Reading Portfolio (10%)

“48,100 graduates failed to be employed due to their lack of English language proficiency”
(Minister of Human Resource & Minister of Higher Education, 2010)

There is consistent evidence that extensive reading is effective for students reading in a foreign
language, as well as those in their first language. Studies have shown that students who read on a
regular basis make huge language gains. It is also likely that students will continue to read after they
leave schools and colleges. In addition, readers get much more from reading than just vocabulary
and grammar, and reading is a tremendous source of pleasure. Thus, extensive reading may be a
better bet if you wish to improve your English language skills and are concerned with long-term
gains.

Advantages of extensive reading endeavour for graduating students:

(1) Improve English language proficiency (Krashen, 2004; Anderson, 2008; Stanovich, 1980)
(2) Get into the virtuous cycle of good readers as opposed to vicious cycle of poor readers (Nuttall,
1996). Readers who are reading well and who have good vocabulary will read more, learn more
meanings, and hence read better. Readers with inadequate vocabulary who read slowly and
without enjoyment, read less. As a result, they have slower development of vocabulary
knowledge, which in turn inhibits further growth in reading ability.
(3) Be informed of current issues in one’s specific discipline and have critical opinion on them.
(4) Be enlightened on motivational issues as initial preparations for the job market.
(5) Be prepared with the popular job interview question (What was the last book that you read?)

Reading Programme

Reading Programme A Reading Programme B Reading Programme C

3 books – motivational/self- 2 books – motivational/self- 1 book – motivational/self-

improvement improvement improvement

2 articles from Reader’s Digest 8 articles from Reader’s Digest 14 articles from Reader’s
or from own field of study eg. or from own field of study eg. Digest or from own field of
Chemistry/ physics/ Chemistry/ physics/ accounting study eg. Chemistry/ physics/
accounting etc. etc. accounting etc.

each book to be read in 3 each book to be read in 3 weeks each book to be read in 3
 weeks 2 articles per week weeks

2 articles in one week 2 articles per week

This is a 10-week reading programme. Reading assignment begins in WEEK 2 and ends in WEEK 11 or
at the latest by WEEK 12.

To gain 10% for your reading assignment, you are required to do the following:

1. Purchase a file and name it “Reading Portfolio”.

2. Choose one of the reading programmes above.
3. For Programme A:
a) You must read 3 books in 9 weeks and 2 articles from the Reader’s Digest or from your
own field of study like chemistry/ physics or accounting- in one week. That makes 10
week reading programme.
b) Borrow a book from the library/ friends etc. Preferably a book on motivation – eg: the 7
habits of highly effective people; Rich dad poor dad; think and grow rich; law of success;
how to win friends and influence people; the power of focus, the magic of thinking big,
quantum success, maximum achievement and etc.
c) The book must not be less than 150 pages long.
d) Photocopy the book cover, the publisher’s page, and the table of contents (I want to
know the length of the book)
e) Place all of them in your file.
f) Divide the book into three parts. If the book is 200 pages long, one part is 66 pages.
g) Read each part a week.
h) Each week write (IN YOUR OWN HANDWRITING, DO NOT TYPE)
i. a 100 word summary (in your own words) on the 1st /2nd/ 3rd part of the book..
ii. 100 words of critical comments on the part of the book you have read.
i) Read and write for three weeks (week 2 until week 4) on the same book.
j) Read your second book in the 5th until the 7th week.
k) Read your third book in the 8th -10th week.
l) Read 2 articles from the Reader’s Digest or articles from your filed of study in the 11 th
week.
m) For RD article or article from your field of study : Choose any article from the Reader’s
Digest (RD) magazine or from your own discipline.
n) Photocopy each article, place it in your file.
o) Read each article and then write
i. a 100 word summary of it (each article)
ii. 80 words of critical comments
p) You must read two articles in one week and therefore must have 2 summaries and 2
comments in one week.
4. For Programme B:
q) Follow steps (a) –(j).
r) Read your first two RD articles or articles in your own field of study in week 8.
s) Follow steps (m) – (p)
 t) Read the next 6 RD articles or articles in your own field of study in the following
weeks until week 11.

5. For Programme C:
u) Follow steps (a) –(i)
v) Read your first two RD articles or articles in your own field of study in week 4.
w) Follow steps (m-(p)
x) Read the next 12 RD articles or articles in your own field of study in the following
weeks until week 11.

Assessment:

10 weeks of summary writing in your own words – 100m or 10 marks per summary on books and 5
marks per summary on RD article or article in your own field of study.

10 weeks of critical comments in your own words – 100m or 10 marks per comment on books and 5
marks per comment on RD article or article in your own field of study.

200m = 10%

Note 1: Since the objective of the assignment is reading comprehension and critical thinking of what
you have read, the language errors you make while writing your summaries and comments will not
be penalized. We are interested in your understanding of the text as well as your critical opinion on
the author’s ideas.

Note 2: You have the freedom to choose which reading programme you wish to adopt. You may also
start reading articles before reading a book or alternate between reading articles and books.