TTP Mohamed Salah ABIDI ELT Senior Inspector
TEACHING READING AND WRITING SKILLS
1st Part
READING
Reading Main purposes for reading Activity 1: Awareness raising through Brainstorming a. Each participant states two reasons why they engage in an activity of reading. b. Group discussion and trainer guides to develop a list of puropses for reading.
Reasons Why people read: Reading is a purposeful activity • gain information; • verify existing knowledge; • critique a writer’s ideas or writing style; • enjoyment; • enhance knowledge of the language being taught.
Documents people read:
What do people read?
Documents people read train schedules Welfare/safety rules Lectures Maps brochures Application forms Novels/plays/poems
menus
receipts adverts
comic strips letters
What do we read journals
road maps bills
timetables
newspapers telephone directories
instruction manuals for household items recepes Travel and tourism websites
How do people read? Reading ‘the lines’ the literal meaning of text. Reading ‘between the lines’ inferred meanings of text. Reading ‘beyond the lines’ the reader’s critical evaluations of text.
Who is the proficient reader? • integrates information in the text with existing knowledge; • reads for a purpose; • varies reading speed and style according to purpose; • reads selectively + extensively + intensively; • switches between 2 processes:
Top-down Bottom-up
. predicts , scans and skims through the text
Reading problems of our students as novice readers Little anticipation Read word by word Got stuck with a difficult word and give up reading Skip difficult words and read on despite loss of meaning Seldom re-read and self-correct
STEPS IN TEACHING READING Pre-reading • Arousing the students’ interest. • Making them want to read. • Expliciting links between prior knowledge and important information in the text. • Drawing out information students already have + injecting additional information deemed necessary to the understanding of the text.
Before Reading • Set a purpose for reading • Preview the text to: —Activate and build students’ background knowledge —Introduce vocabulary —Help students make predictions
While-reading First reading: encouraging top-down,global comprehension. • Skimming. • Checking pre-reading guesses. • Thinking about the guiding (pre-set or signpost) question(s) while reading. • Unscrambling split text(s) (jigsaw reading). • Putting ideas / paragraphs in the correct order. • Table completion. • Matching: pictures with quotations / comments titles with text extracts.
While-reading Re-reading: encouraging bottom-up, closer reading & interpretation. • Scanning. • More detailed questions: T/F; yes/no; M/C; open ended questions,… • Eliciting language: vocab + grammar [TALO ]. • Using visual structure / graphic representation to organize information.
Post-reading • Using the text as a stimulus for another productive task [ TASP ] usually a speaking or a writing task.
Bloom’s taxonomy
Bloom’s taxonomy & Reading 1 1- Knowledge: Knowledge is a basic recall of ideas; it often requires a student to relay the basic who, what, when, where, and why of any given situation. Common verbs associated with revealing a student's knowledge are tell, describe, list, state, name, recall, underline, record, label, match, memorize, define, arrange‌
2- Comprehension:
• Students go past simply recalling facts and instead understand the information. They explain, interpret, discuss, predict, or compare ideas. Verbs used : show, summarize, explain, translate,compare, describe, demonstrate, review, cite, restate, locate, interpret, outline, discuss, distinguish, predict, restate,
3-Application: • This is the use of information, methods, concepts, and theories in new situations. Use words such as these : apply, demonstrate, illustrate, solve, modify, change, select, model, organize, use, illustrate, utilize, choose, imitate, show, construct, complete, examine, classify...
4- Analysis: • Breaking material down to increase understanding. It includes seeing patterns, identifying components, and recognizing hidden meanings. Use words such as these : analyze, separate, order, divide classify, map explain, compare, contrast, characterize, break down, choose, examine‌
5- Synthesis: • This is the creative level - using old ideas to create new ones - and consists of generalizing from given facts, relating knowledge from several areas, and drawing conclusions. Use words such as these : combine, integrate, substitute, create, invent, compose, construct, speculate, design, develop, blend, propose, formulate‌
6- Evaluation: • At this top level of reasoning, students should be able to evaluate, assess, criticize, measure, judge, select, choose, justify, debate, verify, argue, recommend, or rate their subject matter as well as their own understanding of it. • Other verbs: convince, argue, persuade.
WORKSHOP 1- Groups of 4/5 teachers read texts selected by the trainer from textbooks and prepare a lesson plan based on Bloom’s taxonomy (35mns) 2- Presentations and feedback (60mns)
2nd Part
WRITING
Approaches to teach Writing • The product approach is a traditional approach to teaching writing in which students typically are provided a model and encouraged to mimic it in order to produce a similar product. • The process approach focuses more on the process of getting to the product, by using techniques such as brainstorming, exploring ideas, peer editing, and rewriting.
Process Vs Product Approaches to Writing • Process – Model text as resource for comparison – Emphasis on ideas and idea development – Multiple drafts – Emphasis on process – Various audiences according to type of writing – Peer feedback as valuable tool – Importance of conferencing and interactive feedback • Product – Model text to be imitated – Emphasis on organization of ideas – One draft – Emphasis on end product – Teacher as audience – Teacher as authority – Importance of teacher-corrected papers
The process approach Key factors * Generate ideas * Think of purpose and audience * Write multiple drafts * Format
Major Considerations / Writing Process 1. Consider a purpose (what is my purpose?) - express personal feelings, viewpoints‌etc - narrate - describe - inform and explain - request - inquire or question‌etc
Major Considerations / Writing Process 2. Consider audience (who is my intended audience?) - familiar, known audiences - extended, known audiences - extended, unknown audiences
Major Considerations / Writing Process 3. Consider format - narrative - descriptive - expository - advertisement - letters - interview - poem - report - card‌etc
Steps in the Writing Process • The basic process scheme is prewriting drafting revising. –
Prewriting includes activities such as brainstorming ideas, finding and recalling knowledge, discussing the writing project, and mapping out ideas.
The process writing 2 • The basic process scheme is prewriting drafting revising. –
Drafting includes activities such as organizing ideas, describing and explaining, and writing.
The process writing 3 • The basic process scheme is prewriting drafting
revising. –
Revising includes activities such as rearranging, adding, and deleting content; seeking audience feedback; and editing and proofreading.
The End