READING I

UNIT I
 TOPIC 1
1. Reading in a Foreign Language
Basic Concepts

First insights Acoording to Alderson (1984, apud Koda, 2004), poor

reading in a foreign language is due to poor reading
ability in the first language. Poor first-language
readers will read poorly in the foreign language and
good-first language readers will read well in the foreign
language;
Poor reading in a foreign language is due to
inadequate knowledge of the target language.
• Reading entails two basic operations: decoding and comprehension. The
former requires substantial print-information processing experience
(KODA, 2004); the latter is the result of understanding the meanings of a
text.
• Therefore, to become a proficient reader is necessary to decode words
and their matching sounds lined up with the development of reading
strategies in order to process meanings and ideas from a text.

1.2 Defining Comprehension

Catherine Snow (2002, p. 11)
defines comprehension “as the process of
simultaneously extracting and constructing
meaning through interaction and
involvement with written language. We use
the words extracting and constructing to
emphasize both the importance and the
insufficiency of the text as a determinant of
reading comprehension.”

In comprehension, we must consider the three dimensions of reading:

1. The reader who is doing the comprehending;
2. The text that is to be comprehended;
3. The activity in which comprehension is a part.
In a reading process, we should have in mind “all the capacities, abilities,
knowledge, and experiences that a person brings to the act of reading. Text is
broadly construed to include any printed text or electronic text. In considering
activity, we include the purposes, processes, and consequences associated with
the act of reading.” (SNOW, 2012, p. 11)
 1.2 The Three Dimensions of Reading:

A Heuristic for Thinking About Reading Comprehension

Fonte: (SNOW, 2002)

➢ The Reader
For Snow (2012), to comprehend a text, the reader must have cognitive
capacities (e.g., attention, memory, critical analytic ability, inferencing,
visualization ability), motivation (a purpose for reading, an interest in the content
being read, self-efficacy as a reader), and various types of knowledge
(vocabulary, domain and topic knowledge, linguistic and discourse knowledge,
knowledge of specific comprehension strategies).
➢ The Text
As part of a reading process, texts can be difficult or easy, depending on
factors inherent in the text, on the relationship between the text and the
knowledge and abilities of the reader, and on the activities in which the reader is
engaged (SNOW, 2002, p. 14). Today, due to computers and digital media, texts
have gained new complexities, such as the use of hyperlinks and the combination
of verbal language with non-verbal language.
➢ The Activity
Snow (2002, p. 15) writes that “reading does not occur in a vacuum. It is done
for a purpose, to achieve some end. Activity refers to this dimension of reading.
A reading activity involves one or more purposes, some operations to process
the text at hand, and the consequences of performing the activity.” Furthermore,
the reader must understand reading as a process, which begins with pre-reading
tasks, through-reading, and post-reading activities.
 1.3 Reading Procedures and Types of Reading

✓ Pre-Reading
In this stage, a reader prepares herself or himself for the texts that will be
read. Then, it is important to set up a goal for your reading. What are you looking
for when you choose a text to read?
Once you have in mind which text you are going to read, you can make
predictions, that is, check the title or subheadings to anticipate ideas about the
text. What is the writer trying to communicate?
In addition, ask some questions before reading. This will help you to
approach the text.
The tasks described above will build your knowledge about the topic the
text explores. Once you get familiar with the language, text genre, topic, issues,
and ideas the text covers, you will be able to figure out the writer’s purposes,
elements of persuasion he uses, and the discourse applied in the writing.
Another task that takes up pre-reading procedures is scanning the
vocabulary for new words and find out their meaning from the context. From this
perspective, there are three basic procedures a reader can consider:
Scanning – It is the very quick processing of text, as we look for a
specific detail, such as the price of a product in an advertisement. It is
important to note that scanning involves the recognition of form, rather
than developing an understanding of the text as a whole, and this
results in reading speeds of around 600 words per minute, much faster
than where meaning is processed (Carrell and Grabe, 2010, p. 216).

Skimming – or gist reading, it is to read quickly for a general

understanding, such as when we look quickly at an old document on
our hard drive to see if it can be permanently deleted.

Detailed reading – it is to read carefully to understand as much of the

content as possible, such as when we read instructions on a medicine
bottle, or an academic text on which we will later base an argument.
From Teaching and developing reading skills (WATKINS, Peter; 2017)
 Fonte: [Link]

✓ Through Reading
It means to obtain the author’s meaning and purpose during the process
of reading. You can check the questions you asked previously.
The reader usually follows an order of reading:

1. Heading or title
2. Sub-headings
3. Head Paragraph
4. Final Paragraph
5. The first sentence of every paragraph
6. Entire text

After completing the reading, analyse how the writer/author expresses

his/her ideas. Also, ask yourself how the parts of the text are organized. Then, try
to figure out the main sense of the text.
If you cannot get the meaning of a word, read the whole text again and try
to guess its meaning from the context.
Remember: silent reading can improve your reading, since it forces you to
concentrate on understanding the ways the meanings are expressed.
✓ Post-Reading
This procedure occurs when the reading is completed. Therefore, it is the
moment when the reader checks his previous assumptions and evaluates the
knowledge he/she has developed. You can fill in the gaps and compare what you
learned with your predictions.
You will be able to create a visual presentation of the text. Besides, you can
set up an activity that follows on from the text, such as a discussion or a role play
(WATKINS, 2017) in order to dominate the contents.
Text adapted from [Link]
 ACTIVITIES: Are you ready to put into practice what you have
learned so far?
1. Based on the reading procedures studied above, read the texts
below and do the activities:
Pre-Reading Activity:
Scan the text below and answer the question:

Who’s the person the text talks about? __________________________.

Is he a high school student? __________________________.

Now read text 1 and circle the answers:

My name is John

Hi! Nice to meet you! My name is John Smith. I am 19

and a student in college. I go to college in New York. My
favorite courses are Geometry, French, and History.
English is my hardest course. My professors are very
friendly and smart. It's my second year in college now. I
love it!

I live in a big house on Ivy Street. It's near the college campus. I share the house
with three other students. Their names are Bill, Tony, and Paul. We help each
other with homework. On the weekend, we play football together.

I have a younger brother. He just started high school. He is 14 and lives with my
parents. They live on Mulberry Street in Boston. Sometimes they visit me in New
York. I am happy when they visit. My Mom always brings me sweets and candy
when they come. I really miss them, too!

Did you understand the text?

1) Where does John Smith go to college?
a) Berlin
b) Paris
c) New York
d) Boston

2) What is John Smith's hardest course?

a) French
b) English
c) Math
d) Art

3) Who shares a house with John Smith?

a) Bill, John, and Tom
b) Frank, Tony, and Mike
c) Anna, Margaret, and Tanya
d) Bill, Tony, and Paul
4) How old is John Smith's younger brother?
a) seven
b) eleven
c) thirteen
d) fourteen

5) What does John Smith's Mom bring him

when they visit?
a) Candy and ice cream
b) Sweets and candy
c) Fruits and vegetables
d) Flowers and coffee
Post-Reading Activity:
What about you?
Write a short paragraph talking about yourself:
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Pre-Reading Activity:

Do you live in a house or in an apartment?

___________________________________

Read text 2 and circle the answers:

The House

Mr. and Mrs. Smith have one son and one

daughter. The son's name is John. The
daughter's name is Sarah.

The Smiths live in a house. They have a living

room. They watch TV in the living room. The
father cooks food in the kitchen. They eat in the
dining room. The house has two bedrooms.
They sleep in the bedrooms. They keep their
clothes in the closet. There is one bathroom.
They brush their teeth in the
bathroom.

The house has a garden. John and Sarah play in the garden. They have a dog.
John and Sarah like to play with the dog.
Did you understand the text?
1) How many children do Mr. and Mrs. Smith have?
a) One son
b) One daughter
c) One son and one daughter
d) No children

2) Who cooks in the kitchen?

a) Mother
b) Sarah
c) Father
d) John

3) Where does the family eat?

a) Living room
b) Kitchen
c) Bedroom
d) Dining room

4) How many bedrooms are in the house?

a) One
b) Two
c) Three
d) Four

5) What do John and Sarah do in the garden?

a) Play
b) Sleep
c) Cook
d) Brush their teeth

Post-Reading Activity:
Write a short paragraph describing your house/apartment and the furniture you
have:
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Pre-Reading Activity:

What’s the first thing you do after you get out of bed?
_______________________________________________________________

What do you think the text below is about?

_______________________________________________________________

Read text 3 and circle the answers:

My day

First, I wake up. Then, I get dressed. I walk to

school. I do not ride a bike. I do not ride the bus. I
like to go to school. It rains. I do not like rain. I eat
lunch. I eat a sandwich and an apple.

I play outside. I like to play. I read a book. I like to

read books. I walk home. I do not like walking home.
My mother cooks soup for dinner. The soup is hot.
Then, I go to bed. I do not like to go to bed.

Did you understand the text?

1) What happens first?
a) Wake up
b) Get dressed
c) Eat lunch
d) Walk to school

2) What do I like?
a) Rain
b) Going to bed
c) Walking home
d) Books

3) How do I go to school?
a) I ride a bike.
b) I ride the bus.
c) I walk.
d) I drive a car.

4) What do I eat for dinner?

a) Soup
b) Sandwich
c) Apple
d) Pie

5) What do I not like?

a) Playing
b) Soup
c) Going to school
d) Going to bed
Post-Reading Activity:

Now that you know the text is about daily routine, write a short paragraph of your
day from morning to night.

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