Teaching Of Reading

Presented as partial fulfillment Practices on TEFL (FENG441)

Taught by : Yasir Fahmi Mubaraq, M. Pd

by group 1:

Name NPM Prodi

Adelia Azizah 3062112010 PBI

M. Reza Fahlivi 3062112002 PBI

Nudia Amalia 3062112004 PBI

ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION PROGRAM

STKIP PGRI BANJARMASIN

2023
 CHAPTER I

BACKGROUND

The book "Teaching by Principles: An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy" written by

Douglas Brown provides background on teaching reading (reading) in the context of language
learning.

According to Brown, reading is a complex skill and involves complex processes, such as
understanding the meaning of words, phrases, sentences and texts as a whole. Therefore, teachers
must pay attention to various factors that influence the effectiveness of teaching reading, such as
students' language skills, their cultural background, and their knowledge of the topics discussed
in the text.

Brown also emphasized that effective teaching of reading must be based on an interactive
approach, namely an approach that involves students actively in the learning process and
provides opportunities for them to talk and discuss the text they read. Teachers should also select
texts that are appropriate to students' language level and adapt teaching methods to meet their
individual needs.

In addition, Brown also highlighted the importance of teaching reading strategies, namely
techniques that help students understand and process text more effectively. Some strategies that
can be taught by teachers include pre-reading, during-reading, and post-reading.

Overall, Douglas Brown's "Teaching by Principles" provides a broad and detailed view of
teaching reading in the context of language learning. In his book, Brown emphasizes the
importance of interactive approaches and teaching reading strategies to help students develop
effective reading skills and understand the text as a whole.

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 CHAPTER II

CONTENT

A. Definition Teaching Reading

“Reading is a process of constructing meaning from written texts. It is a complex skill

requiring the coordination of interrelated souress of information” (Stanley, S. (2007). An
Analysis of Rx for Discovery Reading RTM for Elementary Students Below Average
in Reading. The United States of America: Pro Quest Information and Learning Company.[1]

B. Reason for Reading

1. In the first place, many students want to be able to read texts in English either for their
careers, for study purposes or simply for pleasure. Anything we can do to make it easier for
them to do these things must be a good idea.

2. Reading is useful for language acquisition. Provided that students more or less understand
what they read, the more they read, the better they get at it. Reading also has a positive
effect on students’ vocabulary knowledge, on their spelling and on their writing. Reading
texts also provide good models for English writing. At different times we can encourage
students to focus on vocabulary, grammar or punctuation. We can also use reading material
to demonstrate the way we construct sentences, paragraphs and whole texts.

3. Lastly, good reading texts can introduce interesting topics, stimulate discussion, excite
imaginative responses and provide the springboard for well-rounded, fascinating lessons.

C. Types of Written Language

In our highly literate society, there are literally hundreds of different types of written
texts, a much larger variety than found in spoken texts. Each of the types listed below
represents, or is an example of, a genre of written language. Each has certain rules or
conventions for its manifestation, and we are thus able immediately to identify a genre and to
know what to look for within the text. Consider the fol- lowing non-exhaustive list:

▪ Non-fiction : reports, ediorials, essays and articles, reference (dictionaries,

encyclopedias)
▪ Fiction : novels, short stories, jokes, drama, poetry
▪ Letters : personal, business
▪ Greeting cards
▪ Diaries, journas

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 ▪ Memos (e.g., interoffice memos)
▪ Messages (e.g., phone messages)
▪ Announcements
▪ Newspaper “journalese”
▪ Academic writing : short answer test responses, reports, essays and papers, theses and
books
▪ Form, applications
▪ Quetionnaires
▪ Directions
▪ Labels
▪ Signs
▪ Recipes
▪ Bills (and other financial statements)
▪ Maps
▪ Manuals
▪ Menus
▪ Schedules (e.g., transportation information)
▪ Advertisements : commercial, personal (“want ads”)
▪ Invitations
▪ Directories (e.g., telephone, yellow pages)
▪ Comic strips, cartoons
And I'm sure you could name a few more! It is interesting that every literate adult knows the
distinctive features of each of these genres. You can immediately distinguish a menu from a
map, an interoffice memo from a telephone message, and a bill from an invitation-well, okay,
some bills are invitations to pay! When you encounter one of the above, you usually know what
your purpose is in reading it, and therefore you know what to select and what not to select for
short- and long-term memory-in other words, you bring various schemata to bear on the message
that you have chosen to retain. What would happen if you didn't know some of these dif-
ferences? That is what your students may encounter when they read English, so part of your job
as a teacher is to enlighten your students on features of these genres and to help them to develop
strategies for extracting necessary meaning from each.
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 D. Characteristics Of Written Language

1. Permanence

Spoken language is fleeting. Once you speak a sentence, it vanishes (unless there is a tape
recorder around). The hearer, therefore, is called upon to make immediate perceptions and
immediate storage. Written language is permanent (or as permanent as paper and computer disk
are!), and therefore the reader has an opportunity to return again and again, if necessary, to a
word or phrase or sentence, or even a whoe text.

2. Processing time

A corollary to the above is the proscessing time that the reader gains. Most reading contexts
allow readers to read at their own rate. A good deal of emphasis is placed on reading speed in our
fast-paced, time-conscious society, which is good news and bad news.

3. Distance

The written word allows messages to be sent across two dimensions:physical distance and
temporal distance. The pedagogical significance of this centers on interpretation. The task of the
reader is to interpret language that was written in some other place at some other time with only
the written words themselves as contextual clues.

4. Orthography

English orthography itself, in spite of its reputation for being “irregular”, is highly
predictable from is spoken counterpart, especially when one considers morphological
information as well. For literate learners of English, our spelling system presents only minor
difficulties, even for those whose native languages have quite different system. Actually, most of
the irregularity in English manifests itself in high-frequency words (of,to,have,do,done,was,etc.)
and once those words are in place, the rest of the system can usually be mastered without special
instruction.

5. Complexity

Writing and speech represent different modes of complexity, and the most salient difference
is in the nature of clauses. The shorter clauses are often a factor of the redundancy we build into
speech (repeating subjects and verbs for clarity).Look at the following pair:

a. Because of the frequent ambiguity that therefore is present in a good deal of writing,
readers must do their best to infer, to interpret, and to “readbetween the lines”.

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 b. There’s frequent ambiguity in a lot of writing. And so, readers have to infer a lot. They
also have to interpret what they read. And sometimes they have to “read between te
lines”.

6. Vocabulary

It is true that written English typically utilizes a greater variety of lexical items than spoken
conversational English. In our everyday give and take with family, friends, and colleagues,
vocabulary is limited. Because writing allows the writer more processing time, because of a
desire to be precise in writing, and simply because of the formal conventions of writing (see #7
helow), lower-frequency words often appear. Such words can present stumbling blocks to
learners. However, because the meaning of a good many unknown words can be predicted from
their context, and because sometimes the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph is
nevertheless still clear, learners should refrain from the frequent use of a bilingual dictionary.

7. Formality

Writing is quite frequently more formal than speech. What do we mean by that? Formality
refers to prescribed forms that certain written messages must adhere to. The reason that you can
both recognize a menu and decide what to eat fairly quickly is that menus conform to certain
conventions. Things are categorized (appetizers, salads, entrees, desserts, etc.) in logical order
and subcategorized (all seafood dishes are listed together); exotic or creative names for dishes
are usually defined; prices are.

E. Strategies for Reading Comprehension

Douglas Brown, in his book "Strategies for Reading Comprehension," outlines several
strategies that can help readers better understand and comprehend what they are reading. Here
are some of the key strategies:

1. Previewing:

This involves quickly scanning the text to get a sense of what it's about. Look at the headings,
subheadings, and any pictures or diagrams. This will give you a framework to build on as you
read.

2. Questioning:

As you read, ask yourself questions about what you're reading. This will help you stay focused
and engaged with the text. You can ask yourself questions like: What is the main idea? What is
the author trying to say? What evidence does the author provide to support their argument?

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3. Visualizing:

Try to create mental images of what you're reading. This can help you remember the information
better and make connections between different parts of the text.

4. Predicting:

Use what you've already read to make predictions about what will come next. This can help you
stay engaged and curious about what you're reading.

5. Summarizing:

After you've read a section of the text, try to summarize what you've read in your own words.
This will help you solidify your understanding of the material and remember it better.

6. Monitoring comprehension:

As you read, periodically check in with yourself to make sure you're understanding what you're
reading. If you're not, go back and reread the section or try using one of the other strategies.

By using these strategies, readers can improve their comprehension and get more out of what
they read.

F. Types of Classroom Reading Comprehension

Here are some of the key themes and strategies related to reading comprehension that can be
found in Douglas Brown's work:

1. The importance of extensive reading:

Brown emphasizes the value of extensive reading, which involves reading large
quantities of material for pleasure and general understanding rather than analyzing every
word and structure. He argues that this approach can build reading speed, vocabulary
knowledge, and overall comprehension.

2. The role of schemata:

Brown suggests that learners' prior knowledge and experience play a crucial role
in understanding what they read. He emphasizes the need for teachers to activate
students' schemata (mental frameworks for organizing knowledge) by previewing texts,
providing background information, and helping students make connections between their
own experiences and the text.

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3. The use of strategies:

Brown advocates teaching students specific reading strategies, such as skimming,

scanning, predicting, and inferring, to help them comprehend texts more effectively. He
also encourages teachers to model these strategies and provide guided practice
opportunities.

4. The importance of feedback:

Brown stresses the need for teachers to provide timely and constructive feedback
to students on their reading comprehension skills. This can include helping students
identify areas where they struggle, giving them opportunities to practice and apply
strategies, and providing individualized support as needed.
Overall, Brown's work emphasizes the value of promoting reading as a
pleasurable and meaningful activity for language learners, rather than simply as a set of
skills to be mastered. He suggests that teachers can support students' comprehension by
activating their schemata, teaching specific strategies, and providing timely feedback and
support.

G. Principles for Designing Interactive Reading techniques

1. In an interactive curriculum.

Make sure that you don't overlook the importance of specific instruction in
reading skills. ESL students who are literate in their own language sometimes are left to
their own devices when it comes to learning reading skills. We often assume that they
will learn good reading simply by absorption through generous offerings of exten- sive
reading opportunities. In reality, there is much to be gained by your focusing on reading
skills. This chapter has provided some guidelines on how to direct that focus. On the
other hand, it should be clear from previous comments in this chapter that it is important
to make sure that your students have ample time for extensive reading. Sustained silent
reading allows them to develop a sense of flu- ency. Also, silent reading then becomes an
excellent method for self-instruction on the part of the learner.

2. Use techniques that are intrinsically motivating. What do you think makes for interesting
and relevant reading for your students?

Of the long list of texts at the beginning of this chapter, how many will your stu-
dents encounter in "real life"? Use those texts. What are your students' goals in learning
to read English? Focus on those goals. Choose material that is relevant to those goals.
One popular and intrinsically motivating approach to reading instruction is the
Language Experience Approach (LEA), referred to in Chapter 15, where students create
their own material for reading. Other approaches in which learners are en choices in

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 selecting reading material offer a degree of intrinsic motivation. Carefully sequenced
readings and instructional strategies that are success-oriented.

3. Include both bottom-up and top-down techniques.

In our craze for communicative, authentic language activity in the classroom, we

sometimes forget that learners can indeed benefit from studying the fundamen- tals.
Make sure that you give enough classroom time to focusing on the building blocks of
written language, geared appropriately for each level.

4. Provide Opportunities for Reflection.

Reflection is an important part of the learning process, and interactive reading

techniques should provide opportunities for students to reflect on what they have read.
This might include asking them to write a response to a reading prompt or engage in a
group discussion.

5. Make it Relevant.

Reading is more engaging when it is relevant to students' lives and interests.

When designing interactive reading techniques, try to connect the text to students'
experiences, and provide opportunities for them to apply what they have learned to real-
world situations.

6. Foster Collaboration.

Reading is often a solitary activity, but interactive reading techniques can foster
collaboration and help students learn from each other. This might include group
discussions, peer editing, or collaborative projects.

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 CHAPTER III

CLOSING

A. Conclusion

Teaching reading is a complex and multifaceted process that involves a range of

strategies and techniques. It requires a deep understanding of the different components of
reading, such as phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, as well
as an awareness of the different learning styles and needs of individual students. Effective
reading instruction also involves creating a positive and engaging learning environment, using a
variety of instructional materials, providing ample opportunities for practice and feedback, and
fostering a love of reading. Ultimately, the goal of teaching reading is to help students become
proficient and lifelong readers who can effectively comprehend, analyze, and evaluate a variety
of texts across different genres and disciplines. By providing high-quality reading instruction,
teachers can empower their students with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed
academically and beyond.

B. Suggestion

Some suggestions for teaching reading:

Create an attractive environment for reading in class or at home, such as placing books
that are attractive and comfortable for reading. Make sure students or children have access to
reading materials that are appropriate to their level of ability. Be an example to students or
children by reading to them regularly. This can help spark their interest in reading and also show
how important reading is.

Teach reading strategies Teach students or children effective reading strategies, such as
looking for key words, finding meaning from context, and asking questions. This will help them
become more skilled and independent readers. Adapt learning to ability level Make sure to adapt
learning to the ability level of students or children. Start with reading material that suits their
abilities and build up gradually.

Make time to read in class or at home. Schedule regular reading times and don't let other
activities distract you. Use a variety of reading materials, such as fiction, non-fiction books,
magazines, newspapers or online articles. This will help students or children gain broader
knowledge and increase their interest in reading. Using technology such as reading apps or
engaging websites to help increase students' or children's interest and reading ability.

Create challenges and rewards to increase your students' or children's motivation in

reading. Give praise and credit for their progress in reading. Communicate with parents:
Communicate with parents of students or children and provide information about their progress
in reading. Provide suggestions and recommendations on how parents can help improve their

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children's reading skills at home. Evaluate the progress of your students or children in reading
regularly and provide constructive feedback. This will help your students or children see their
progress and identify areas for improvement.

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Reference :

H. Douglas. (2004) Teaching by Principles An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy (2 nd Edition).

New Vistas (USA) Susan Gonzo.

How_to_Teach_English_2nd_Edition_Jeremy_Harmer http://teflbootcamp.com/teaching-skills/teaching-
efl-reading/

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