encouraging critical reading

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Encouraging Critical Encouraging Critical Reading Reading in the EFL Classroom in the EFL Classroom By: Rosane Correia By: Rosane Correia Brazil Brazil

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Lecture on Critical Reading from the article of Rosane Correia of Brazil

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Page 1: Encouraging Critical Reading

Encouraging Critical Encouraging Critical ReadingReading

in the EFL Classroomin the EFL Classroom

By: Rosane CorreiaBy: Rosane Correia

BrazilBrazil

Page 2: Encouraging Critical Reading

What is critical reading?What is critical reading?

►►to read critically involves becoming to read critically involves becoming actively engaged in what we read by first actively engaged in what we read by first developing a clear understanding of the developing a clear understanding of the author’s ideas, then questioning and author’s ideas, then questioning and evaluating the arguments and evidence evaluating the arguments and evidence provided to support those arguments, and provided to support those arguments, and finally by forming our own opinions. finally by forming our own opinions.

►► One must actively recognize and analyze One must actively recognize and analyze evidence upon the page.evidence upon the page.

Page 3: Encouraging Critical Reading

CriticalCritical reader vs. Non-critical reader vs. Non-critical readerreader

• Critical readerCritical reader

- Any single text Any single text provides but one provides but one portrayal of the factsportrayal of the facts

- Recognize not onlyRecognize not only whatwhat a text says but a text says but alsoalso how how that text that text portrays the subject portrays the subject matter.matter.

• Non-critical readerNon-critical reader

- Text provide factsText provide facts

- Readers gain Readers gain knowledge by knowledge by memorizing the memorizing the statements within statements within a text.a text.

Page 4: Encouraging Critical Reading

Most Frequent types of Most Frequent types of Reading comprehension Reading comprehension exercises:exercises:• Multiple ChoiceMultiple Choice

• True-false statementsTrue-false statements

• Vocabulary work Vocabulary work

Page 5: Encouraging Critical Reading

Merits on these tasks:Merits on these tasks:

1.1. Easy for teachers to check whether Easy for teachers to check whether understand the text.understand the text.

2.2. Easy to mark.Easy to mark.

Page 6: Encouraging Critical Reading

Reasons not to use this reading Reasons not to use this reading activityactivity

1.1. Encourage passive reading behavior. Encourage passive reading behavior. (Davies,1995)(Davies,1995)2. 2. Do not encourage students to read Do not encourage students to read

between the lines or question the between the lines or question the veracity and source of the veracity and source of the information.information.

(Tomitch,2000)(Tomitch,2000)3. 3. These tasks generally refer toThese tasks generally refer to parts of parts of

the text, not to the text as a wholethe text, not to the text as a whole..

Page 7: Encouraging Critical Reading

4. 4. Tasks neither challenging Tasks neither challenging nor fun, especially young nor fun, especially young learners.learners.Aim of this article:Aim of this article:

1.1. To present an alternative To present an alternative possibilities for reading activities possibilities for reading activities through sample reading lesson.through sample reading lesson.

2.2. Help students to become a more Help students to become a more active and more critical readers.active and more critical readers.

Page 8: Encouraging Critical Reading

Two Kinds of Reading ActivitiesTwo Kinds of Reading Activities(Davies,1995)(Davies,1995)

1.1.Passive ReadingPassive Reading

2.2.Active ReadingActive Reading

Page 9: Encouraging Critical Reading

Passive Reading Tasks:Passive Reading Tasks:

- Offer limited potential for learning.Offer limited potential for learning.

Involves Involves Silent ReadingSilent Reading to respond to:to respond to:

a.a. Multiple choiceMultiple choice

b.b. Superficial comprehension questionsSuperficial comprehension questions

c.c. Gap filling exercisesGap filling exercises

d.d. True-false statementsTrue-false statements

e.e. VocabularyVocabulary

f.f. Dictionary workDictionary work

Page 10: Encouraging Critical Reading

What is active reading task?What is active reading task?

• It requires students to go beyond a It requires students to go beyond a superficial reading of the text tosuperficial reading of the text to read read between the linesbetween the lines

• to work in pairs Involve students or to work in pairs Involve students or groups.groups.

• Tasks considered active may includeTasks considered active may include creating diagrams and filling in creating diagrams and filling in tables.tables.

Page 11: Encouraging Critical Reading

Grabe (1997,6) statedGrabe (1997,6) stated

“ “ Making use of diagrams and tables Making use of diagrams and tables when reading texts, students better when reading texts, students better understand the coherence and logic understand the coherence and logic of the information being presented, of the information being presented, and as a consequence, will be able to and as a consequence, will be able to locate the main ideas and distinguish locate the main ideas and distinguish them from less important them from less important information.”information.”

Page 12: Encouraging Critical Reading

Other Kinds of Active readingOther Kinds of Active reading (Davies,1995) (Davies,1995)

* Book reviews* Book reviews

* Summary writing* Summary writing

* Notetaking* Notetaking

Page 13: Encouraging Critical Reading

• Active reading enables students to Active reading enables students to interact with the text and each otherinteract with the text and each other

• Teacher plays the role of facilitator Teacher plays the role of facilitator rather than inquisitor.rather than inquisitor.

• Active reading tasks encourage Active reading tasks encourage readers to voice their own opinions readers to voice their own opinions about the text and discuss those about the text and discuss those opinions.opinions.

Page 14: Encouraging Critical Reading

• Students contextualize reading.Students contextualize reading.

• Allow the readers to see the text as Allow the readers to see the text as part of a broader social context that part of a broader social context that includes the writer and the readersincludes the writer and the readers..(Tomitch,2000)(Tomitch,2000)

Page 15: Encouraging Critical Reading

IMROVING CRITICAL IMROVING CRITICAL READING: A CASE STUDYREADING: A CASE STUDY

HUCKIN ( 1997 )HUCKIN ( 1997 )

StudentStudent

LessonLesson

age

interest

relevant

profitable

Page 16: Encouraging Critical Reading

AUTHENTIC MATERIALS:AUTHENTIC MATERIALS:*newspapers and *newspapers and

magazinesmagazines

BROWN ( 1994)- THREE PHASES BROWN ( 1994)- THREE PHASES TO THE TEACHING OF READINGTO THE TEACHING OF READING

• pre-reading discussionpre-reading discussion-- introducing the topicintroducing the topic

• while-reading taskswhile-reading tasks-- set of set of instructions ( purpose and guide)instructions ( purpose and guide)

• post-reading exercisespost-reading exercises-- activitiesactivities

Page 17: Encouraging Critical Reading

PROCEDURE:PROCEDURE:

• pre-reading activitypre-reading activity-- students students were asked to prepare in groups two were asked to prepare in groups two questions they thought would be questions they thought would be answered in the text.answered in the text.

• TOMITCH ( 2000) TOMITCH ( 2000) “ ReQuest” “ ReQuest” or “Reciprocal Questioning”or “Reciprocal Questioning”

Page 18: Encouraging Critical Reading

• while-reading activitywhile-reading activity-- required required the students to read the article for the students to read the article for the purpose of answering the the purpose of answering the questions they had raised.questions they had raised.

• PostPost- - reading activity-reading activity- wrote on wrote on the board three questions which had the board three questions which had to do with the author’s choice of verb to do with the author’s choice of verb tenses and words used in the text.tenses and words used in the text.

Page 19: Encouraging Critical Reading

CONCLUSION:CONCLUSION:

• The major benefit of the lesson on The major benefit of the lesson on critical reading described here was critical reading described here was the high level of enthusiastic student the high level of enthusiastic student participation.participation.

Page 20: Encouraging Critical Reading

Questions to help Develop Questions to help Develop Critical Reading SkillsCritical Reading Skills

• General questions for the analysis of the textGeneral questions for the analysis of the text 1. Where and when was the text written?1. Where and when was the text written? 2. Why was it written?2. Why was it written? 3. What is the text about?3. What is the text about? 4. What genre in the text?4. What genre in the text? 5. who is the text addressed to? Who are its 5. who is the text addressed to? Who are its

probable readers?probable readers? 6. Does the author establish an interactive, 6. Does the author establish an interactive,

friendly relationship with the readers or is she/he friendly relationship with the readers or is she/he distant, formal and impersonal?distant, formal and impersonal?

7. are there elements of promotional discourse, 7. are there elements of promotional discourse, such as positive evaluative words?such as positive evaluative words?

Page 21: Encouraging Critical Reading

Lexical ChoiceLexical Choice

1. What kind of vocabulary predominates in 1. What kind of vocabulary predominates in the text? (Are there formal, technical the text? (Are there formal, technical words or informal and colloquial words or informal and colloquial expressions?)expressions?)

2. Does the vocabulary appeal to emotions, 2. Does the vocabulary appeal to emotions, or is it logical and argumentative?or is it logical and argumentative?

3. Are there words that are ideologically 3. Are there words that are ideologically significant?significant?

4. What metaphors are used? What 4. What metaphors are used? What purposes do they serve in the text?purposes do they serve in the text?

Page 22: Encouraging Critical Reading

GrammarGrammar

1. What verb tenses are used and 1. What verb tenses are used and why?why?

2. Which subjects are described using 2. Which subjects are described using the passive or active voice and the passive or active voice and why?why?

3. Are the agents of the actions explicit 3. Are the agents of the actions explicit or implicit?or implicit?

Page 23: Encouraging Critical Reading

Visual ElementsVisual Elements

1. What visual resources are used 1. What visual resources are used beside the text ( colors, symbols, beside the text ( colors, symbols, fgures)?fgures)?

2. In what ways do the illustrations 2. In what ways do the illustrations relate to the text?relate to the text?

3. What sociocultural aspects can be 3. What sociocultural aspects can be identified in the visual signs?identified in the visual signs?

Page 24: Encouraging Critical Reading

Gender IssuesGender Issues

1. Does the text contain signs of 1. Does the text contain signs of asymmetry in male-female asymmetry in male-female relationships?relationships?

2. Are there traces of sexism?2. Are there traces of sexism?

3. Are there signs of stereotyped 3. Are there signs of stereotyped attitudes?attitudes?

Page 25: Encouraging Critical Reading

That would be all and That would be all and Thank you for listening Thank you for listening with us!with us!

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