People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria

Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research

Mohammed Khider University of Biskra
Faculty of Letters and Foreign Languages
Department of English Language

Course handout on

Reading
Syllabus for 1st year LMD

Prepared by: Dr. Chahira Nasri

MCB

Academic Year: 2023/2024

 Reading

General Course Information

Course Title: Reading

Teaching Unit: Methodology

Target Audience: 1st year LMD students of English

Coefficient: 02

Credits: 01

Average Teaching Hours: 45 hours (15 weeks)

Number of Sessions per Week: 2 sessions (of three hours per week)

Course Delivery Modality: TD

Follow-up and Evaluation Modality: 100 % continuous assessment.

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Introductory notes

This course is designed to highlight the importance of reading, to increase students’

awareness and to introduce this skill. The main aim of this course is provide students with

various handy strategies, techniques and types of reading to enable them to approach analyze

and understand different pieces of writing.

Reading is considered as one of the main skills that FL learners need to develop. It is

the main source of new vocabulary that students need to be communicatively competent.

Reading as an active process of constructing meanings helps readers to direct information

towards a goal and focuses their attention. Moreover, it keeps your mind active and g gives you

excessive knowledge in different areas.

To best understand the process of reading, learners need to be engaged in the task of

reading by teaching them the models of reading, the types of reading and the effective strategies

that can use to recognize and maintain their reading comprehension. This includes showing

them how skim, scan predict and make inferences. All of these activities help to improve ones’

level in English.

During each lecture, students are asked to do some tasks, activities, workshops and

homework to stay engaged in the process of learning. Students also are invited to take notes

from the teachers’ explanation. This is assumed to help them concentrate on the content of the

lecture and to use their prior knowledge to discuss and exchange and recall ideas.

After every lecture, students receive handouts to read and revise in order to consolidate

their understanding and build up their knowledge. The teacher relies on using small passages

as an example and as an aid to practice reading.

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[Link] Description

Reading is a required course for all first year students. The aim of this course is to develop

students’ skills in reading and reading speed and comprehension of texts written for university

teachers. It also aims at developing students’ vocabulary- building skills as well as their critical

thinking skills. Readers will improve their knowledge and skills they need to be able to read

and understand straightforward texts used in everyday life.

This course is addressed to first year students of English. The content of the course is

designed in a way that would assist freshmen. In other words, reading aims to facilitate the

process of learning in general and reading comprehension in particular through enabling

students to get range of essential strategies to enhance their achievement and foster their

autonomy.

The course involves eight lectures to be covered over a period of 15 weeks per each

semester. The course is taught twice a week and each session lasts for one hour and a half. In

each week students will do a variety of exercises to enhance their reading abilities. The class

will be focusing on intensive reading that will help them to develop their strategies. Reading

extensively is another way to practice reading outside the classroom walls.

[Link] Objectives

Upon a successful completion of this course, L 1 student will be able to:

1. Skim for main idea(s)

2. Scan for details

3. Distinguish main ideas from specific details

4. Distinguish main ideas from supporting details

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5. Make inferences and predictions based on comprehension of a text

6. Utilize the target vocabulary to develop reading and vocabulary skills

7. Reflect on and evaluate learning and performance, and set goals for progress

1.2. Course Learning Outcomes KNOWLEDGE

By the end of the course students are expected to:

-Skim written texts for the main idea.

-Scan written texts to locate specific information.

1.3. Interpersonal and communication skills

1. Distinguish main ideas from supporting details and facts from opinions.

[Link] context clues to derive the meanings of unfamiliar words.

[Link] inferences based on the information provided in the text.

4. Show self-reliance when working in pairs/groups

5. Display academic commitment to classroom practices

[Link] teamwork skills

7. Express opinions and attitudes

[Link]

-Students should have a good command of English

-Students should be at least at a lower-intermediate level in English

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1.5. Methodology of Teaching

Most of the lessons are presented in a form of teacher- student interaction based on

discussion. The lesson is characterised by students’ engagement and is followed by a set of

tasks that aim mainly to involve students in the learning process and encourage them to build

up their knowledge. Different methods of teaching are employed by the instructor to accomplish

the previously mentioned aims including:

*Class discussion

*Powerpoint presentation

*Workshop

*Online presentation (Moodle)

*Homework

* Students’ presentation

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Table of contents

[Link] Description ................................................................................................................................ 2

[Link] Objectives........................................................................................................................... 2
1.2. Course Learning Outcomes KNOWLEDGE................................................................................. 3
1.3. Interpersonal and communication skills ........................................................................................ 3
[Link] ..................................................................................................................................... 3
1.5. Methodology of Teaching ............................................................................................................. 4
[Link] of reading ................................................................................................................................... 7
[Link] of reading models ..................................................................................................................... 13
[Link] of reading .................................................................................................................................. 21
[Link] reading ......................................................................................................................... 21
[Link] reading .......................................................................................................................... 23
[Link] .............................................................................................................................................. 28
[Link] ........................................................................................................................................... 32
7. Making inferences ............................................................................................................................. 35
[Link] paragraph ................................................................................................................... 40
[Link] ............................................................................................................................................ 44
References .............................................................................................................................................. 48
Appendices ............................................................................................................................................. 54
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Course: Reading Level: First year LMD

Instructor: Dr. Chahira Nasri Academic year: 2023/2024

Reading

Objectives of the Lesson: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

 Develop a deep understanding of the meaning of reading.

 Highlight the importance of reading.

 Determine a comprehensive way to read effectively at university.

Prerequisites:

-Students should have a good command of English

-Students should be at least at a lower-intermediate level in English.

Introduction

Reading is typically an individual activity, done silently, although on occasion a person

reads out loud for other listeners; or reads aloud for one's own use, for better comprehension.

From time to time people have wondered why reading is important. Reading gets your mind

working across different areas. For starters, it involves comprehension to process the words you

read. Beyond that, you can use your analytical abilities, stimulate memories, and even broaden

your imagination by reading words off a page.

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[Link] of reading

There are lots of definitions of reading. Thus, making a global definition of what reading

actually is can be difficult if not impossible. In fact, Harmer (2001) asserted that reading is "an

exercise dominated by the eyes and the brain, the eyes receive and the brain then has to work

out the significance of these messages" (p. 153). This definition grouped the main components

of reading which are word recognition and comprehension. Alyousef (2005, p. 144) claimed

that reading is an interaction between a reader and a certain text. At this point, the reader can

use different types of knowledge to reach an acceptable level of understanding such as using

his/ her prior knowledge to interpret passages or through usinghis / her linguistic knowledge.

In the same context, Davies (1995, p. 1) believed that reading is a process of

reconstructing what a writer has encoded to get meaning. He added that to be successful in

decoding what others say, who are surely far in space and time from a reader, he/she needsto

rely on strategies that pave the way for understanding. Among them there are guessing, inferring

and skimming (Grabe, 1991, p. 377).

Baudoin et al. (1994, p. 1) defined reading as a complex process that involves both word

recognition and word comprehension. By word recognition, he meant how the reader can decode

words and turn them to sounds. Concerning comprehension, it refers to helpful techniques that

readers use to understand chunks and draw conclusions. In addition to that, Adams (1990, p.

102) stated that deciphering letters is the most important step that leads to construct meaning

since it is the first step to get involved in that process. Nevertheless, Goodman (1973, p. 20)

asserted that decoding words is not enough to build overallunderstanding, readers need to rely

on comprehension strategies to understand pieces of writing such as using their existing

knowledge. Moreover, he said, “as readers use cues from the linguistic text, they bring their

knowledge and benefits about the world to bear on making sense they guess what’s coming,

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making predictions and inferences…” (Goodman,1973, p. 20).

[Link] importance of reading

To have the ability to communicate, SLLs/ FLLs are in need to develop their four skills

in English which are writing, speaking, listening and reading. Being skilled inEnglish language

reading has a great impact on the other skills since reading is a complex activity that involves

several skills that lead learners to access meaning through decoding words. According to

Glendenning (2004, p. 32), reading is crucial in that:

-Brilliant writers are those who read a lot. He believed that the more you read, the more you

develop your style because according to him, readers can come across differentvocabulary items

and different grammatical rules and structures that can affect and contribute to enhancing their

writing skill. The words, expressions and grammatical rules that a reader may encounter in the

reading activity can positively affect his level. That is,he can imitate, for instance, native

speakers in selecting words to produce meaningful passages. Or simply he can notice how to

deal with the English language.

-The process of reading involves the interaction between a reader and a text. Thisinteraction

helps students to interpret and develop their own thoughts and permits them to criticize and

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express their views concerning certain issues. Moreover, He claimed that having the ability to

read means being capable of:

*Distinguishing between the different formats of texts such as faxes, headlines and the different

types of text. Knowing the type of the text can tell many things about it. For example in

argumentative texts, learners are expecting to meet different pieces of evidence that support a

particular idea.

*Knowing letters, words, phrases and understanding styles. The first thing to access meaning

is through printed words. Readers should know letter-sounds correspondence to be able to

construct meaning.

*Having the ability to skim, scan, predict and remember. Readers may read for different

reasons. They can read for pleasure. They can read to have a general idea about a text and they

can read to get specific information. Thus, reading skills can differ from one reader to another

depending on the purpose. Predicting is an important step that contributes to enhancing the

learners’ level and speed.

*Knowing how to use our existing knowledge that is relevant to what we arereading. Research

findings have shown that prior knowledge assists in better comprehension of a text. It

facilitates understanding and remembering words as well as allows learners to process

information in a short period of time.

*Having the ability to be favor or against and to know how to build constructive critics. Good

readers are the ones who do not take everything written for granted.i.e. they need to be active

and agree when it is fine and disagree whenever they deny a certain idea.

*Being able to survey books and turn pages from right to left and to read from left toright

because according to Alkire (2004, p. 12), reading from left to right is challenging for EFL

learners especially who have learned in Asia or the Middle East.

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*Recognizing how to extract the general ideas from a text and what are the different types of

reading.

Hedge (2003) claimed that English reading texts need to include learning goals. She

mentioned that teachers need to know how to make better choices of texts. Texts should attract

student’s attention of English styles so that they will be able to skim and scanrelying on

schemata knowledge. Texts that fit student’s interest can work better than the ones that have

chosen randomly.

In the same context, Mikulecky & Jeffries (2004, [Link]), in their attempts to show

the key role of reading, concluded that reading is significant to enhance learners' level of

English language since it helps learners to decode and think in English. It also assists in

enriching their stock of words that enables them, later, to use it in their pieces of writings. In

addition to that, it enables them to be able to communicate in case they travel abroad to English

speaking countries.

Saddleback Publishing (2000, p. 5) provided an analogy that determines the eminent

role of reading. It assumed that limited reading ability and limited physical ability are alike.

That is to say, finding difficulty in identifying new words and following written instructions

or deficit in remembering things that readers have read are the same with the inability to

bend, stretch or move heavy objects from one place to another. These life- limiting handicaps

negatively affect our life. In this view, it asserted that reading and thinking are two related

words .i.e. skillful readers can think better of ways to solve the problems that they face and

they have the ability to decide what is appropriate for their learning with fewer mistakes. In

addition to that, they use other strategies that make them conscious and stick to the point.

Therefore, learners are advised to read as much as they can to be able to process any text

because the more they read, the stronger they get. Moreover, their feedback helps them a lot
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in applying what they have learned in real life situations.

Exercise

Fill in the gaps with the right words

Reading as a complex ……………that involves both …………………….. and

……………………….. Word recognition, means how the reader can ………………… words

and turn them to sounds. Concerning ………………………, it refers to helpful

…………………….. that readers use to understand chunks and draw conclusions.

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Course: Reading Level: First year LMD

Instructor: Dr. Chahira Nasri Academic year: 2023/2024

Types of reading models

Objectives of the Lesson: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

 Define and understand the meaning of a model.

 Develop a deep understanding of the types of reading model

 Distinguish between the three teaching models of reading.

Prerequisite

-Students should have a good command of English

-Students should be at least at a lower-intermediate level in English.

Introduction

Writers transmit their ideas and beliefs toreaders or receivers via prints. Readers, on the

other hand, try to decode and interpret writers' intentions. In an attempt to explain how reading

is processed, a variety of views and models has emerged to explain how to process a language.

More specifically, how readers process letters into meanings.

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[Link] and types of reading models

The reading models according to Vacca et al. (2006, p. 25) and Arab (2009, p.18) are,

bottom- up, top- down interactive. But before we start discussing the different types of the

models of reading, we need first to explain what is meant by the concept of a model. Davies

(1995, p. 57) defined the reading process model as "a formalized, usually visually

represented theory of what goes on in the eyes and the mind when readers are

comprehending (or miscomprehending) a text". In addition to that, Davies (1995)

determined some characteristics for a model as being "a systematic set of guesses or predictions

about a hidden process, which are then subjected to testing through experimental studies " (p.

57). Therefore, from this definition a reading model refers to an organized system that has been

observed and studied, to explain how a reader perceives letters and how he/she could make

sense of those letters. In other words, the main role of those models is t o explain what a

reader can do from the moment he comes across letters to the point of

[Link] de Debat (2006, p. 8) stated that there are many constructive

theories that assist in clarifying how to teach reading. For her, reading is an important skill in

both language teaching and language learning. She suggested that the two models that have

contributed significantly to explaining how readers process information and constructmeaning,

i.e. how they learn to read, are the bottom up and top down.

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1.1. The bottom- up model

Reading is understanding prints. This model suggested that building meaning starts from

prints. It involves decoding a writers' graphic symbols into a message (Abraham, 2000, p. 1).

This can happen when a reader makes a combination between sounds and their letters, letters

to words and words to sentences. Therefore, the basic part in this model is phonics.

The bottom-up model was linked to Behaviorism in the 1940’s and 1950’s (Alderson, 2002,

p. 17). The thoughts of behaviorism were the basics of the traditional bottom up model. For

them, reading was an association between words (stimulus) and the perception of these words

(response). Some of those language patterns are reinforced and others are not (Omaggio, 1993,

pp. 45-46).

The contemporary bottom-up approach to reading is called: phonics which involves a

readers' interpretation of prints to get meaning through combining sounds with letters. Samuels

& Kamil (2002, p. 25) believed that printed words are the stimuli for the response which is

word recognition. Therefore, the best way to teach phonics is through repetition and drills

starting from the smallest sound units until a sentence (Villaueva de Debat, 2006,pp.8-9). In the

same context, Bouguebs (2007, p. 36) and Bouaounia (2009, p. 5) believed that in the bottom-

up model, learners build up meaning through being familiar with letters and words that will be

analyzed to make sense of things. Thus, learners move from the letters which are the lowest

level of processing a language to upward to make meaning. This latter is the main objective of

any reader. This model adopted the idea that says that reading is decoding letters (Carrell, 1988

as cited in Skudiene, 2002, p. 94).

Vacca et al. (2006, pp. 26-27), tackled with the study of Gough (1985) who suggested a

prototype for the bottom-up approach which includes steps that happen in a readers' mind

each millisecond. The first step of this operation is decoding letter by letter
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i.e. the linguistic process is triggered from the bottom up and step by step until the reader

reaches to the top which is extracting meaning from the text he/she is reading.

Vacca et al. (2006, p. 27) added the idea of automacity. By automacity, they meant that a

beginning reader can only decode letters, by time, he /she will be able to decode letters and

construct meanings at the same time. They provided an analogy to automacity. They said that

the beginning reader is like a new car driver. The new driver finds that driving needs more focus

whereas the skilled one pays less attention to techniques of driving for that you can see him /her

doing other activities while driving like listening to music singing and eating.

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1. 2. The top down model

In the 1960's, people come to know what is called cognitive theory that focuses on the chief

role of the mind in the learning process and how do we acquire a language. This fact has led to

a decline of the previous theory (behaviouristic theory) which claimed that learning was based

on habit formation.

The top- down model is another theory that deals with how to process information

throughout the reading task. According to Bader (2007, p. 45) and Fatemi, Vahedi &

Seyyedrezaie (2014, pp. 286-287), this model paid little attention to combining letters with

sounds. It is about understanding information being conveyed from a writer using readers’

background knowledge and predictions. In this context, Alderson (1984) wrote “…reading

comprehension is little dependent on a syntactic analysis of the text sentences. It follows that

foreign language reading comprehension is possible without mastery of the contrastingparts of

second language syntax” (p. 12).

Based on that view, foreign language reading could happen even when knowledge of

language is lacking. Readers can rely on other techniques such as inferencing and guessing to

process that language. Alderson (1984) considered that analyzing the linguistic features of a

language is insufficient to comprehend because he believed that such analysis will be forgotten

easily. Thus, the bottom-up model with its lower levels cannot be [Link] needs other “higher

order sources of information” to process reading (Davies, 1995, p. 61). The good reader for that

model is the one who decodes less and predicts more. To support that claim, Goodman (1973,

p. 164) asserted that to process information in reading,learners need to know what words to

select that would be helpful in making predictions. Moreover, the cognitive theory gave a great

interest in how we learn and acquire a language. According to Mayer (2002, pp. 226-227), there

are two kinds of learning: rote learning and meaningful learning.

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*Rote learning: rote learning is recalling words and rules of a new language. The problem

with this type is that it is easy-forgotten.

*Meaningful learning: refers to when new data is given in a specific context that a reader

already knows. Therefore, there will be fusion between new and previous cognitive knowledge

(Omaggio, 1993, p. 58).

Additionally, compared to rote learning, meaningful learning is permanent. That is to say,

people start thinking of the process of learning and they give more consideration to schema

knowledge. The top-down approach to reading does not mean decoding letters to construct

meaning. It is correlating between readers' existing knowledge with new information

(Villunueva de Debat, 2006, pp. 8-10). Smith (1994, p. 2) asserted that readingis understanding

written texts rather than combining sounds to letters. In this sense, the top-down model assumes

that readers rely on their prior knowledge to translate prints to meaning .i.e. they expect before

they decode. Existing knowledge helps readers to figure out meaning with fewer efforts and

time. Thus, a good reader is the one who relies more on guessing (Vacca et al., 2006, p. 27).

[Link] interactive model

This model does not ignore either word recognition or the useful ways to build

comprehension. The word interaction here refers to the matching between the two previous

models. i.e. the bottom up and the top down.

According to Eskey (1988, p. 95), good readers are those who decode and build meaning

well. For him, fluent readers are the ones who rely on identifying words through decoding

graphics and making predictions that are dictated from their pre-existing knowledge to

construct meaning of a text. He also added that guessing alone does notmake a text clear.

He illustrated that by providing an example of second language learners. He assumed that SLLs

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cannot understand a message from predicting only because for him the structure or the linguistic

knowledge of the foreign language is a main problem. Eskey (1988, p. 98) believed that just

fluent readers can make good guesses since their perception and decoding skills became

automatic. Thus, he stated that we cannot deny the role of bottom-up in processing information

in reading.

Rumelhart (1977, p. 587) assumed that the reading process starts from the moment the eyes

encounter prints until readers construct meaning. Trieman (2001, p. 664) mentioned that to

ensure a quick processing of informationin a reading task, readers are in need to combine both

bottom-up word identification skills and top-down predicting skills with background

information. i.e. readers need to use the interactive model of reading.

In this view, Stanovich (1980) clarified the important role of both previous models in

processing information through mentioning the third model (interactive model). She claimed

that both bottom- up model and top- down model help and complete each other because

anticipating needs recognizing words to construct meaning and vice versa. i.e., anydeficiency

of any early stages may lead to reliance on other knowledge sources as a kind ofcompensation.

In other words, the deficits that happened in lower levels of decoding willbe compensated

quickly by the higher sources of knowledge. She pointed out that the thirdmodel of reading

provides an accurate processing of information that combines the previous models of reading

(bottom- up and top-down models).

Villuenava de Debat (2006, p. 13) reported that language teaching and language learning

are affected by top down processing but we cannot deny the fact that says the interaction of

both models realizes better results in the reading process. In this perspective, Vacca et al. (2006)

wrote “interactive models […] suggest that the process of reading is initiated by formulating

hypotheses about meaning and by decoding letters and words” (p. 28). In other words, to

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construct meaning, readers hypothesize thoughts based on a combination of linguistic and

cognitive sources of information. Moreover, and in attempting to shed light on the eminent role

of the interactive model of reading in process information, Rayner et al. (1989, p. 69) in their

interactive model gave description to reading as “ …primarily bottom- up, but top- down

processes do interact with bottom- up processes.” In other words, they suggested that to

improve the reading skill, readers needto enhance both word recognitions skills as well as

interpretation strategies

Exercise

Say whether the following sentences are true or false

1. The interactive model is a combination between bottom-up and top- down models

2. Reading process model is a visual presentation of a theory that explains what goes on in

the eyes and the mind when readers approach a piece of writing.

[Link] contemporary bottom-up approach to reading is called: phonics

[Link] learning refers to when new data is given in a specific context that a reader already

knows. Therefore, there will be fusion between new and previous cognitive knowledge

5. The top down model does not ignore either word recognition or the useful ways to build

comprehension

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Course: Reading Level: First year LMD

Instructor: Dr. Chahira Nasri Academic year: 2023/2024

Types of reading

Objectives of the Lesson: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

 Determine the main types of reading

 Distinguish between extensive reading and intensive

 Develop reading speed and reading fluency

Prerequisites

-Students should have a good command of English

-Students should be at least at a lower-intermediate level in English.

Introduction

It is important to know the different types of reading skills to make the most

of what you are reading. You may read a novels or a business report from work. If

you are reading for university, it takes a lot more patience, attention to detail and

note-taking. You need to first understand the types of reading there are and then

make a case for what you enjoy the most.

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1. Types of reading

To process a certain text, readers have to select which type of reading is appropriateto reach

their purposes. According to Davies (1995, p. 136), types of reading are the selected kinds of

reading that a reader adopts in a particular reading task. They are grouped according to

concentration and speed which are stated by a certain purpose.

In this context, Alyousef (2005, p. 145) stated that there are two types of reading, extensive

reading and intensive reading.

[Link] reading

There are lots of studies that have been conducted on extensive reading (ER). Consequently,

a lot of definitions were made (Hedge, 2003, p. 202). Some researchers said that extensive

reading is a matter of skimming and scanning activities. Others believed thatreading extensively

is beneficial in that learners of L2 can develop their levels through being exposed to large

amounts of data that contributes to enlarging students’ vocabularyas well as assists the in

overall understanding (Hafiz & Tudor, 1989, p. 5).

Bamford & Day (2004) wrote “extensive reading is an approach to language teaching in

which learners read a lot of easy material in the new language. They choose their own reading

material and read it independently of the teacher” (p. 1). They added that learners can stop

approaching a text if they feel it is not appealing or hard to be perceived since they read for

general information and enjoyment.

Studies have shown that reading in general is a good way to build up vocabulary either

for native speakers or S/FL learners. It assists in improving students’ levels as well as provides

them with opportunities to access any language especially FL/SL. Based on the previous view,

reading extensively is one type of reading that refers to dealing with simple,interesting and easy

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materials that readers select independently. It may include reading to get a general idea about

the material readers are reading and/or it may be about looking for specific details. Since it is an

independent activity, readers are advised to skip ambiguous words that may hinder their ability

to understand. They can even stop reading and change the material if they feel that this text is

above their levels or if that text cannot meet their needs.

Similarly, Villanueva de Debat (2006, p. 14) assumed that ER refers to the individual

activity that a reader does silently to get information and enjoy himself at the same time. In

addition to that, she added that reading is the best way to learn how to read.

Harmer (2007, p. 210) believed that learners can benefit from ER in enhancing their general

language. Besides that, this type of reading is needed since it is enjoyable and can encourage

students to practice reading.

Lyutaya (2011, p. 26) said that ER helps learners to become fluent speakers since they

read texts they prefer and that fit their interests and purposes. In other words, the more readers

enjoy the text they are reading, the more they gain and learn. Teachers cancontribute to such a

task through motivating learners indirectly because learners, in this type of reading, tend to read

for the main ideas of a text rather than looking for particular information or specific structure or

certain grammatical rules i.e. they read to enjoy and to get an overall understanding of the

reading material. Moreover, Hedge (2003) mentioned that extensive reading differs from one

reader to another since it depends on students' motivation and school resources. According to

her, competent teachers are those who know how to select appropriate handouts and activities

from books.

Krashen (1989, 2013) emphasized the role of reading in EFL & ESL. He considered

that reading is the main source of linguistic knowledge that learners acquire compared to spoken

language. To support the idea of the importance of reading in general and extensive reading in
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particular, Hedge (2003, p. 195) asserted that in Singapore,between 1985 and 1990, the

Ministry of Education provided money to buy books. Forty schools benefited from that offer.

The main aim of that was to enable students to borrow books to read at home as well as to be

used at school.

[Link] reading

Alyousef (2005, pp. 146-147) believed that intensive reading (IR) means extracting

meanings of a given text with taking a great consideration to grammatical, syntactic and

semantic elements .i.e. it is detailed understanding that is not limited to understand the general

ideas but to how texts are organized including the structure and metacognitive strategies used

by both authors and learner.

Bouaouina (2009, pp. 8-9) used the term study reading to refer to intensive reading.

According to her, it is a purposeful type of reading where a reader analyzes a text to construct

meaning. In other words, (IR) is a careful and effortful reading where a reader focuses on

different features of a text to make his own evaluation and interpretation. In addition, she stated

that (IR) refers to reading beyond the lines. i.e. readers are in need to look beyond the literal

meaning offered by the author.

Slimani (2005, p. 59) and Erfanpour (2013, p. 3) assumed that the main objective of

intensive reading is to reach profound understanding of a text. Thus, intensive reading is more

than a process of searching for the gist of the text. It is about deep understanding. Further, this

technique allows students to use different strategies to construct meaning of different elements

within a text. It also provides the opportunity to teachers to monitor and train students to use

different reading comprehension strategies. In IR, it is crucial for students to read every word

and every phrase to understand the overall meaning. Readers are in need to analyze the different

grammatical structures as well as the expressions that build a text.

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In the same perspective, Harmer (2007, pp. 286-288) stated that among the trouble that

students suffer from while reading we find the problem of identifying the meaning of single

words. Generally, educators do encourage student to read for overall understanding without

paying attention to details. According to him, students need to be prompted to know and to

develop reading skills i.e. those serve in general comprehension and thoseused to grasp the

meaning of individual words. At the beginning, teachers ought to advise them to read for general

meaning. As readers get used to that kind of reading, teachers need to move to the other plan

which is giving them the chance to search for the meaningof single words. Obviously, by doing

that, “the teaching-learning transaction” will meet theneeds of both teachers and learners.

Exercise

Pick the right answer

[Link] meanings of a given text with taking a great consideration to grammatical,

syntactic and semantic elements refers to

a. Extensive reading

b. Skimming

c. Intensive reading

2. Intensive reading is

a. Detailed reading

b. Reading for pleasure

c. Reading widely especially outside the class

[Link] reading includes

a. Scanning

b. Reading easy texts

c. Reading in detail

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Workshop

Read the following passage and answer the following question

Are you into skiing? Is winter your favorite time of year? If you like snow and ice,

maybe you should stay at the Ice Hotel in Quebec, Canada. But, you can only check in to this

hotel during the winter. Why? Because this hotel is made entirely of ice and snow!

This amazing hotel is built every December. It has 32 rooms, and 80 people can stay

there each night. The hotel has a movie theater, an art gallery, and a church. Of course, all of

these parts of the hotel are made of ice. In fact, all the furniture, art, lights, and even plates and

drinking glasses are made of ice. Because this hotel is so unusual, it has become very popular.

People from all over the world come to the Ice Hotel to look at the fantastic ice art, drink and

eat from designer ice dishes, and experience the unique atmosphere. Some couples have even

gotten married in the hotel’s ice church.

However, all the guests keep their winter coats on! Because of all the ice, the

temperature inside the hotel is always between -2 and -5o C. Surprisingly, sleeping is not a

problem in the freezing cold hotel rooms. Every guest gets a special cold-weather sleeping bag

and some fur blankets. These keep them cozy and warm until morning.

Reading comprehension

a. Choose the best answer.

1. What is the main idea of this reading?

a. How the Ice Hotel is built b. What makes the Ice Hotel special

c. Why the Ice Hotel is made of ice d. The services of the Ice Hotel

2. What can you do in the hotel?

a. Watch a movie b. Get married c. Eat an interesting meal

d. All of the above

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3. Why is sleeping NOT a problem at the hotel?

a. The rooms are warm. b. The temperature is -2o C.

c. The sleeping bags are warm. d. The furniture is warm.

4. In which part of the hotel would you probably find the ice plates?

a. The church b. The restaurant c. The rooms d. The art gallery

5. What is the type of reading ? and justify your answer?

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Course: Reading Level: First year LMD

Instructor: Dr. Chahira Nasri Academic year: 2023/2024

Scanning

Objectives of the Lesson: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

 Identify the useful techniques to understand a piece of writing

 Highlight the importance of reading techniques.

 Know how to scan

Prerequisites

-Students should have a good command of English

-Students should be at least at a lower-intermediate level in English.

Introduction

Selecting the suitable type of reading (whether intensive or extensive) that meets the students’

needs is dictated by reading techniques that are used which are (previewing, skimming and

scanning). That is, when readers set their purposes and start reading, their selection of what

technique they should work with determines their reading type. For instance, if they scan specific

information, then they are reading intensively. In respect of that, to be a skilled learner in L2, you

need to master L2 skills. O' Donoghue (2006, p .I) assumed that knowing strategies and techniques

is the best way tostudy skills with less time and efforts. In addition, studies have shown that relying

on such techniques lead to considerable results on learning.

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[Link]

According to Grellet (1981, p. 19), while scanning, readers move their eyes around the

passage to look for specific information until they find it. That is, scanning is reading through a

text, paying particular attention to some words and memorizing what is needed. In other words,

it refers to picking out particular information that is relevant to the readers’ purpose. Smythe

(2014, p. 170) said that scanning is helpful to find specific name, date, statistic or fact without

referring to text. Furthermore, Brown (2001) assumed that "perhaps the two most valuable

readingstrategies for learners as well as native speakers are skimming and scanning" (p. 283).

In the same regard, Sutz & Weverka (2009, pp. 166-167) pointed out that this technique

refers to extracting particular information in a rapid way. Readers set their purposes before they

start reading then they use this technique to achieve them. A clear example of that is using a

dictionary. Learners remember the word that they have to look up it and use the dictionary to

solve that problem.

When we scan, we read the required word, phrase or a number and move our eyes

quickly over the text to find it. When we find it, we skim or we read this part in details. At this

point, the reader’s main goal is to pick out that word. That is, readers often leave the overall

understanding and focus only on their area of interest.

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[Link] do I use scanning?

*State in your mind specifically the information for which you are looking for.

*Phrase it in question form, if possible.

*Try to anticipate how the answer will appear and what clues you might

use to help you locate the answer.

* Determine the organization of the material; it is your most important clue to where to

begin looking for information. Especially when looking up information contained in

charts and tables, the organization of the information is crucial to rapid scanning.

*Use headings and any other aids that will help you identify which sections might con

tain the information for which you are looking

*Selectively read and skip through likely sections of the passage, keeping in mind the

spicific question you formed and your expectations of how the answer might appear.

Move your eyes down the page in a systematic way.

*When you have found the needed information, carefully read the sentences in which i

t appears in order to confirm that you have located the correct information.

Exercise

Read the text and answer the following questions

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Vocabulary preview

Write the letter of the word or phrase with the same meaning as the underlined word.

A. places to stay or sleep B. put underground after death C. place to put dead people

D. visited by ghosts E. feast; big and formal dinner f. parts of the body that give us shape

1. ____ That old castle is haunted.

2. ____ My grandmother is buried near the sea.

3. ____ There are 206 bones in the human body.

4. ____ My grandmother is buried in a cemetery.

5. ____ The accommodations at the hotel are very comfortable.

6. ____ The king held a big banquet to celebrate the princess’s wedding.

1. Skim the text and answer what is the main idea of this reading?

a. Castles usually have ghosts. b. Chillingham Castle has a long history.

c. Many ghosts live in England. d. Chillingham Castle is an interesting place.

2. Scan the text to check when did visitors to the castle report seeing the ghost of blue boy?

3. Look for: names, dates, places, key words or phrases, italicized or boldfaced terms, numbers,

or punctuation

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Course: Reading Level: First year LMD

Instructor: Dr. Chahira Nasri Academic year:

2023/2024

Previewing and predicting

Objectives of the Lesson: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

 Understand the text they are about to read.

 Subconsciously prepare their minds towards the content of the material

 Make connections between their prior knowledge and the text

 Implement of previewing and predicting in reading

Prerequisites

-Students should have a good command of English

-Students should be at least at a lower-intermediate level in English.

Introduction

There are so many skills that go into learning to read, but they all point to one ultimate

goal: comprehension. The good news is, a student does not have to be a fluent reader in order

to start learning good comprehension strategies. The even better news is that there is a huge

body of research on the best practices for teaching reading comprehension, including how to

preview and how to make predictions.

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1. Previewing

Previewing plays a prominent role in understanding. It is a step where you read to discover

what you will find later. This enables readers to get an idea that will pave the way for them for

text comprehension. A clear example of this technique is when readers look at pictures to find

out what is the idea of it, or when a person receives a letter, she/he directly searches for the

sender and the address to anticipate what it will be about (Mikulecky & Jeffries, 2004, p. 17).

In other words, it is a preliminary view to the texts you are reading. This technique helps

readers to find out the needed information. To practice previewing, readers refer to table of

content to see the elements of the material they engage in which are the author, titles and sub

titles (Grellet, 1981, p. 17).

It is important to note that good readers have the ability to use their schemata to figure out

the topic of a certain material in a short time. By using this skill, readers will have a push to

continue the process of reading in a very comfortable way (Harmer, 2007,p. 201).

2. Making predictions

When readers ask themselves questions about the text they are reading, they usually predict

what they are going to find in the text through answering those questions. Those predictions

make them eager to continue reading to see whether their hypotheses are correct or not.

According to Moreillon (2007, pp. 76-80), “ predictions are educatedguesses about what

will happen next based on what is known from reading the text; predictions can also

involve readers’ background”. That is, readers use their prior knowledge to expect what is

coming. They go behind the usual literal meaning using their experience and background

knowledge to draw conclusions which are eminent for reading comprehension. By doing so

before, while and after reading, readers get involved in the reading process and they contribute

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to the meaning-making process. As we have seen before, reading is an interaction between text,

readers and context, thus the literal meaning and the illustrations can be considered only as part

of the story. For better comprehension, readers are in need to interpret the text using their own

techniques such as predictions and inferring.

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Course: Reading Level: First year LMD

Instructor: Dr. Chahira Nasri Academic year: 2023/2024

Making inferences

Objectives of the Lesson: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

 Reach conclusions based on evidence and reasoning.

 Understand when information is implied, or not directly stated

 Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the

main idea.

Prerequisites

-Students should have a good command of English

-Students should be at least at a lower-intermediate level in English.

Introduction

When meanings are implied, you may infer them. Inference is just a big word that means

a conclusion or judgement. If you infer that something has happened, you do not see, hear, feel,

smell, or taste the actual event. But from what you know, it makes sense to think that it has

happened.

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1. Making inferences

According to Bader (2007, pp. 51-52), inferring refers to the logical process of

connecting input between sentences and text or between background knowledge and text. For

instance, to what the word (he) refers in the text, readers need to link between the pieces of

information in that sentence with the previous sentence to know the correct answer. Their prior

knowledge allows them to know that (he) refers to a male.

[Link] of inferences

Oakhill et al. (2015, p. 40) made a distinction between twotypes of inference that are

necessary for reading comprehension. Those types are local cohesion inferences and global

coherence inferences.

[Link] cohesion inferences refer to meaning making of words and sentences by linking

them to other words and sentences in a text. In other words, readers tie what is found in one

sentence with another sentence. For instance, the word puppy can be clarified through linking

this lexical item to another lexical item “pet” from other sentences. This type of local cohesion

inferences is called lexical inferences since it links between lexical items. Furthermore, another

type of local cohesion inferences that is important to the cohesion of a text is pronominal

inferences. This latter refers to the tie between pronouns such as he, she…etc and content words

to determine their exact meaning.

[Link] coherence inferences are those inferences that build semantic relationship between

different parts of the same text. In other words, they link and organize parts of a text to make it

unified. According to Oakhill et al. (2015), typical global coherenceinferences are those made

by readers to extract the setting, characters or goals from key words within a text. To clarify

that type, Oakhill et al. (2015) suggested that example, “The children paddled and build

sandcastles. When the wind picked up they quickly gathered their clothes and cycled home” (p.

40). To construct meaning of those sentences, readers need to understand the setting (at the
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beach) and the reason why wind made the children cycle home. Therefore, we can say that

global coherence inferences are crucial for understanding.

Moreover, linking thoughts in the text and connecting information provided by the text

with what readers already have are necessary steps for making inferences during reading.

Readers need to make inferences in order to facilitate their comprehension of the material they

are dealing with.

According to Moreillon (2007), educators have to motivate students to give their

different interpretations because each interpretation is unique and valued. They need to let

students get involved through practices. Those practices may include different questions to

warm up and to activate their previous knowledge about a certain text. She added that reading

a book is an enjoyable action to learn about new things. Furthermore, readers get excited to

discover different cultures of different people. In fact, reading a book is a nice adventure in

which one can reflect. It affects readers and leads them to be critical thinkers. Talking and

discussing within a group of people give learners more chances to exchange thoughts and

expand their knowledge. This includes shedding light on different concepts as well as

discovering a variety of perspectives and of contrasts with the others (Moreillon, 2007, pp. 77-

80).

She stated (2007) that making inferences facilitate the process of teaching and learning.

Actually, the reading process starts first with interacting to prints. But inference requires readers

to use their own knowledge, beliefs and experience to draw conclusions. That is, to infer,

readers move from reading the literal meaning of a passage to reading beyond the lines. Readers

must use their personal knowledge and experience to make sense of words. Those words

interfere with their schemas. At this way, a reader will become self-reliant and will insure that

his personal inferences would be more long lasting. i.e. he will improve his comprehension in

general. Educators must invite readers to infer. Readers need to rely on their mental capacities

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to make connections between existing knowledge and new knowledge. Readers must read

between and beyond the lines using the illustrators provided by the author. But before making

predictions and inferences readers need to do a sum up that generalizes their prior knowledge

and the new input provided by the text.

Concerning how to teach prediction and inference, Moreillon (2007, pp. 77-80) assumed

that readers can use those techniques to make sense of words, sentences, paragraphs, pages and

chapters or to reflect on that text at the end of reading. Teachers can consolidate readers’

understanding through providing graphics and examples that facilitate the process of predicting

and inferring. Connecting background knowledge to words and examples leads to create better

guesses.

To sum up, visual aids help learners to promote their understanding. As teachers share

images or cartoons with their learners, they will double their chances of comprehension as well

as push them to predict about what is coming (Shabiralyani et al., 2015, pp. 226-227). Showing

visual illustrations is a format that supports the use ofpredictions. It also assists in activating

background knowledge. This latter is the most important existing information that contributes

to making inferences and drawing conclusions. Picture books are helpful way for making

students predict and [Link] must highlight the key role of anticipation and making

inferences incomprehension through providing texts or poems with rhyme (Moreillon, 2007).

Inferring permits readers to build their own meaning based on their prior knowledge

experience, semantic and visual cues provide readers with the information they require.

Teachers need to motivate readers’ to infer in order to get involved in that text (Bader, 2007, p.

51).

In short, making inferences allows readers to understand the main ideas of a text and

the theme as well. The flash back that is made by readers assists them in overall understanding.

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It is also effective for making them reflect. The individual inferencesdetermine the level of

readers since each reader has his own interpretation.

Exercise

The following situations give students a chance to practice making inferences together:

1. Every time I take my banana for a walk, he barks at squirrels and pulls on his leash.

2. Use your own experiences and background knowledge along with other words in the sentence

as clues to help identify a word that could replace banana.

3. A boy is going to school. He looks outside, and then puts on a raincoat and gets an umbrella.

-"What is going on?"

-Explain how you know this.

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Course: Reading Level: First year LMD

Instructor: Dr. Chahira Nasri Academic year: 2023/2024

Understanding paragraph

Objectives of the Lesson: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

 Identify the three key parts of paragraph

 Introduce the subject of the paragraph using topic sentence

 Develop the ability to identify the main ideas and supporting details.

Prerequisites

-Students should have a good command of English

-Students should be at least at a lower-intermediate level in English.

Introduction

Paragraphs do not just make a text easier to read by breaking it up on the page. They are

a key tool in creating and signposting structure in academic writing, as they are the building

blocks of an argument, separating each point and showing how they link together to form the

structure.

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[Link] is a paragraph ?

A paragraph is a series of sentences that are organized and coherent, and are all related

to a single topic. Almost every piece of writing you do that is longer than a few sentences should

be organized into paragraphs. This is because paragraphs show a reader where the subdivisions

of an essay begin and end, and thus help the reader see the organization of the essay and grasp

its main points.

Paragraphs can contain many different kinds of information. A paragraph could contain

a series of brief examples or a single long illustration of a general point. It might describe a

place, character, or process; narrate a series of events; compare or contrast two or more things;

classify items into categories; or describe causes and effects. Regardless of the kind of

information they contain, all paragraphs share certain characteristics. One of the most important

of these is a topic sentence.

2. Paragraph structure

Most paragraphs in an essay have a three-part structure—introduction, body, and

conclusion. You can see this structure in paragraphs whether they are narrating, describing,

comparing, contrasting, or analyzing information. Each part of the paragraph plays an important

role in communicating your meaning to your reader.

Introduction: the first section of a paragraph; should include the topic sentence and any other

sentences at the beginning of the paragraph that give background information or provide a

transition.

Body: follows the introduction; discusses the controlling idea, using facts, arguments analysis,

examples, and other information.

Conclusion: the final section; summarizes the connections between the information discussed

in the body of the paragraph and the paragraph’s controlling idea.

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3. Definition of topic sentence

A topic sentence is a sentence that introduces a paragraph by presenting the one topic

that will be the focus of that paragraph. The structure of a paragraph should imitate the

organization of a paper. Just like the thesis statement gives the main idea of the paper at the

essay level, the topic sentence gives the main idea at the paragraph level. The rest of the

paragraph then supports that topic. A topic sentence has several important functions: it

substantiates or supports an essay’s thesis statement; it unifies the content of a paragraph and

directs the order of the sentences; and it advises the reader of the subject to be discussed and

how the paragraph will discuss it.

Topic sentences should:

 Be specific and have a narrower focus than your thesis statement.

 Appear in or near the first sentence of the paragraph.

 Introduce the topic of the paragraph.

An effective topic sentence:

 informs the reader of the subject that will be discussed in the paragraph

 asserts the writer’s point of view or attitude

 intrigues the reader to continue reading

 creates a sense of action

 is not vague, rambling, too narrow or too broad

4. Supporting details

A paragraph contains facts, statements, examples-specifics which guide us to a full

understanding of the main idea. They clarify, illuminate, explain, describe, expand and

illustrate the main idea and are supporting details.

Determining Supporting Details

1. Decide which details help to further the story line.

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2. Decide which details help you to understand the main idea.

3. Answer question raised by the main idea (who, what when, why or how).

Exercice

Read the paragraph. Label each sentence: • Topic Sentence • Major Detail • Minor Detail •

Concluding Sentence

(1) The Boston Terrier has a wonderful temperament. (2) Boston Terriers love companionship

and are extremely sensitive to owners’ moods. (3) Many owners are completely charmed by

their expressive eyes. (4) Boston Terriers are good with other pets, and are seldom aggressive.

(5) The breed tends to be very playful, and they have a particular affinity for the elderly. (6)

With so many great qualities, Boston Terriers make fantastic family pets.

1………………………………………………………………………………………………….

2………………………………………………………………………………………………….

3………………………………………………………………………………………………….

4………………………………………………………………………………………………….

5………………………………………………………………………………………………….

6………………………………………………………………………………………………….

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Course: Reading Level: First year LMD

Instructor: Dr. Chahira Nasri Academic year: 2023/2024

Skimming

Objectives of the Lesson: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

 Develop a deep understanding of the meaning of skimming

 Cover vast amounts of material more quickly.

 Determine a comprehensive way to read effectively at university.

Prerequisites

-Students should have a good command of English

-Students should be at least at a lower-intermediate level in English.

Introduction

Skimming, scanning and prereading are effective strategies through which a reader can

process a text. They are helpful ways to increase speeding rate as well as assist learners and

native speakers to identify the differentelements that are worth reading.

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[Link]

Skimming is a type of reading which involves looking rapidly to get the generalidea of

what you are reading to determine what is appropriate to be read (Smythe, 2012, p. 10).For

Grellet (1981, p. 18), skimming is a way of allowing your eyes to move quicklyover a page for

getting the main idea. Similarly, Sutz & Weverka (2009, pp. 166-167) pointed out that

skimming refers to reading quickly for general understanding. According to them, the main

aim of this strategy is to pick up few things that would clarify your understanding.

In fact, for this kind of reading, learners need to maintain few words that assist in drawing

a general idea about particular topic and skip the others because their learning objectives are

not to memorize everything they read. In other words, Sutz & Weverka (2009, p. 168) believed

that this technique includes focusing on important ideas andpassing the insignificant ones.

In this context, Whiteley (2004, p. 45) believed that skimming is beneficial since it allows

readers to check the importance of the reading materials they are reading in relation to their

purpose to emphasize on crucial points and ideas. To put it differently, readers can process

information rapidly and effectively to enhance their understanding.

[Link] when should we skim?

This strategy involves taking the important thoughts and leaving the others. Readers need

to take into consideration that there are a number of materials and situations that need to be

skimmed such as business report, newspapers and the insufficient time. This latter obliges

readers to skim because they do not have time to read all the text (Sutz & Weverka, 2009,p.168)

added that the best way to identify the essential ideas is through referring to opening and

concluding paragraphs. Generally, opening paragraphs contain the authors’ beliefs that he

wants to justify. In addition, concluding paragraphs include the main results of the author’s

investigation on certain issue.

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[Link] to skim

Bani Abdelrahman & Bsharah (2014, p. 170) mentioned that having an overall viewabout a

text can happen through

*Reading the title.

*Reading the introductory part and the first paragraph.

* Reading the opening sentence of every remaining paragraph.

*Checking any headings and sub headings.

*Having a look on any pictures of graphs.

*Noticing any words that are written in bold type or in italic form.

*Reading the conclusion or the last paragraphs.

Researchers suggested different effective ways to practice skimming. Reading titles and

looking at the initial sentence of the paragraph can help with practicing skimming. Key words

and transition markers can also assist in directing the understanding of a text.

Whitely (2004, pp. 45-52) suggested helpful guidelines that explain skimming and show

how to skim appropriately. Those guidelines are

 Skim reading structured content.

 Skim reading unstructured content.

 Skim reading on a computer.

 Skim reading structured content

Structured content refers to pieces of information that are organized and ordered through a

number of text features such as titles, table of content and headlines…etc and through other

guiding words in a text. The advantage of this technique can be shown intwo things. The

first one is that through this technique readers can have an overview about the material they are

exposed to. That is, this method allows readers to select the suitable strategies to process a text.

It also helps in determining the main ideas. The second is that readers can rely on such a

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technique to review things that they already have. Moreimportantly, authors follow systematic

steps to represent their information. By doing that, they permit readers to determine key points

of a material easily and rapidly. Thus, skim reading structured content involves reading quickly

to have an overview through referring to elements that organize the text such as,

 Front and back cover: book covers can contain pieces of information through which the

authors express their thoughts. Therefore, skimming a cover will be beneficial to understand

the gist of a particular topic.

 Table of contents: each author builds his text according to some beliefs. Those beliefs are

represented and divided into sections and inserted to the table of contents. This latter contains

all the titles that will be found in the material. So, readers can skim it and gain time by choosing

what to read.

 Major and second level headings: major and second level headings provide readers with

important points through which readers decide what to read. Headings work positively in

consolidating readers’ level of understanding.

 First and last sentences of paragraphs: generally, the first sentence of a paragraph provides

readers with the main idea of this paragraph. Often time,the last sentence of a paragraph

contains a restatement of the first sentence. Readers can skim those sentences to build an

overview and to gain [Link], there are writers whose style is complex so their

ideas will be ambiguous to understand.

 Summaries: an easy way to understand the general idea of a certain material can happen

through skim reading the summaries. Summaries contain concluding remarks of the author on

particular topic.

 Other organizers: there are other indicators that tell us about the main points of a text such

as specific names, figures, days, dates or times…etc. Suppose that the author gives a phone

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number, address or specific clues to contact certain association. Clearly, readers must

understand that this association is so important, and for that readers must know those details.

Skim reading unstructured content

Unstructured content refers to texts that have no or few headlines such as novels and

biographies…etc. Even though this type of content does not have lot of organizational elements,

readers can use skim reading to have an overview about the text they are exposedto.

Skim reading in both types of content involves previewing the text rapidly to have a

general idea about it. This previewing includes skipping words that do not seem as key words.

It is a good practice through which readers monitor their understanding. By focusing on main

ideas, students can improve their level of understanding as well as become self-reliant and

independent from teachers.

Skim reading on a computer monitor

According to him, readers skim data on a computer in a slower way compared to paper.

Nevertheless, the understanding will be greater. This transaction assumes that readers have to

develop their skim reading if they use a computer. He suggested a number of tips that are useful

in developing this technique which are:

-Use full screen mode: learners need to rely on that mode to avoid moving each time the cursor

up and down. Readers will feel finger and eye relief. Microsoft word and Adobe Acrobat can

guarantee that.

-Minimize mouse usage: the overuse of mousse can lead to pain in different parts of the body

such as shoulder, arm and wrist. It is advisable to select other alternative things such as using

pencil instead of it.

-Print it out: usually, texts on papers are easier to skim read compared to a computer. To make

the best use of a computer, readers can print out the texts found on a computer. Or they can

configure screen to pave the wayfor skim reading.

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References

Abraham, P. (2000). Skilled reading: Top-down, bottom-up. Fields Notes, 10(2), 1-28.

Adams, M. J. (1990). Beginning to read: Thinking and learning about print. US: Massachusetts

Institute of Technology.

Alderson, J. C. (1984). Reading in foreign language: A reading problem or a language

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Electronic sources

[Link]

resources/topic-sentence- retrieved on Oct. 2023

[Link]#:~:text=The%20topic%20sentence%20is%20usually,related%20to%20the%2

0topic%20sentence. retrieved on Oct. 2023

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[Link] retrieved on Oct.

2023

[Link] retrieved on Oct. 2023

http//efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/[Link]

content/uploads/2014/03/[Link] retrieved on Oct. 2023

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Appendices

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Appendix A

Mohamed Khider University of Biskra

Faculty of Letters and Languages

Department of English language

First test

Module: Study Skills Student’s full name...................................

Level: First year Group N…………………………………

Activity one: Pick the right answer (4pts)

[Link] exercise dominated by eyes and brain, the eyes receive and the brain then has to work out

the significance of these messages

 [Link]

 [Link]

 [Link]

 [Link]

[Link] approach to language teaching in which learners read a lot of easy material

[Link] reading

b. predicting

[Link] reading

[Link]

[Link] a text to look for its main or general idea requires :

[Link] the text

[Link] the text

[Link]

[Link] texts

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[Link] reading includes

[Link] detail

[Link]

[Link] easy texts

Activity two : Say whether the following statements are true or false.(5pts)

[Link] handouts given by teachers is an extensive type of reading where readers skim to get

the main idea………………………..

[Link] topic sentence always appears in the first sentence of the paragraph……………

[Link] is reading through a text paying particular attention to some words and memorizing

what is needed....……....

[Link] paragraph structure includes five important parts....................

[Link] intensive reading, students can choose their own materials and read it independently of the

teacher........................

Activity three: Use your own experience and background knowledge along with other words

in the sentence as clues to help you infer what is going on?(5pts)

1. If we wake up and see tree branches on the ground and lawn chairs turned upside down, we

might infer……………

2. If a friend comes to school on crutches, we infer that …………………………………

Activity four: briefly discuss the importance of reading (6pts)

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

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Appendix B

Mohamed Khider University of Biskra

Faculty of Letters and Languages

Department of English language

second test

Module: Study Skills Student’s full name...................................

Level: First year Group N…………………………………

Activity one: Write the appropriate term for the following definitions. (04pts)

1.A formalized, usually visually represented theory of what goes on in the eyes and the mind

when readers are comprehending (or miscomprehending) a text ……………………………….

2. Inferences that build semantic relationship between different parts of the same text. In other

words, they link and organize parts of a text to make it unified ………………..………..…….

3. Readers move their eyes around the passage to look for specific information until they find

it.............................................

4. The final section which summarizes the connections between the information discussed in

the body of the paragraph and the paragraph’s controlling idea…………………………………

Activity two

Say how will you read the following reading materials, then justify each choice (choose only

one strategy for each case (5pts)

Reading materials Reading type Reading strategy Why?

A plane timetable
A short story for
the first time
A tourist guide
Questions of an
exam
A travel brochure

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Activity three:

A. Read the following dialogues and make inferences about the characters’ thoughts or

intentions. (2pts)

01.-Sarah; “I cannot believe you finished all the cake!”

-John: “I was just making sure there’s enough room in the fridge”

02: -Lisa: “Can you help me with my math homework again?”

-Mark: “Sure, I can explain it to you one more time.”

B. Read the following descriptions and make inferences about the described scenario. (3pts)

[Link] car was covered in dust and cobwebs, with a “For Sale” sign in the window.

………………………………………………………………………………………………….

[Link] walked into the room with a tired expression, wearing her pajamas, and carrying a

book.……………………………………………………………………………………………

Activity: Scanning Exercise (6pts)

Read the following passage and answer the questions by scanning the text for the relevant

information.

Passage:

In a small coastal town, there is a lighthouse that has been standing for over a century. This

Light house is a popular tourist attraction, and it stands tall at 100 feet. Visitors can climb to

the top for a breathtaking view of the sea and surrounding areas. The lighthouse is painted white

and has a red roof, which has become an iconic symbol of the town. It is said to have guided

countless ships safely to the harbor during storms.

Questions

[Link] tall is the lighthouse?

[Link] is the color of the lighthouse?

[Link] is the purpose of the lighthouse?

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Appendix C

Key answers (the grading)

Activity one: Pick the right answer (4pts)

[Link] exercise dominated by eyes and brain, the eyes receive and the brain then has to work out

the significance of these messages

[Link]

[Link]

[Link]

[Link]

[Link] approach to language teaching in which learners read a lot of easy material

 [Link] reading

 [Link]

 [Link] reading

 [Link]

[Link] a text to look for its main or general idea requires :

[Link] the text

[Link] the text

[Link]

[Link] texts

[Link] reading includes

[Link] detail

[Link]

[Link] easy texts

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Activity two : Say whether the following statements are true or false.(5pts)

[Link] handouts given by teachers is an extensive type of reading where readers skim to get

the main idea false

[Link] topic sentence always appears in the first sentence of the paragraph false

[Link] is reading through a text paying particular attention to some words and memorizing

what is needed true

[Link] paragraph structure includes five important parts false

[Link] intensive reading, students can choose their own materials and read it independently of the

teacher false

Activity three: Use your own experience and background knowledge along with other words

in the sentence as clues to help you infer what is going on?(5pts)

[Link] we wake up and see tree branches on the ground and lawn chairs turned upside down, we

might infer that it was windy last night.

[Link] a friend comes to school on crutches, we infer that he/she had some kind of accident and

was injured.

Activity four: briefly discuss the importance of reading (6pts)

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………….

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Appendix D

Mohamed Khider University of Biskra

Faculty of Letters and Languages

Department of English language

Second test

Module: Study Skills Student’s full name...................................

Level: First year Group N…………………………………

Activity one: Write the appropriate term for the following definitions. (04pts)

1.a formalized, usually visually represented theory of what goes on in the eyes and the mind

when readers are comprehending (or miscomprehending) a text…………model……………..

2. inferences that build semantic relationship between different parts of the same text. In other

words, they link and organize parts of a text to make it unified ……Global coherence

inferences……….

3. Readers move their eyes around the passage to look for specific information until they find

it…….scanning…….

4. The final section which summarizes the connections between the information discussed in

the body of the paragraph and the paragraph’s controlling idea………..Conclusion………

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Activity two

Say how will you read the following reading materials, then justify each choice (choose only

one strategy for each case (5pts)

Reading Reading type Reading Why?

materials strategy
A plane intensive scan
timetable
A short story for extensive skim
the first time
A tourist guide Ex/ int Scan/ skim
Questions of an Intensive scan
exam
A travel Ex/ int Scan/skim
brochure

Activity three:

A. Read the following dialogues and make inferences about the characters’ thoughts or

intentions. (2pts)

01.-Sarah; “I cannot believe you finished all the cake!”

-John: “I was just making sure there’s enough room in the fridge”

John may not want Sarah to be upset about him eating the cake.

02: -Lisa: “Can you help me with my math homework again?”

-Mark: “Sure, I can explain it to you one more time.”

Mark is patient and willing to help Lisa even though he has explained it before.

B. Read the following descriptions and make inferences about the described scenario. (3pts)

[Link] car was covered in dust and cobwebs, with a “For Sale” sign in the window.

The car has not been used or maintained for a long time, and someone is trying to sell it.

[Link] walked into the room with a tired expression, wearing her pajamas, and carrying a

book.

Maria is likely going to bed and plans to read before sleeping

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Dr. Chahira NASRI
Activity: Scanning Exercise (6pts)

Read the following passage and answer the questions by scanning the text for the relevant

information.

Passage:

In a small coastal town, there is a lighthouse that has been standing for over a century. This

lighthouse is a popular tourist attraction, and it stands tall at 100 feet. Visitors can climb to the

top for a breathtaking view of the sea and surrounding areas. The lighthouse is painted white

and has a red roof, which has become an iconic symbol of the town. It is said to have guided

countless ships safely to the harbor during storms.

Questions

[Link] tall is the lighthouse?

[Link] is the color of the lighthouse?

[Link] is the purpose of the lighthouse?

The answers

[Link] lighthouse is 100 feet tall.

[Link] lighthouse is painted white with a red roof.

[Link] purpose of the lighthouse is to guide ships safely to the harbor, especially during storms.

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FIRST TERM EXAMINATION IN READING COMPREHENSION

Freshman Course

January 17th, 2022

Time Allotted (1 Hour)

LAST NAME FIRST NAME GROUP MARK/20

Instructions: Read the text then answer the questions.

Record wave of Covid-19 infections propelled by the spread of the contagious Omicron variant

has cast a cloud over New Year’s celebrations around the world, with partygoers urged to

exercise caution in the face of soaring cases. Despite hopes that 2021 would mark a return to

normalcy after the pandemic shut down many celebrations last New Year’s Eve, many cities

and countries either cancelled or scaled back planned festivities, while urging residents to limit

the size of their gatherings. London cancelled its official New Year’s Eve fireworks display,

but threw a last-minute party on television screens across the UK. At midnight Big Ben rang in

the new year for the first time since 2017 after a restoration of the clock tower above the Houses

of Parliament. New York’s Times Square celebration will proceed even as infection rates in the

city soar to record highs. Still, only 15,000 people will be allowed to attend the ball drop event,

which typically attracts almost 60,000 from all over the world. Guests must be vaccinated and

wear masks to attend the outdoor event, though public health experts have questioned whether

the event should go ahead at all. The event was closed to crowds in 2020. Eric Adams will be

sworn in as the city’s new mayor at the Times Square celebration shortly after the ball drops,

after cancelling his indoor inauguration party in Brooklyn due to the surge of cases.

In New York state, the Covid-19 infection rate is more than twice the US average, with than

230 cases per 100,000 people, the highest since the start of the pandemic, according to an FT

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analysis of data. Lines stretching several city blocks have become a common sight outside

testing centres. Experts have cautioned against large gatherings, as the seven-day average of

new cases in the US soared to almost 350,000, its highest ever. San Francisco cancelled its

fireworks, while Atlanta called off the Georgia state capital’s annual “Peach Drop”. At a White

House press briefing on Wednesday, Dr Anthony Fauci, Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, said

that for those planning to attend large gatherings with “everybody hugging and kissing and

wishing each other happy New Year — I would strongly recommend that, this year, we do not

do that”.

A Global Comprehension [3/3]

1. What does this newspaper article speak about?

2. What is Omicron?

3. Who is Dr. Anthony Fauci?

B. Detailed Comprehension [6/6]

1. Why should New Year's Eve 2022 partygoers be cautious?

2. What are the requirements to attend the ball drop event in NYC?

3. Is Mr. Adams the outgoing New York City Mayor?

4. In what way is Dr. Fauci with or against New Year's Eve celebrations?

C. Lexis [3/3]

1. Synonyms: Find in the text words or phrases that closest to the following.

a. increasing= b. business as usual= c. widespread

disease=

2. Antonyms: Find in the text words or phrases that are opposite in meaning to the following.

a. forbidden=/= b. indoor=/= c. usually=/=

D. Paraphrasing [2/2]

In no more than the space provided, explain the statements in your own words.

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a. The spread of the contagious Omicron variant has cast a cloud over New Year’s celebrations

around the world, with partygoers urged to exercise caution in the face of soaring cases.

b. At a White House press briefing on Wednesday, Dr Anthony Fauci, Joe Biden’s chief medical

adviser, said that for those planning to attend large gatherings with “everybody hugging and

kissing and wishing each other happy New Year — I would strongly recommend that, this year,

we do not do that”.

D. Cloze Text and Jumbled Sentences [6/6]

a. Fill in the gaps with words from the box [3/3]

epidemic- data- diseases- elderly- millions- pandemics

1 2 3 4 5 6

a. That's not the case during the worst influenza __(1)__.

b. Seasonal flu epidemics may sicken __(2)__, but those who die are typically a small number of

the __(3)__, very young children, and people with weak immune systems.

c. Christine Pearson, a spokeswoman for the CDC, cautions that the definition of an influenza

epidemic doesn't apply to other __(4)__.

d. The normal level, or baseline, is statistically determined based on __(5)__ from past flu seasons.

e. The "epidemic threshold" is a certain percentage above what is considered normal for that

period.

f. The CDC's definition of a flu __(6)__ relates to the percentage of deaths in a given week caused

by influenza and pneumonia.

b. Re-order the statement in the grid below to make a coherent paragraph (do not rewrite the

statements). [3/3]

1 2 3 4 5 6

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