. It usually summarizes the article, specifies an opinion, or makes some recommendations based on the general content.
B.Effective use of scanning
Scanning helps you establish where in a book the information is located. The point of scanning a text is to find information quickly and efficiently. Avoid the temptation to read large amounts of material.
1. Flip through the pages to see how the information is organized and then turn to the section most likely to contain the specified details.
2. Keep a visual image of the key word in mind. Run your eyes over the material in a search for that keyword visual image.
3. Don’t be tempted to stop and browse. You can do that some other time.
4. Once you find the key word, stop and read a couple of lines to confirm the accuracy of the details.
C.Effective use of studying
When you’ve used the techniques of skimming and scanning to narrow down the reading field then you can settle into intensive reading of those important parts, pages or chapters. Remember to organize what you need into manageable segments with their own time frames.
1. Start at the beginning. Read the selected text in detail and underline any vocabulary you don’t know but don’t let it stop the flow of the reading.
2. If the text is relatively easy to understand you can underline, highlight or make brief notes on this reading.
3. If it’s quite a difficult text, don’t take notes yet. Read the whole text through once and take notes on the second reading.
4. Be alert to the main ideas. Each paragraph should have a main idea, usually contained in the first sentence. When you’ve finished, go back to that new vocabulary.
D. Factors taken into account while reading
1. The purpose of reading
Efficient reading depends first of all on having a purpose for reading. The purpose will usually determine the appropriate type of reading and the relevant reading skills to be used. Therefore, knowing why you are reading will greatly increase your chances of understanding the material. The student will be able to choose the reading strategy which is most appropriate to the purpose.
2. The cognitive level(s) of comprehension
The teachers or the students’ preparing/choosing reading materials is deciding on the different levels of comprehension to aim at. Unfortunately, this aspect is much neglected not only in teaching English but in other disciplines. The following aspects usually determine these levels of comprehension: a) the kinds of questions asked; b) the type of information these questions elicit; c) the type of thought processes they stimulate. When designing a reading course, it is extremely important to strike a balance between content and language as well as the language functions and cognitive levels.
3. Type of text and level of difficulty
The criteria of selecting topics should be the students’ interest and needs. It is important to indicate that vocabulary, which constitutes a sizeable and important part of any reading course, also plays an important role in selecting the topics.
Ⅳ. Cultivation of 3S
It takes practice to learn to read efficiently; hence, exposure to a greater quantity of materials is necessary. Here are some approaches to the cultivation of 3S:
A. Guiding the Reading Process.
It is a valuable source for the teacher. Each stage of the reading process provides assessment opportunities. In the pre-reading phase, teachers can use information to determine students’ depth of background and any assistance they may need for reading. During reading, it is important to monitor students’ reading rates and ensure students understand that their reading rate should be determined by purpose for reading, prior knowledge and nature of the material.
B. Timed Reading and enlargements of vocabulary
Time your reading- Look for the main ideas of an article for a limited time. Don’t bother about the details. This is a method to enhance your speed of reading. Keep a log of the amount of time it takes. Enlargement of their vocabulary through reading is an important reading skill’. Hence, students will read a variety of articles to broaden their vocabulary.
C. Discussion
Discussion is an integral part of assessing students’ reading. Speech is the exposed edge of the thinking process. By listening to students talking about text, teachers can understand where students are in their level of response. Teachers can judge on what level of abstraction students are operating. In addition, reading is placed in a social context. Discussion reduces the isolation sometimes felt by students when they are left alone to interact with text.
Ⅴ. Conclusion
Reading is a foundation for learning. The teacher should make sure that the students understand the importance to develop reading strategies for their promotion in reading comprehension. Reading is an interactive-constructive process in which readers comprehend, which should be improved by increasing the students’ interest and motivation. The ultimate purpose of teaching reading is to make the student an independent reader.
References:
［1］Harmer, Jeremy. How to Teach English [M]. Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, 2000.
［2］ Block, E. The Comprehension Strategies of Second Language Readers[J]. TESOL Quarterly. 1986.
［3］郭杰克．学会快速阅读，提高英语阅读能力[J].Foreign Language World No.2. 2002.
（作者单位：浙江绍兴越秀外国语职业学院）
Key words:skimming scanning studying reading comprehension
I. Introduction
Reading is the basic communication skill needed to receive information, as receiving information is basic to any learning activity. According to Biarritz(1985): Reading refers to "perceiving a written text in order to understand its contents", and reading comprehension refers to "intentional thinking during which meaning is constructed through text and reader"(Harris et al.1995). Reading comprehension has come to be the "essence of reading". Successful reading not only refers to the quantity of reading, but increase reading speed.
Ⅱ. Descriptions of 3S
A. Definitions of 3S
Three reading skills recognized as essential by most language instructors are: scanning, skimming, and studying. Skimming and scanning "is to utilize text in as pragmatic a way as possible with a minimum of time and effort" (Cheek and Collins, 1985). Specifically speaking:
Skimming is drawing out the main ideas by reading important portions of the text and leaving the rest, just as we normally read a newspaper.
Scanning is looking at the material to search for key words or ideas, just as we find the meaning of a word in the dictionary.
Studying refers to careful reading aiming at discovering exactly what the author seeks to convey; readers need to understand linguistic and semantic detail and pay close attention to the text.
B. Requirements of 3S
Skimming requires the student to read quickly and look for main ideas or supporting details in a paragraph and to take in large chunks of text at one time. The student is concerned with getting an idea of the whole passage. Comprehension does not depend on reading every word. Teach students to read the first and last paragraph of sections for summaries of the content and the first and last sentences of paragraphs to gain an impression of the topic.
Scanning requires the student to move his or her eyes quickly over a piece of reading material looking for one specific point. It is employed for pinpointing needed facts or ideas from the text or the index. It involves skipping words, but the emphasis is on recognition, the reader knows what to look for and rapidly scans until words are found and closer reading can occur.
Scouring requires the students to read through a text very carefully, almost every word, because it is important to understand everything. Studying is better utilized if preceded by skim reading. In studying, the emphasis is on details that support the main points picked out at the skimming level.
Ⅲ. Effective use of 3S
To become an efficient reader, the student needs to master the three basic strategies of reading mentioned above. They can be applied to different kinds of texts. For the same piece of text, the three strategies can be used at the same time for different purposes.
A.Effective use of skimming
1. Read the title. This focuses your attention on the topic.
2. Read the introduction. This may be the first paragraph or two. It usually describes, in general, what the entire selection will be about.
3. Read the first sentence in each paragraph. Often as many as 80% of the paragraphs start with a summary or topic sentence, the rest of the sentences in the paragraph simply elaborate. You may skip the elaboration unless it is obviously necessary - such as the definition of a very important term. When you skim, you really are only looking for general ideas, not for all the details.
4. Read the conclusion. This may be the last paragraph or two. It usually summarizes the article, specifies an opinion, or makes some recommendations based on the general content.
B.Effective use of scanning
Scanning helps you establish where in a book the information is located. The point of scanning a text is to find information quickly and efficiently. Avoid the temptation to read large amounts of material.
1. Flip through the pages to see how the information is organized and then turn to the section most likely to contain the specified details.
2. Keep a visual image of the key word in mind. Run your eyes over the material in a search for that keyword visual image.
3. Don’t be tempted to stop and browse. You can do that some other time.
4. Once you find the key word, stop and read a couple of lines to confirm the accuracy of the details.
C.Effective use of studying
When you’ve used the techniques of skimming and scanning to narrow down the reading field then you can settle into intensive reading of those important parts, pages or chapters. Remember to organize what you need into manageable segments with their own time frames.
1. Start at the beginning. Read the selected text in detail and underline any vocabulary you don’t know but don’t let it stop the flow of the reading.
2. If the text is relatively easy to understand you can underline, highlight or make brief notes on this reading.
3. If it’s quite a difficult text, don’t take notes yet. Read the whole text through once and take notes on the second reading.
4. Be alert to the main ideas. Each paragraph should have a main idea, usually contained in the first sentence. When you’ve finished, go back to that new vocabulary.
D. Factors taken into account while reading
1. The purpose of reading
Efficient reading depends first of all on having a purpose for reading. The purpose will usually determine the appropriate type of reading and the relevant reading skills to be used. Therefore, knowing why you are reading will greatly increase your chances of understanding the material. The student will be able to choose the reading strategy which is most appropriate to the purpose.
2. The cognitive level(s) of comprehension
The teachers or the students’ preparing/choosing reading materials is deciding on the different levels of comprehension to aim at. Unfortunately, this aspect is much neglected not only in teaching English but in other disciplines. The following aspects usually determine these levels of comprehension: a) the kinds of questions asked; b) the type of information these questions elicit; c) the type of thought processes they stimulate. When designing a reading course, it is extremely important to strike a balance between content and language as well as the language functions and cognitive levels.
3. Type of text and level of difficulty
The criteria of selecting topics should be the students’ interest and needs. It is important to indicate that vocabulary, which constitutes a sizeable and important part of any reading course, also plays an important role in selecting the topics.
Ⅳ. Cultivation of 3S
It takes practice to learn to read efficiently; hence, exposure to a greater quantity of materials is necessary. Here are some approaches to the cultivation of 3S:
A. Guiding the Reading Process.
It is a valuable source for the teacher. Each stage of the reading process provides assessment opportunities. In the pre-reading phase, teachers can use information to determine students’ depth of background and any assistance they may need for reading. During reading, it is important to monitor students’ reading rates and ensure students understand that their reading rate should be determined by purpose for reading, prior knowledge and nature of the material.
B. Timed Reading and enlargements of vocabulary
Time your reading- Look for the main ideas of an article for a limited time. Don’t bother about the details. This is a method to enhance your speed of reading. Keep a log of the amount of time it takes. Enlargement of their vocabulary through reading is an important reading skill’. Hence, students will read a variety of articles to broaden their vocabulary.
C. Discussion
Discussion is an integral part of assessing students’ reading. Speech is the exposed edge of the thinking process. By listening to students talking about text, teachers can understand where students are in their level of response. Teachers can judge on what level of abstraction students are operating. In addition, reading is placed in a social context. Discussion reduces the isolation sometimes felt by students when they are left alone to interact with text.
Ⅴ. Conclusion
Reading is a foundation for learning. The teacher should make sure that the students understand the importance to develop reading strategies for their promotion in reading comprehension. Reading is an interactive-constructive process in which readers comprehend, which should be improved by increasing the students’ interest and motivation. The ultimate purpose of teaching reading is to make the student an independent reader.
References:
［1］Harmer, Jeremy. How to Teach English [M]. Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, 2000.
［2］ Block, E. The Comprehension Strategies of Second Language Readers[J]. TESOL Quarterly. 1986.
［3］郭杰克．学会快速阅读，提高英语阅读能力[J].Foreign Language World No.2. 2002.
（作者单位：浙江绍兴越秀外国语职业学院）