1

Written by: Michael Erfort Reviewed by: Desir Scholtz

Editor: Abie de Villiers READING SKILLS Reading is one of the most important activities in your lives as students. Without reading you would not be able to acquire knowledge that is fundamental to your intellectual growth. Through reading you become experts in your fields. Reading can be divided into two main sub-headings i.e. Reading for pleasure and Reading for a specific purpose. Reading for pleasure Reading for pleasure means that you choose what you want to read. For example you choose to read a magazine or a book by your favourite author in your free time. This does not however mean that you are not learning from this type of reading. Reading in any form informs you about society and culture and the world in general, whether it is through fiction (creative writing) or non-fiction (fact). Reading for a specific purpose This type of reading is more goal-orientated. In other words you are reading to achieve a specific outcome, e.g. to pass a test or to research for an essay. This type of reading is common in the life of any student. From the moment you attend your first class you are inundated with reading upon reading. Sometimes you feel you cannot cope with all the information contained in your prescribed readings. Not having the skills to read effectively can determine whether or not you will be successful in completing your studies. It is therefore important to acquire effective readings to secure success. WHAT ARE READING SKILLS? Reading skills enable readers to turn writing into meaning and achieve the goals of independence, comprehension, and fluency. (http://www.sil.org/lingualinks.com) Reading skills will enable you to:

Make meaning out of written language

2

Interact and engage with the language Comprehend and analyse the language

WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF READING SKILLS?

1. Scanning 2. Skimming 3. Comprehension 4. Critical reading 5. Vocabulary or word attack skills

SCANNING Is used to find specific information in a reading. What is specific information?

Dates Places Names Page numbers

This technique is used to assess the value and relevance of the reading. SKIMMING Skimming is a technique where you gloss over an article to see whether or not it contains information that is of interest to you. This technique makes it possible for you to quickly evaluate and understand the message of the reading by looking at the main aspects. What are the main aspects?

the title/name of the book the sub-title/ names of chapters the introduction first line of each paragraph pictures conclusion

By looking at the main aspects you are able to get a general understanding of what the reading is about.

3

Definition: Skimming is a technique where you gloss over an article to see whether or not it contains information that is of interest to you. It also helps you gain an understanding of the article in a shorter space of time. Now that you understand the definition, it is important to practically test your understanding. EXERCISE: SKIMMING and SCANNING EXERCISE Look carefully at the following article and then answer the questions that follow: Before you read any further, answer questions one and two first.

Questions 1. Read only the headline of this article. Try to predict what the article is

about. _____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

4

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

2. Read the first paragraph of the article. Are you more clear of what the

headline means. Elaborate. _____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

3. How did Manuella de Costa try to kill her sons three years ago? _____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

4. How many children did she have? _____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

5. Name the two sons who survived the attempted killing? _____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

6. Where were the boys living since the attempted killing? _____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

7. How many paragraphs does this article have? _____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

8. Try to do a summary just by looking at the main aspects of the article,

e.g. the headline and the first lines of each paragraph. (Answers to these questions can be found on the last page).

5

Definition: Scanning is used to find specific information in a reading e.g. dates, names places. EXERCISE: Look at the contents page below. On what page will you find the following? a) Module A b) Activity 1: What employers look for in CV's c) Appendix d) Activity 3: Key CV headings e) Activity 6: The LRA and the job interview. f) Activity 5: Adaptive Skills- what employers' value Contents _____________________________________________________________ Introduction Activity 1: Difference between work and study 4 Module 1: Getting to know yourself 7 Activity 1: Understanding the term "skill" 10 Activity 2: Identification of your skill level 11 Activity 3: Identification of job skills 12 Activity 4: Personal characteristics of a good worker 13 Activity 5: Adaptive skills: What employers value 14 Activity 6: Identification of your transferable skills 15 Module 2: The CV 23 Activity 1: What employers look for in a CV 24 Activity 2: CV presentation 25 Activity 3: Key CV headings 28 Activity 4: CV layout 37 Activity 5: Identify your skills 38 Activity 6: The cover letter 44 Module 3: The interview 47 Activity 1: How employers identify suitable candidates 50 Activity 2: Job interview stages 54 Activity 3: The job advert as part of your interview preparation 58 Activity 4: Appropriate dress code 60 Activity 5: Job interview questions 66 Activity 6: The LRA and the job interview 68

6

Module 4: Adapting to the workplace 71 Activity 1: Appropriate behavior in the workplace 76 Activity 2: Understanding your career goals 80 Appendix 83 COMPREHENSION Means that you as a reader should predict what the author is about to say. Reading extensively gives you this ability. By doing so your understanding of the text is enhanced and you become familiar with the reading. CRITICAL READING Enables the reader to see the relationship of ideas and use these in reading with meaning and fluency. Remember that writers often have specific aims in writing texts- they often want to influence the way we think and see the world. In other words texts are sometimes biased. Critical reading means questioning the opinions of the writer. You have the right to agree or disagree with his/her opinions. This is an important step in engaging with the text. Examples of questions you can ask when doing a critical reading:

Is the text based on fact or opinion Do I agree with the authors viewpoint Is the text subjective (opinion) or objective (facts) Is the text written in a specific time frame

7

EXERCISE: CRITICAL READING EXERCISE Read the article in the first section of this booklet i.e. "Doctor re-united with two sons......" Write, in no more than 8 lines, whether or not you agree with the courts decision that Costa could not be held accountable for the attempts on her children's lives. Give reasons for your opinions. _____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

VOCABULARY OR WORD ATTACK SKILLS The more you read the more you become familiar with difficult words. In other words by reading extensively you improve your vocabulary. Reading in context (reading the sentence and understanding the way the word is used in that sentence) is also a valuable reading skill.

8

EXERCISE: DICTIONARY USE (Refer again to the above article) Use a dictionary to find out the following: 1. What does the word "reluctant" mean? 2. Use the word "reluctant" in a sentence to show that you understand its

meaning. 3. What part of speech (i.e. is it a verb, noun etc) is the word "reluctant"? 4. Give an antonym (word of opposite meaning) for the word "reluctant" 5. What is "chemotherapy"? SOLUTIONS FOR READING DIFFICULTIES/ USING READING SKILLS Problem 1. Not understanding the title 2. Difficulty discovering main points 3. Pronunciation 4. Difficult words 5. Do not enjoy reading 6. Forgetting what you read 7. Too much to read, too little time

Solution 1. Use dictionary/read first line of

paragraph 2. Use the skimming technique 3. Check dictionary 4. Underline them. Check meanings in

a dictionary. Try to understand the word the way it is used in the sentence

5. Read something you enjoy and

practice your skills with those readings. Then use those skills on the readings that you have to do

6. Write summaries of what you read

in your own words 7. Draw up a timetable and stick to it.

Don't leave reading for the last minute.

Another important aspect of becoming a good reader is actually thinking OF yourself as a reader.

9

Questions to ask yourself and steps to take: Before you start reading

Ask yourself what the title means Can I learn anything from the pictures? How long is the text? Do I have a dictionary? What am I looking for in the text? What do I know about the topic? Does the reading have information, which I need?

While you are reading

Is this reading useful for me? Should I make notes on the text? Underline difficult words Circle interesting sentences Highlight the main points Do I understand what I am reading?

After you have read

Do a summary of the text in your own words Read the parts you do not understand again Ask questions on the validity of the opinions expressed Link the reading to the tasks you have been assigned and to your

studies in general What is the authors aim? Is he/she biased? Is the article written well?

REMEMBER TO ENJOY READING. IT IS A WAY THAT YOU CAN ENRICH YOURSELF AND SHARE YOUR KNOWLEDGE WITH OTHERS. NO KNOWLEDGE CAN EVER BE A WASTE.

10

Answers to questions in Exercise: Skimming 1 & 2: The article is an account of how Dr. da Costa tried to kill her four sons after experiencing financial and other difficulties in her life. Two of the sons survived the incident and after three years she is reunited with them again. 3: She drugged them and then set the house on fire with them still inside. 4: Four 5: Filipe & Daniel 6: With their uncle in Portugal 7: Ten

EXERCISE:EXERCISE:EXERCISE: