NAME: LANGTON CHIKAKA

I.D: UB6O508HED69551

COURSE: READING AND COMPREHENSION

TITLE: READING COMPREHENSION FOR

EXAM AND NON EXAM ‘O’ LEVEL
CLASSES

ATLANTIC INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY

Revision for examination is no mean task. Practical revision of Zimsec ‘O’ Level English
Language is not as easy and ‘ordinary’ as the level seems to suggest, more so, the preparation of
candidates. This presentation has been borne out of this realization. Its major thrust is to succor
teachers of English Language 4005/02. Those who have been implementing the guidelines
embedded in this presentation will not only find it vindicating but also consolidating their
approaches. Those whose approaches have not been in tandem with my proposals may be edified
to discover their deficiencies in time good enough to realign their approaches ton the best of their
advantage.

My vast marking experience in the ZIMSEC ‘O’ Level English Language show that many
candidates fail to make the grade. Those who are lucky to pass do so with ‘C’ grades. Five ‘O’
Level passes including in English language means the candidate can proceed to college or
university without hindrance. Those without English Language have their prospects to tertiary
education blocked.

The following is an analysis of English Language passes for the past five years at the school
where the author teaches.

Year Size of No. of A grades No. of U grades Overall pass

candidature rates
2019 178 19 2 72.47

2018 148 1 2 79.05

2017 158 2 0 58.86

2016 137 1 5 67.2

2015 130 0 12 74

In English Language examinations, candidates perform better in the comprehension paper than
the essay one. If they are properly taught comprehension skills, they will make the grade. At my
school, ‘A’ grades are difficult to get. The highest number of A’s was 19, a feat achieved in
2019. In 2017 we got two candidates in the A grade category, our second highest in five years.
What remains worrisome is the number of candidates in the Ungraded category. This category
should be a cause of headache for the English Department. On checking the performance of the
candidates who are in the U category, it was confirmed that these had less than five subjects.
This further confirms that deficient reading and comprehension affects performance in other
learning areas.

Paper Structure

Section A: Reading Comprehension

As a derivative of the word comprehend, comprehension means the ability to understand fully.
This means grasping, conception or discernment of a text. At Ordinary Level, reading
comprehension is one of the five pillars of the act of reading. When a learner reads a text, he/she
engages in a complex array of cognitive process. In this regard, the candidate is simultaneously
using his/her awareness and understanding of the individual sound pieces in language called
phonemes, the connection between letters and sounds and the relationship between sounds,
letters and words and the ability to comprehend or construct meaning from the text.

The process of comprehension requires that candidates show vocabulary knowledge and text
comprehension. Thus Question 1 and 2 usually ask candidates to:

i. write down one word

ii. explain why things happen the way they do
iii. give reasons for
iv. explain in their own words

(Chikaka, 2013)

A number of past question exam papers have been reviewed to confirm exam type questions
which teachers and learners should practice on.
Questions requiring just one word, phrase or expression are as follows:

 1a (1) Find out an expression from this paragraph which suggests that the action by the
mosquitoes was swift (Zimsec June 2008).
 1a) Which one word tells us that slaves and child Labor ‘’still exist’’? (Zimsec ,
November 2008)
 1a(i) Give one word from this paragraph which means the same as in spite of(Zimsec,
June 2010)
 1a (i) Give one word from this paragraph which means the same as ‘’probability’’
(Zimsec, November 2010).

Other comprehension questions which need to be practised by candidates thoroughly are those
that need recasting.

Own words questions

 1e (i) ‘’…draws blood through an intricate network…’’ line 25. In your own words
explain the underlined words.(Zimsec 2008)
 1b(ii) Explain in your words the meaning of ‘’ succumbing to the ravages of AIDS’’ line
9-10 (Zimsec, November 2004)
 2b (i) Explain in your own words the major reason given but the author for keeping the
photo album (Zimsec, November 2004).
 1b(ii) In your own words, explain the effect of sniffing the old leather coat had on the
author (Zimsec, June 2010)
 2a (i) ‘’--- alternatives for supplying water deficiency line 29 (Zimsec, November 2010).
Explain, in your own words, what the underlined words mean.

Important reminders to teachers and English Language candidates

In my participation in the marking of ‘O’ Level English Language for many years, the following
are critical:

 there is no compulsive need to complete sentence but answers should be overtly

complete that is covering all parts of the question
  where the candidate has not been asked to use own words they should make use of the
passage words
 where the candidate is asked to use own words, they should explain all the key words in
the question
 where the candidate is asked to quote a word or phrase, they musty religiously do since
any excess denies the mark.

(Chikaka 2013, 2014 )

Vocabulary questions

In order to perform fairly well in this area, candidates need to be trained on inferential skills.

 It is essential to grasp the context in which the word or phrase is used – the sematic
environment where the word or phrase is;
 Grasping the tone also assists the candidate or learner an intelligent guess;
 The meaning the candidate gives must be consistent with what it replaces;
 Consistency is considered in respect of the part of speech of the replaced word or
expression and the tense

The exam question on vocabulary is normally phrased as follows:

Choose five of the following words or phrases. For each give one word or short phrase (of not
more than seven words) which has the same meaning that the word or phrase has in the passage
(Zimsec English Language 4005/2 Nov 2019)

In order to consolidate what has been said in the foregoing paragraphs, the author picks a few
questions for clarification.

2c (1) Consult. The answers which will score for this word are: seek advice/get advice/ ask for
advice/ confer with / discuss / deliberate / seek counsel/ seek information / compare notes with /
tack over with / inquire / enquire / solicit for information (Zimsec November 2016)
2c (2) initiative – The following responses will score: self-motivation / drive/ enterprise /
personal (own) responsibility / dynamism / push / resourcefulness/ unaided / unprompted
(Zimsec November 2016)

For the November 2002 paper, the following answers would score

2c (1) despair – discouraged / despondent / give up hope / lose hope / lose heart / feel
disheartened.

2c (6) done for – doomed/ broken / finished / destroyed

For this question, as stipulated, only five words or phrases attempted will be marked and excess
denies as it will be rubric infringement.

For each word attempted, the first answer only is considered when more than one answer is
offered. A comma, a stroke or the word or indicates a second attempt

For two answers joined by ‘and’, the part which is correct scores

For an answer given as a short phrase, the first seven words will be considered (Chikaka 2013,
2014)

The Summary Question

The principal skill tested on the summary question is interpretation. Candidates or learners need
to be trained to identify the focus or foci of the question. Focus refers to what the candidate uses
to identify the relevant parts of the designated section of the passage. For purposes of
clarification, 2002 November summary question is given:

The passage describes the descent of the author’s team from Mt Nun Kun and how the author
was swept down by a landslide. Write a summary explaining what the landslide did to him, and
how he felt as he was being dragged down the mountain.

In the above question, the focus is on what the landslide did to the author and how the author felt
as he was being dragged down. When answering the question, the two parts must be sufficiently
addressed.
Important reminders

The presentation outlines useful tips and highlights common mistakes made by learners.

 Though this question is called summary, it is not summary in the sense of being a general
description of a situation but, instead, it is a focused list of the specific ideas or details
and a show of their knowledge of specification.
 There is no punishment for correctly using passage words
 There is no need to introduce or conclude a summary
 The summary must be in a paragraph of continuous writing , not just a list of points
 Candidates should take note of which part of the passage is to be summarized in the
question and should not include information from other parts of the text other than the
one already prescribed
 Ten words of the summary are already given; therefore, candidates must try to keep the
summary up to or less than 150 words.

For answers shorter than 150 words , the following maxima apply for then mechanical Accuracy
Mark:1-25 words (0); 26-50 words (1) , 51-75 words (2) , 76-100 words (3), 1010-125 words (4)
and 126-150 words (5).

 A candidate who uses note form throughout the answer gets a zero for the Mechanical
Accuracy Mark but scores where points are clearly made.
 Candidates are encouraged to find all the points they can, should not stop when they get
to 15 as these may not be the same ones the examiner has on their list.
 The only way to be sure of getting all the 15 points is to use everything relevant
 The summary never includes:
i. Examples
ii. Repetitions
iii. Direct speech
iv. Figurative language
v. Minor details
The National Syllabus, English Language 4005/2, spells out quite succinctly that ‘O’ level
candidates should able to read and comprehend a text presented. Questions are therefore set to
test skills associated with comprehension on five identified levels. These levels have already
been discussed elsewhere in this presentation.

Comprehension texts for examination

Chikaka (2014) advises that reading a passage for examination papers should be treated
differently from ordinary study. Ordinarily, we usually apply the SQ3R method when reading for
mastery. This entails surveying the text(s) asking questions about what has been read (Q), re-
reading(R), reciting (R), and revising (R). In an examination, time is a precious resource and
therefore, candidates are advised to begin by reading the text fast but closely (R) then read the
questions (Q); this is simultaneously accompanied by close re-reading of designated sections of
the passage in search of clues to the answers. This is often referred to as the RQA method.

From the exam room to the classroom

The foregoing presentation has largely been related to teaching comprehension for tackling
examinations. Let’s explore reading comprehension in the classroom. Snow (2002) cited in Wu,
Valcke and Van Keer (2019) states that reading comprehension ought to be viewed as a process
of simultaneously extracting and constructing meaning through interaction and involvement with
written language.
There are several factors associated reading comprehension.

Possible relationships of variables related to the students reading comprehension. (Wu,

Valcke & Van Keer, 2019)

It is recognizable that many factors are at play regarding reading but still there should be a way
to teach reading.
 Why teaching reading

Secondary education is the bridge between primary and tertiary education. Reading must start at
primary school and consolidated at secondary level. I have noted with disdain that a few learners
in my Form one class have difficulties in distinguishing main ideas from relevant or irrelevant
details, reading for gist and making good summaries. At the worst, some learners show
ineffective recall of what has been read, uncritical reading behavior, inadequate vocabulary or
word power and even reading interest.

The above scenario demands that reading be taught at secondary school as well. Skills which
need attention include vocabulary/ word power skills, reading for main ideas, relevant details,
implied or stated word meanings and to comprehend tone and mood. These skills are those that
the Zimbabwe School Examination Council tests and even some other boards like Cambridge.

A number of strategies have been suggested on teaching reading. Minero (2019) advocates for
choral and ear reading. These improve learners’ reading fluency, expand their vocabulary and
increase their confidence. In this regard, learners should be able to close read, annotate, and
comprehend assignments and texts across all subjects. Minero (2019) further suggests that in
choral reading the teacher and the learners read a text aloud together. It takes spotlight off the
struggling readers while encouraging them to participate. Minero ibid states that choral reading,
according to research, improves reading fluency, expands vocabulary and increases learners’
confidence. The 2007 study shows that peer monitoring and questioning improves reading
fluency. Further to the above, reading has academic, social and emotional benefits that flow both
ways.

Wexler (2019) observes that there is overwhelming evidence that systematic phonics is the most
effective way to teach children how to decode written language. In order to make reading a
success, teachers, parents and mentors could help ignite a child’s passion to read by
incorporating activities focused on building reading skills to improve comprehension and
engagement (Waterford, 2017). Learners who have challenges in reading or have a lag in reading
should be supported so they can catch up and improve their competence. Oxford learning (2018)
observes that when learners troubling with reading, it can affect their performance in many
subjects. Poor reading skills can lead to frustration, low self-esteem, and poor grades but
difficulty with reading and with comprehension in something that can be improved with regular
practice.

The beauty with teaching is that there is no definite route to success. Of the many strategies of
teaching reading at secondary school level, the use of newspapers has proved to be
quintessential. It should however be used with other complementary approaches so long as the
desired results can be achieved.

Those who have experimented with newspapers as a teaching tool have also acknowledged huge
benefits accruing from their use. Joe Pemagbi tried it in Sierra Leone and the impact was huge.
He says:

Of immediate benefit is the fact that one issue of a newspaper may contain material for
teaching various types of writing: description, analysis and synthesis, comparison and
contrast, and process description; and they provide models of good written form:
paragraphing topic sentence, introductions conclusions etc. (Pemagbi, 1995)

From what Pemagbi says are benefits, one cannot fail to see that a whole syllabus can be taught
from a newspaper.

What makes newspapers good teaching tools? So much has been written about teaching tools and
how these make learning interesting. Lafourgazette (2015) observes that,

Many of today’s classrooms are filled with all types of technologies, which educators use
to enhance their students’ experiences. However, the humble newspaper has been a
staple in the classroom and at home and remains one of the best tools for learning.

The newspaper can be used in an English Language lesson for the following reasons:

 improving learners’ reading fluency;

 mastery of reading comprehension skills and inference skills using a text
 Increased understanding of how to introduce a subject, expand facts and summarize a
point.
I have used newspapers extensively in my teaching career because they have certain qualities
that distinguish them as effective teaching tools in difficult teaching circumstances obtaining in
many rural schools.

The following are advantages which made newspapers a cut above the rest as a teaching learning
tool:

Availability

A teaching tool has no relevance to the teaching learning process unless it is available for use. In
the absence of internet, text books and other materials, newspapers are the most readily
available. In the event that only a few copies are available, relevant parts of the newspaper can
be easily reproduced and made available to the class.

Affordability

Newspapers are cheap and both learners and their teachers can afford them. This is certainly not
the case with text books which tend to be prohibitively expensive in the event that they are
available.

Relevance

Learning materials are varied, more relevant, interesting and motivating if they are structured
within the culture, experience and environment of the learner (Abbott, 2020, Pemagbi, 1995).
The newspapers I have used and still use are relevant to the operational milieu of the learners.
For instance, feature articles, editorials socio-economic issues are based on local issues which
readily arrest the learners’ attention (Kelly, 1983).

Malleability/Endurance

Before selecting a teaching tool, the teacher should consider its usability. Newspapers as
opposed to other modern gargets such as smart phones or projectors are easy to use.
Sophisticated tools are not easy to repair in the event of a breakdown but newspapers are beyond
this problem: they are not only easy to handle but also do not break down like machines.

Cost effective
In a severely deprived teaching environment, the educator’s best friend is the material he can use
many times and for a long time. When properly handled and sorted, the longevity of newspapers
can be prolonged and they can be used for long periods.

The above advantages need further exploration. One needs to critique the impact of newspapers
on the educational landscape globally.

In Uganda, Namata (2010) found that those newspapers are very vital in the education sector.
She found out that using newspapers within the classroom encourages extensive reading and that
newspapers contain a variety of text types and language styles not easily found in conventional
language learning material such as the core text books. The freshness of news items and articles
motivate learners to keep their appetite for reading in perpetuity.

Kortner (1988) avers that use of mass media as a teaching instrument in the classroom has
increased phenomenally at all grade levels in the past few years. The World Association of
Newspapers gave rise to the birth of Newspapers in education, an initiative which encourages the
use of newspapers as educational tool both to complement and supplement traditional classroom
texts and resource materials.

Kortner (1988) states that at the present time about 600 newspapers in the U.S and Canada
participate in the NiE (News in Education) program which involves approximately three million
learners and 90 000 teachers each year. Newspapers can be used to teach reading comprehension
and critical thinking and to help learners develop creativity and awareness of the self, the
community, the nation and the world.

Newspaper Association of American Foundation (2017) point out that newspapers are an
important tool in education adding that news develop every day, latest information, can be used
to enhance skills in reading, writing, listening, speaking, Mathematics, social studies and science.

One other agency using this mechanism (NiE) successfully is Rwanda Teachers’ Education
Program (R.T.E.P) in Rwamagana District. This mechanism uses newspapers as a mode of
training English Language to teachers who are supposed to pass the same information to their
colleagues and students. The Director RTEP, Dr. Joseph Olzacki, speaks highly of the role
newspapers play in education (Times Reporter, 2017).
The efficacy of newspapers as a tool for the teaching and learning of English language is
indisputable. Bala (2017) states that print media help to enhance learners’ interest and broaden
their perspective towards global activities. Thus using newspapers and magazines not only
teaches English better but also give current knowledge of world happenings. Bala is supported
by Ali (2019) who urges teachers to use newspapers in their lessons in a creative manner.
Lessons need not be flat and vapid.

Problems of using newspapers

Sanderson (1999) has a very high regard for use of newspapers in the classroom. He exhorts
teachers that newspapers or magazines are a must-have in every lesson, even beginner
classrooms. He further advises that there are a numbers of ways to use newspapers in the
classrooms, ranging from simple reading exercises to more complex writing and response
assignments. This does not, however, give us a clue that there are problems issuing from this
strategy. Let’s explore some of these problems as many authors only seek to glorify the
newspapers in education (NiE) concept.

Pemagbi (1995) is more sincere as he warns that the newspapers have some problems to English
Language teaching as he observes:

For example, certain words are overused, rendering them ineffective or meaningless. The
most common of these are intimate, admonish, reiterate, opine, dock and nab which are
used in newspapers.

In the contexts in which it is used, intimate refers to announce, reveal, explain, pronounce,
acquaint, show, tell, inform, appraise and brief. These words even where they are the best
suitable are not used. Admonish has been taken to mean advise and warn, reiterate does not only
mean to repeat or repeat again and again but has earned another meaning of emphasize.

Barkova (2011) notes that newspapers keep playing an increasingly important role in the global
world. The fact that it is often referred to as the Forth Estate is proof enough of its
unquestionable significance. Barkova ibid however cautions that the newspaper discourse makes
a great testing ground for playing with words making the most of the words’ potential to
manipulate public consciousness. Besides, it is an indispensable springboard for coining new
words modifying existing meaning and even changing them beyond recognition. In this regard,
Barkova (2011) and Pemagbi (1995) are totally agreed on what newspapers can do.

What we can glean from the foregoing is that the quality of the newspaper is significant. The
higher the quality of the newspapers, the better the language teaching tool they make.

Conclusion

The first party of this presentation dealt with reading comprehension for ‘O’ level candidates.
Various questions and how they should be answered were laid bare. The second part explored
how newspapers can facilitate English Language teaching and learning. A word of caution has
been given that teachers should assess the quality of newspapers they use. Newspapers which use
incorrect expressions or words are best avoided as these may batter our goal of proficiency in
writing and speaking. Scholars acknowledge the huge contribution that newspapers have in
learning but place the responsibility on the teacher’s shoulders. My personal experience is that
the approach works. It must however be emphasized that the use of newspapers should be done
with other techniques. The interactive board, group discussions, research and projects can all be
blended to achieve the curriculum goals.

References

Bala, S. 2017 Use of Print Media in English teaching at senior secondary Schools. Pune
Research Times Vol2 Issue2 https://www.puneresearch.com/times

Barkova, L. 2011 Challenges of teaching a newspaper class. International Journal of Business

and Social Science Vol2 No.15, August 2011 https://ijssnet.com pdf

Chikaka, L.2013 the ABC of Practical ‘O’ Level Revision with Reference to English Language
Paper 2. A paper presentation at Pamushana High School on 13 June 2013 (Unpublished)

Chikaka, L. 2014 ‘O’ Level Revision English Language Paper 2 a presentation at Gutu RCZ
High School on 10 June 2014 (Unpublished)
Felicia, E. 2019 teaching reading at secondary level. https:researchgate.net

Kelly, A. C. 1983 The newspaper can be an effective teaching tool in The Journal of Economic
Education Vol 14 No 4 (Automn, 1083) Accessed 01 May 2020

Kortner, A, N. 1988 Using newspapers as effective teaching tool: Eric Digest Number 10
https://www.ericdigest,org

Minero, E. 2019 6 elementary reading strategies that really work. https://www.edutopia.org

Namata, W. 2010 Newspapers as tools of literacy in Uganda. Master of Philosophy in Media

Studies. University of Oslo: Oslo

Newspaper Association of American Foundation 2007 A Teachers Guide to using newspapers to

enhance language arts skills 5-11 Vienna, VA

Owolabi, D. 2012 Helpful hints for the successful teaching of reading comprehension in the ESL
Emglish Language Classroom. Journal of English and Literature Vol 3 (8), pp174-186,
December 2012

Oxfordlearning 2018 How to improve reading comprehension for kids. https://www.oxford

learning.com

Pemagbi, J. 1995 Using newspapers and radio English language teaching: The sierra Leone
Experience in Forum Vol 33 No. 3; 53-55 July 1995.

Wu, L. Valcke, M. & Van Keer, H. 2019 Factors associated with reading comprehension of
Secondary School Students https://www.researchgate.com

Zimbabwe School Examination Council Past Exam Papers November 2002, November 2004,
June 2008, November 2008, June 2009, June 2010, November 2010 and November 2016.