realiaa the type of reading material (e.g. fiction or non-fiction)
b the reader’s purpose (e.g. to gain information, to find the main ideas in a
passage)
c the level of comprehension required (e.g. to extract the main ideas or to
gain complete understanding)
d the reader’s individual reading skills.
The following are typical reading speeds:
speed purpose good reader
slow study reading, used when 200–300 words per
material is difficult and/or high minute (wpm)
comprehension is required 80–90% comprehension
average used for everyday reading of 250–500 wpm
magazines, newspapers, etc. 70% comprehension
fast skimming, used when highest 800 +wpm
speed is required and 50% comprehension
comprehension is intentionally
lowerreading strategies n
ways of accessing the meanings of texts, which are employed flexibly and
selectively in the course of reading and which are often under the conscious
control of the reader. Strategies serve to make the reading process more
effective. Such strategies include:
1 identifying a purpose for reading
2 planning what steps to take
3 previewing the text
4 predicting the contents of the text or text section.
However due to the nature of reading, reading specialists suggest that there
is not a clear distinction between skills and strategies. The teaching of reading
strategies and helping learners understand and manage the use of strategies
is thought to be an important aspect of the teaching of second or foreign
language reading skills.
see reading skills
reading vocabulary n
see active /passive language knowledge
realia n plural
(in language teaching) actual objects and items which are brought into a
classroom as examples or as aids to be talked or written about and used in
teaching. Realia may include such things as photographs, articles of clothing,
and kitchen objects.