English for Academic and Professional Purposes

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Developing Skills in Academic Reading

Module 002: Developing Skills in

Academic Reading

Reading is significant in learning the language for academic

purposes. It is the primary means for learning whether the goal is
to perform better in any academic tasks or to acquire linguistic
abilities. Most jobs demand the ability to read, understand, and
evaluate memorandums, letters, forms, and reports. In academic
settings, various purposes of reading come into play but most
often, students read for general comprehension and learn more
information. This module will help you read intensively – to go
beyond facts and ideas. It will introduce reading skills which will
be useful not only in your school work but throughout your life.
Furthermore, this module will provide you reading tips that are
specific for particular text types and for the purposes you may
have.

What you read:

You may be expected to read a wide range of texts that include
the course reading pack, lecture slides, books, journal articles,
internet articles, newspapers, research reports, literature
reviews, case studies and strategic plans.

Why you read :

You may read to: prepare for lectures and assignments, review
information addressed in lectures, conduct research for
assignments, or revise for exams.

What reading abilities you need:

Beyond being able to simply understand texts, you will need to
critique them, evaluate them, compare and contrast them, and
apply the information you find useful from them.

At the end of this module, you will be able to :

a. point out the kind of reading strategy used in a given task,

b. scan a text to locate specific information,
c. construct sentences using simple present tense and present
progressive tense .
d. identify the correct verb form in present and present
continuous tense.

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 Techniques in Academic Reading

What is reading?

Experts in reading provided definition of reading in many

ways.

Bernhardt (1991) defines reading as “ an interactive and

socio-cognitive process involving a text, a reader, and a social
context within which the activity takes place”.

The reader constructs meaning through the written text that

represents a language. In the process of reading, “there is a
transaction between the reader and the text which involves
the reader’s act on interpreting the text. The interpretation is
influenced by the reader’s experiences, language and cultural
background as well as the reader’s purpose for reading”
(Hudelson 1994).

William Gray (1950) , known as the Father of Reading, defines

reading as a four step process:

1. Perception of the word

2. Comprehension of its meaning
3. Reaction to the meaning in terms of prior knowledge
4. Integration of the idea into one’s background of experience.

The definitions of reading provided by different experts center

around the process and purpose in making meaning from a
written text.

Strategies In Academic Reading

1. Efficient Reading
Academic texts generally conform to a set
structure, are written in a formal, academic way,
and contain specific language from your
discipline area. Most academic writing contains
some or all of the following depending on
whether they are textbooks, journal articles, in
research articles, review articles:

Fig.1. 6 Techniques for Building Reading Skills— - Executive Summary or Abstract

in Any Subject .https://www.edutopia.org/article/ - Table of Contents
6-techniques- building-reading-skills-susan-barber.
Retrieved 17 July 2017

- Introduction or Background
- Title
- Headings
- Sub-headings
 English for Academic and Professional Purposes
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Developing Skills in Academic Reading

- Findings/Discussion of Findings o Results of

research – meanings, implications
- Tables, Diagrams, Visual Support o Condensed,
visual information
- Concluding Paragraph
- Recommendations
- Reference List

The 4s-System for Efficient Academic Reading

A. Skimming

Nutall (1996) the necessary information. Skimming is used when the

reader

 Wishes to get a general impression of an article of a book.

 Needs to know the general idea or ideas of a particular passage
 Wants to remember the main points in a selection already read
just before an exam.
 Gets updates about the current events from a newspaper
 Gets informed through business and travel brochure

B. Scanning

Another fast way by which the reader goes over the printed
page. This skill is looking for specific information or fact
without necessarily reading everything in the text. Usually, the
reader skips over some parts of a text without understanding
them.

Scanning is used when the reader

 Goes over a selection rapidly using the writer’s tools such as

title, subtitles, italics, etc. until reaching the passage which
contains the information sought. Once the specific information
is found, the readers stops reading.
 Needs a name, date, location, or any specific detail that will
answer a question in mind.

Examples of scanning techniques:

Looking for a phone number in a telephone directory

A google search list on the internet
A plane boarding schedule
A conference guide

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 C. Selecting - Using both scanning and skimming to decide
what to read more closely.

D. Studying - is also reading in detail and paying close

attention to the main points the reader wants to learn.

2. Critical Reading

Critical reading is an active reading , also called detailed

reading. The reader reads carefully and makes a variety of
comments about the text being read. Critical reading
requires concentration to understand the text combined
with scanning and skimming. It is a kind of reading that
involves the reader to respond to a text, whether in writing,
speaking , answering a test, or presenting a report.

Techniques required in critical reading:

a. Highlighting , marking the text, and underlining keywords

and phrases.
b. Assigning keywords including brief comments about
important points.
c. Recording questions when reading and making it as
prompts for follow -up works.
d. Summarizing the text to check for understanding

3. Drawing Conclusions

A reading strategy done after reading. It involves the use of

visual clues, titles and illustrations to understand something
indirectly stated in the text. It flows from reading information,
gathering of facts, evaluating data or details in order
to make judgment.
This technique is used in content areas, problem-solving, social
interactions and research. Although in research, this is the final
and most important part of the process.

Ways in drawing out valid conclusions:

 Deductive process or top –down approach presents information

from general to specific.
It starts from reading a text, then uses the background
information to understand a text. It involves prediction and
inference on the basis of facts, propositions and expectations.

 Inductive process or bottom – up approach begins from

accurate information or observation, then perceives a particular
pattern, then formulate tentative hypothesis and ends up with
general conclusion.
 English for Academic and Professional Purposes
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Developing Skills in Academic Reading

The Simple Present Tense and The Present Continuous Tense

A – The Simple Present Tense
Uses:

 To describe actions or situations that do not change frequently

 To describes habits or routines,
 To express opinions or to make general statement or facts.
 Can also be used to refer to the future.

USES EXAMPLES NOTES

FACTS/ General Truth The Philippines is an
archipelago. Time expressions include
now, often, always, everyday,
Ms. Min Chin teaches English today
and Literature.
BE Verbs - is ( singular)
Burj Kalifa is the tallest are (plural)
building in Dubai.
ROUTINES Lindsay sings at theater am ( for pronoun
every Saturday. subject “I”)

Gina doesn’t have classes

every Wednesday.
OPINION My mother doesn’t like cola.
Irish loves to cook.

REFERENCE TO THE FUTURE Gina has a work next month.

The congress has a session
tomorrow.
Present Events/ actions Here comes the bride.
Now, I add three eggs to the
mixture.

B - The Present Continuous Tense

 Describes actions or situations in progress at the moment

of speaking.
 Also called present progressive tense.
 Is formed by using the verb BE in present tense and the
main verb with –ing.
 Example: The team leader is suggesting a unique solution.

USES EXAMPLES NOTES

Activity in progress He is attending a
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 meeting now.
Extended present I’m studying Geology at Action will end,
the University of therefore lacks the
Nebraska. permanence of the
simple present tense.
A temporary situation Susan is living with her
parents in Japan.
Repetition in a series Henry is kicking the
of similar on going soccer ball around the
actions backyard.
Expresses future She’s coming When event is planned
tomorrow. usually with a future
time expression.
A change in progress The twins are becoming
more and more like her
mother.

 Add – s or –es to the base form of the verb for Simple Present
Tense in singular number. No –s or –es for plural forms –
present tense.
 The Present Progressive Tense is formed by using :
Is (singular)
Are (plural) + Verb - ing
Am ( subject I)

What have we learned?

This module has provided you with definitions of reading

and the reading strategies used to succeed in any academic
requirement. We also discussed the simple present tense and
the present continuous tense.

Glossary

Comprehension – understanding, knowledge, perception

Critical reading - is the process of reading that goes beyond just

understanding a text. It involves evaluating , analyzing, interpreting the
text, and questioning the author
for a deeper understanding of the text.

Reading - is defined as recognition of words in a printed text. It is

the interaction between the reader and the text .
 English for Academic and Professional Purposes
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Developing Skills in Academic Reading

Scanning – a rapid reading technique used to get specific information

or detail needed.

Skimming – a rapid reading technique used to go over a reading

material for its general idea.

Technique – also called strategy. Any activity used to accomplish an

immediate objective

References:

Books and Journals

Celce – Murcia, M. and Larsen Freeman, D. (2006). The Grammar Book: An ESL/ EFL
Teacher’s Course. 2nd Edition. Singapore. Heinle .

Dapat, JR, O( 2013) Applied English for Academic and Professional Services. Manila ,
Philippines. JFS Publishing

Lau, K. and D. W. Chan (2003) Reading strategy use and motivation among Chinese
good and poor readers in Hong Kong. Journal of Research in Reading 26(2)

Online Supplementary Reading Materials

6 Techniques for Building Reading Skills—in Any Subject

https://www.edutopia.org/article/6-techniques-building-reading-skills-susan-
barber . Retrieved 11 May 2017

Online Instructional Videos

IELTS Reading - Skimming and Scanning.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtcXr0_201A. Retrieved 18 July, 2017

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