““English Learners Reading English Learners Reading English”English”

By Suzanne PeregoyBy Suzanne Peregoy

General reading strategiesGeneral reading strategies

Read with purposeRead with purpose Activate prior knowledgeActivate prior knowledge Decode wordsDecode words Interpret words and structures in contextInterpret words and structures in context Use familiarity with genre to construct Use familiarity with genre to construct

meaningmeaning Monitor understanding throughout reading Monitor understanding throughout reading

processprocess

Reading in L2Reading in L2

Limited L2 proficiencyLimited L2 proficiency Background knowledgeBackground knowledge Familiarity with text structure; L1 literacyFamiliarity with text structure; L1 literacy Phonemic awarenessPhonemic awareness

– ““The essential question is not whether students The essential question is not whether students should be taught sound/symbol should be taught sound/symbol correspondences but rather how these should be correspondences but rather how these should be taught” (p. 4)taught” (p. 4)

Familiarity with the “decoding” processFamiliarity with the “decoding” process

Minimal L1 literacyMinimal L1 literacy

Determine causeDetermine cause– Insufficient schoolingInsufficient schooling– Impairment/ developmental issueImpairment/ developmental issue

Expose learner to Expose learner to purposepurpose of written of written languagelanguage– Elementary written forms: age appropriate?Elementary written forms: age appropriate?

Paucity of researchPaucity of research

L2 reading research mostly conducted on L2 reading research mostly conducted on high school or college level learnershigh school or college level learners

BeginningBeginning English reading acquisition has English reading acquisition has in effect not been researchedin effect not been researched

Instructional practices have to take a Instructional practices have to take a balanced approach until the research can balanced approach until the research can provide a better frameworkprovide a better framework

Beginning Beginning readersreaders

Importance of understanding meaning and Importance of understanding meaning and purpose of textpurpose of text– Read aloudRead aloud– Word recognitionWord recognition

» Sight wordsSight words

» Sound/ symbol correspondenceSound/ symbol correspondence

– Repetition Repetition Make activities age appropriateMake activities age appropriate

Intermediate Intermediate readersreaders Pre-reading:Pre-reading:

– PurposePurpose– VocabularyVocabulary– Brainstorming/ predictingBrainstorming/ predicting

Reading: Reading: – Begin by reading (aloud) with classBegin by reading (aloud) with class– Guide students, checking for comprehension at Guide students, checking for comprehension at

predetermined intervalspredetermined intervals Post-reading:Post-reading:

– Mapping, dramatization, story completion, etc.Mapping, dramatization, story completion, etc.

““For L2 learners, For L2 learners, everyevery lessonlesson is a is a potential language learning potential language learning

opportunity, and must be structured opportunity, and must be structured as such” (p.8)as such” (p.8)