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[Solar Strength]

I'm not a reading teacher per se at my current school but I need to do a student demo lesson from a reading text by OUP called Q Skills for Success 3 Reading & Writing. I was asked to give the students the lesson from Unit 2 "What Makes Food Taste Good?"

So, I'm curious if any of the experienced reading instructors here have used this coursebook and also if you have any tips for pre-, during and post-reading activities that you have found that worked well with this material? If so, I'd be interested in hearing your suggestions and advice. I've never used the text before and not sure how to approach it or the stages. The learners are senior high school - university aged and are around the TOEFL 450 score level. The lesson is only 25 - 30 min. but the manager would also like me to make it somewhat communicative.

Appreciate any info.

[da teacha]

Could you scan the relevant pages, or upload the relevant pdf pages to rapidshare or something?

[cmp45]

[Solar Strength]

Thanks for the comments. 25 - 30 minutes is not very long, so I think I'll have to really get into the listen quickly and after reading the reading activity, I don't know if I'll have enough time for students to read the whole article. In fact, I may cut it in half.

[Denim-Maniac]

Why would you want the students to read aloud? What would be the possible function, especially when the lesson time is so short? Id most definitely NOT do that ... bad idea IMO.

It is difficult to really plan this lesson without knowing the text, I dont know it (as I think we already discussed elsewhere). The time limit is a real killer too, so whatever you do has to be sharp and have a clear aim with each stage. Reading aloud should be avoided.

Id probably do something like this (and Im guessing somewhat as I dont know the text).

Warm up / set schemata - Run a photo slideshow of some different food types. If possible tie this in to themes that might be in the text. Use the slideshow to generate interest, identify some food types, food groups and elicit some key vocabulary that may be needed from the text. Tie this into the text and the question 'why does food taste so good?' Id set this up as a teacher > whole class activity

Pre-teach / elicit any other key vocabulary if the warmer activity left gaps. Again teacher > whole class.

Set a gist reading task > give text > ICQ > give feedback

Set a detailed reading task > ICQ > student nominated feedback

Then wrap up with a food orientated discussion question which can be answered in pairs or groups before feedback. Questions themed along the lines of 'what would you have for a last supper / who would you invite to a dinner party / if you could eat any meal in any place what would you have' type discussion. And I reckon you would struggle to get all of that done in 25-30 minutes.

[cmp45]

[cmp45]

Jim Trelease (1989) states that �reading aloud is motivational, the desire is the �lead role.�. It is the teacher�s job to be the leader, the motivator, the simulator, the one who creates an exciting atmosphere. Reading aloud can provide this atmosphere, this motivation." Hearing books read aloud by an enthusiastic teacher is an important motivating factor in helping children become readers (Huck, 1979). Teachers influence children by interacting with reading material to increase comprehension (Rumelhart, 1984). R. Smith (1980) echoed this by explaining that

most people, regardless of age, can be captivated by a good story teller. Children are especially susceptible to the charm of a good story being read by a good reader. Therefore, teachers should consider the reading of good stories to children as one of their major responsibilities in the development of positive attitudes toward reading.

Reading aloud will motivate students to embark on other areas of interest (Casteel, 1989). Students are given an opportunity to enjoy reading when teachers motivate them and read aloud (Johns, 1978).
I also explored techniques for what I might do as I was reading out loud to my students. Thompkins & Weber (1983), describe a five step teaching strategy to direct students� attention to features of a book while reading aloud:

1. Read the title aloud, show the cover and/or illustrations and ask the students to
predict what they think the story is about.
2. Read the first few pages, stop and ask the students to predict what will happen
next or what a character will say.
3. Ask the students why they made their predictions.
4. Read the next few pages and have students confirm/reject predictions.
5. Continue reading the selection repeating steps two, three, and four.

A.S. Artley (1975) surveyed 100 junior and senior education majors and asked them to remember what turned them on or off about reading when they were in elementary school. He noted, "The greatest number said that teachers reading to the class on any level was the thing they remembered and enjoyed the most."

There are many benefits to reading out loud to students. L. Lamme (1976) and Sloan, (n.d.) noted that many educators assume that once children know how to read, there is no longer a need to read orally to them. Since permanent reading habits develop between the ages of ten and twelve, it is crucial that educators do everything possible to instill a love and respect for reading in students during that time period.
Kemmel & Segal (1988), stated that reading aloud to children builds the desire to read. They stated, "Reading is one of the most basic educational practices. It is through reading aloud that children learn that reading for pleasure is worthwhile." G.L. Macroll (1989) in his research found support for the following statements about reading aloud to students and how it benefits the total reading program:

1. Helps them get off to a better start in reading.
2. Improves their listening skills.
3. Increases their abilities to read independently.
4. Expands their vocabularies.
5. Helps them become better speakers.
6. Improves their abilities as writers.
7. Improves reading comprehension.
8. Improves quantity and quality of independent reading.

Carol Fisher & Barbara Alleman (1984) have done research on what they call the "Read Aloud Remedy." They have developed a list of ten reasons to read aloud to children of all ages:

1. Reading aloud introduces pupils to new words.
2. Reading aloud introduces pupils to more complex sentence structure.
3. Reading aloud exposes them to more standard forms of sentence structure.
4. Reading aloud exposes pupils to various styles of written language.
5. Reading aloud develops a sense of story.
6. Reading aloud motivates children to refine reading skills.
7. Reading aloud provides structure and motivation for creative writing.
8. Reading aloud serves as a springboard to discussions or creative activities.
9. Reading aloud enriches general knowledge.
10. Reading aloud adds pleasure to the day.

According to the Commission on Reading in Becoming a Nation of Readers (Anderson, Hiebert, Scott & Wilkinson, 1985), "reading aloud is the single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading."

gse.gmu.edu/assets/docs/lmtip/vol1/D.Saenz.doc

Here is another interesting article on guided reading...Reading outloud
http://righttrackreading.com/guidedreading.html

Just to balance it out...an article that questions the validity of reading out loud...
http://www.eslminiconf.net/july/story5.html

Typically, it would be beneficial to start students out with a basic text that they would not struggle too much with...granted understanding what they are reading does hold importance, but all the same I still encourage some reading outloud...maybe better for intermediate and advanced where students have stronger comprehension skills...maybe not so much for beginners???

[tarte tatin]

I have taught this book but can't remember this unit very well. The book has a CD with it. One thing you could do before reading is give each pair a cut up version of the text that they have to put in order. Not necessarily line by line, but paragraphs maybe. Then play the CD of the text, and they read along to verify if they have ordered it correctly.

There are then comprehension questions in the book. You could make answering them a race, maybe use an audible timer to make it more exciting.

Unfortunately, without the text in front of me I can't be much more specific.

[sparks]

Reading aloud is great for pronuciation, just make sure you don't expect the reader to comprehend, the people observing you may be looking for such mistakes in planning. Round robin could be fun, again depending on time. I'd also make sure that they don't just look at the text once, whether it be a skim/scan type of deal or whatever, once and done will not look good. If the text is particularly difficult or if you ever have low-level learners, chorus reading can also help to get the weaker students practice pronuciation without putting them on the spot.

[tarte tatin]

Reading aloud seems to arouse strong feelings of controversy in EFL circles. For that reason alone, I would avoid it for an observed lesson. If the person observing you is of the opinion that getting students to read aloud is pointless (and I have heard this voiced very strongly in staff rooms) you will get negative feedback.

In the end it is not a speaking or pronunciation lesson, it is a lesson to test reading comprehension and that's what your observer will be looking for.

[Solar Strength]

[HLJHLJ]

Whatever approach was used, I'd be looking for some sort of summarising activity to show comprehension.

Depending on the text and time, I'd probably do something like this:
Reorder paragraphs, (R), listen to CD and follow text (L&R). Work with a partner to create a short dialogue summarising all or part of the text (L, S, R, W).

[Denim-Maniac]

@cmp45 - All those links tend to refer (or would appear to refer) to children and L1 rather than university age students learning L2. I would guess that solar strengths students have already learnt (or not) a love of reading and books in L1.

What would be the task in reading aloud? Most of the time in the TEFL classes Ive seen there isnt a task which often makes the activity a pointless timewaster. (not that they, timewasting, dont have their place of course )

My suggestion is rather formulaic, but with clear tasks set, clear ICQ pre-task, its very rare in my experience that you get students that dont read because they are reading to a task. Often with a tight time limit too. If you just ask students to read, for pages and pages, with no task ... well, then you are asking for trouble I think.

@sparks - I dont think reading aloud is of too much use for pronunciation. Reading is not speaking, errors that may exist when reading may not be present when speaking, and possibly vice-versa. If I want to do pronuciation work my first choice would be to have my students using language in meaningful communication and working in 'real' errors and problems that may occur.

So I guess Im sitting firmly in the 'dont real aloud' corner.

[sparks]

I used to be in the "No reading aloud corner" as well. This was until I encountered a very specific group of what I would call absolute beginners, a rarity in today's world, and for Europe especially. I mean, it was like they had seriously never encountered any English before in their lives. The group was also a bit advanced in age and most weren't educated beyond technical school. Anyway, not a group I was used to. My methods weren't producing results--at all. It was only upon the suggestion of an elder, let's say "old school" teacher that I tried chorus reading and it worked. Well, it worked better than what I was doing anyway, languages aren't some people's thing. I believe it can be used effectively for certain groups.

[Denim-Maniac]

I can understand that sparks. There are a few groups that may benefit, but the majority don't IMO. Dont get me wrong, I do use reading aloud activities sometimes , sometimes its to appease students, sometimes its just to waste time, but rarely does it serve any real aim in my classes.

Its actually the bane of my language teaching. Many Asian students have 'morning reading' as part of their English education and naturally associate reading aloud, at a high volume, at top speed as a valid part of language learning. Walking into a classroom at 8am in China I may often see 6 adult students at intermediate level all shouting (or reading VERY loudly) from different texts and ignoring each other.

When I suggest they use that 20 minutes before class to form a study group and discuss the previous days materials, review vocabulary and re-visit discussion questions ... they look at me like Im insane and go back to reading aloud.

Actually ... One very bright man I taught decided that in order to improve his academic writing and grammar he should take a month off school and read / recite the entire New Concept 3 book. His reasoning was that reading aloud encourages memory, and if he could recall every single article from the book, he could then recall the grammar patterns and writintg style for later use. So when Im faced with these types of students, with these flawed ideas, Im normally going to speak out when people suggest reading aloud!

I hear my students read aloud anyway ... perhaps when one student is setting up an activity and giving out instructions. Or during student nominated feedback when one student reads a question for another to answer etc.