HOW TO HELP ENGLISH LEARNERS READ MORE QUICKLY

1. Why is reading for gist challenging for learners?

1.1. . Presented with an English text, they believe they need to read and pay attention to each and every detail to understand it.

1.2. we prepare our learners for reading by activating their schematic knowledge – the background knowledge about the topic that can help them understand the text – as well as pre-teaching vocabulary and using visuals to set the topic.

1.3. skimming should be nothing new to foreign language learners. Ideally, they would simply treat English texts in the same way they treat those in their native language

1.4. English tests such as IELTS have a reading component: it's essentially there to measure someone's ability to deal with real-world English-reading tasks

2. How can teachers help learners read for gist? A few ideas...

2.1. Skimming a text means reading it quickly for the main ideas, but the disadvantage of speed is increased ambiguity.

2.2. A way to take control of your learners’ reading pace and get them to focus on the general idea is to use a text-prompter,

2.3. Another fun activity, . It’s a role play in which learners work in pairs and pretend to have read a text or watched a movie.

2.4. Choose a topic and find two texts about it. Then, I ask learners to pretend they are arts experts who follow all the developments in the art world.

2.5. The learners feel they need more time to achieve a deeper understanding.

2.6. Each reads one text. Provide enough time for them to reflect, underline, highlight and prepare.

3. What can learners do to improve their reading skills?

3.1. Often the best learners of English (and other languages) read often and extensively

3.2. We should encourage learners to read for pleasure, read what is genuinely interesting to them and read as often as possible.

3.3. Reading so frequently – can develop overall linguistic competence

3.4. To notice vocabulary and grammar structures in authentic texts.

3.5. Use electronic devices and take full advantage of free e-books

3.6. Not to let reading become overwhelming!

4. 1.-What is reading for gist?

4.1. Gist is the overall meaning, the core idea, of a spoken or written discourse.

4.2. Gist is the overall meaning, the core idea, of a spoken or written discourse.

4.3. As we begin skimming a text, we focus on the content words – the nouns, verbs and adjectives– rather the grammatical words (it, the, on, etc.,) that provide structure rather than meaning.

4.4. Reading for gist is all about getting the ideas of the text by skimming it rapidly and ignoring the grammatical words

4.5. Another reading skill often mentioned alongside skimming is scanning

5. Why is reading for gist important?

5.1. Skimming and scanning are reading skills most learners use extensively in their mother tongue. , teachers of English can help learners improve their abilities in these areas.

5.2. Those taking an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test will know that to complete the 'heading-paragraph matching' task, they needn't read the whole text carefully.

5.3. The 'missing paragraphs' task, familiar to those preparing for Cambridge English exams (CPE, FCE, PTE)