Abstract
The teacher of English Language is often hard pressed to find interesting and authentic ways to present language to target second language speakers. While language can be taught and learned, part of it must be acquired and short texts provide powerful tools for doing so and reinforcing what has been taught/learned. This paper starts from research, but utilizes the studies and experience to present a way of integrating language skills through the use of short texts. Short texts provide opportunity to focus on detail on aspects of reading (nominal and pronominals, direct references, allusion, imagery, inference making, use of schemata), listening and speaking, vocabulary, grammar and even writing skills in ways that a full length text may not. In addition, short texts give weak language learners a sense of fulfillment as readers, instead of the frustration of reading long texts without comprehension. The paper will utilize four short texts to demonstrate to teachers how they can enable their learners to develop different skills of/in English as the target language. The texts and approaches are versatile, and depending on tasks could be used with any students SL learners of high school, or even university, as long as tasks are set at the right cognitive and literary levels. The methods discussed here could also be used with other languages.
Highlights
The paper is aimed at demonstrating how the teacher of reading can weave other skills and areas of language into the reading lesson to enable learners to perceive language from a holistic point of view, and disabuse them of the notion that all meaning is in the text
While the paper uses research to make some of its arguments, it is borne out of years of experimentation and practice in teaching English as a Second Language
Reading in a second language calls for fast, automatic word decoding and access to the mental lexicon; this means working on building speed and fluency and on learning to recognize at least 10,000 words in the new language
Summary
The paper is aimed at demonstrating how the teacher of reading can weave other skills and areas of language into the reading lesson to enable learners to perceive language from a holistic point of view, and disabuse them of the notion that all meaning is in the text. The paper argues that while there is a place to utilize longer texts in the reading class, short texts give opportunity for in-depth analysis and activities that enrich both the students’ reading abilities and language experience. Reading in a second language calls for fast, automatic word decoding and access to the mental lexicon (dictionary); this means working on building speed and fluency and on learning to recognize at least 10,000 words in the new language. Learners can build speed and fluency by learning to recognize at least 10,000 words in the new language....Walter (1) argues that by utilizing short prose passages, poetry, students’ own writing, and extracts from other subjects the teacher can hone both reading, language skills and knowledge. The activities are adaptable to different level of learning, but his calls for thorough preparation on the part of the teacher
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