PRINCIPLES OF LANGUAGE ACQUISITION AND LEARNING

LESSON 4- READING APPROACHES

Learning Objectives:

1. Acquire in-depth understanding of reading.

2. Underscore the importance of reading in language acquisition.
3. Identify the different reading approaches in language teaching and learning.

Understanding Reading Approach

What is an approach?

Approach describes the nature of the subject matter to be taught.

Approach is a set of correlative assumption based on nature of language teaching and language
learning.
Approach is axiomatic. (based on logic, taken from basic propositions)

Approach is not practical.

Why Reading is Important in Language Acquisition?

1. Reading offers a wide range of vocabulary and grammar, it essentially supports and feeds
the brain with the correct language structure.
2. As learning is facilitated with learning cues, reading helps the brain to remember these
language structures as the learner will connect an image to the world it represents.
3. Reading improves and develops your communication skills; it helps you learn how to use
the language creatively.
4. Reading is important because it is an active skill which involves referencing, guessing,
predicting, and etc.
 Brief History of Reading Approach

1. Reading approach or reading method was first devise for English Learners in India and
French or German learners in the United States of America.
2. It has been advocated in England for pupils of inferior language-learning ability.
3. Reading approach is like GMT (Grammar, Translation, Melody), only grammar is
necessary for reading comprehension and fluency is taught.

Reading Approach Theory of Language

 Reading approach is a way to start teaching beginning readers.

The Three Main Theories

1. Traditional Theory
2. Cognitive view
3. Metacognitive View

Different Approaches to Teaching Reading

Phonics Approach- Tries to create an association in the child minds between the
‘graphemes’ (written symbols) and phonemes (sound) of language.

Bottom- up approach build towards comprehension through a journey from the smallest elements
of the text. It emphasizes decoding more than comprehension, more concerened with word accuracy
than of understanding the author’s message. Learning to read is a problem of addition-we add up the
parts until we get the whole.

Whole Language Approach

Focuses on comprehension from the outset, with children being given continuous texts to read in
order to build an understanding of vocabulary and meaning.

Top-down approach places less emphasis on the rules and minutes of language. It gives more
emphasis on comprehension with less emphasis on sub-skill practice and tests on word-by-word
accuracy. It is a psycholonguistic guessing game-an interaction between thoughts and language.
Reading Approach Types of Teaching Learning Activities

Skimming

It is an activity to read shorter texts to extract accurate detailed information. Used

to quickly identify the main idea of a text .
Done at the speed three to four times faster than normal reading.
This technique is useful when the students are seeking specific information rather than
reading for comprehension.
Works well to find dates, names, and places.

Scanning

A technique that often used when looking up a word in the telephone book or dictionary.
Involves moving eyes quickly down the page seeking specific words and phrases. Also used
when the reader first find a resource to determine whether it will answer the questions.
The students look for the author’s used of organizers such as numbers, letters, steps, or the words,
first, second or next.

Extensive Reading/ Vocabulary Reading

A reading longer texts or books to grasp global meaning , usually for pleasure.
Extensive reading is an approach to language learning, including foreign language learning, by the
means of a large amount of reading.
Extensive reading is the free reading of books and other written materials that is not too difficult nor
too easy.
Extensive reading will help the students to motivate them and enjoy reading and learning
independently.
 The Role of Extensive Reading in Language Learning

1, It can provide comprehensible input.

1. It can enhance learner’s general language competence.
2. It increases the student’s exposure to the language.
3. It can increase knowledge of vocabulary.
4. It can lead to improvement in writing.
5. It can motivates learner to read.
6. It can consolidate previously learned language.
7. It helps to build confidence.
8. It encourage the exploitation of textual redundancy.
9. It facilitates the development of prediction skills.

Reading Skills

1. Previewing- a quick glance over the material to gain a hint of what is to come.

2. Scanning- rapidly finding specific information in a text.

3. Skimming- quickly getting the gist or main points of a passage or book.

4. Visualizing- picturing or actually drawing a picture or diagram of what is described in a text.

5. Paraphrasing- relating text in the reader’s own words.

6. Intensive Reading-reading for details

7. Extensive reading- reading longer texts or books to grasp the global meaning.

8. Functional Reading- provides for the development of comprehension and utilization of skills in
areas of study, reference materials and reading in the subject areas.

9. Recreational reading- provides for the literature, skills of utilization of interest and literacy
materials and reading in the subject field.
Assessment Activity:

I. Essay: Answer the following briefly:

1. How does a person learn to communicate their thoughts?

2. How does reading help learners to acquire language?

Enumeration
1. List down at 5 roles of Extensive Reading in Language and
Learning.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

2. Give the 2 types of reading teaching strategies.

1.
2.
Approaches to Language Teaching

Learning Objectives.

1. To define language and language learning.

2. To analyze different views on language teaching and learning.
3. To detect the influence of the views on the language teaching methodology.

Discussion.

Language is a means of communication among human beings.

We communicate with each other using some meaningful sounds or symbolism a systematic way.

According to Aristotle, language is speech which is produced by human beings in order

Exchange their experiences, ideas, and emotions

Language Learning is a process by which we can develop our ability to use language for
communication to others.

Purposes of Language Learning

1. To develop the ability to understand and produced language.

2. To express functional activities.
3. To create and maintain social relations between / among people.
Views on Language Teaching-Learning

1. Structural View
2. Functional View
3. Interactional View

Structural View of Language

Structural view considers that language is a system of all systems.

It means that language is a linguistic system that has some subsystems such as;
Phonological units (e.g. phonemes)
Grammatical unit (e.g. sentences, phrases, clauses)
Grammatical operations (e.g. adding, shifting, joining, or transforming elements) Lexical
items (e.g. function words and content/structure words)
Each language has a finite number of such structural elements.

The structural view of language generates the language teaching-learning

methods such as:

1. Audio-lingual method
2. Total physical response
3. Silent way

Functional view of Language

As per the functional view, language is not only a linguistic system but also a means f doing things
Language is used to express our emotions, feelings, attitudes, etc. Language
involves our day to day functional activities or notions such as:

Inviting
Advising
Suggesting
Making an appointment
Apologizing
 Asking for directions
Agreeing, disagreeing and etc.

This view language is also called communicative view.

Therefore learning language is learning how to combine grammatical rules and vocabulary to
express our notions.

Methods in Teaching-Learning Functional Language Views

1. Functional- Notional Syllabuses

2. Communicative approaches
3. Natural approach
4. English for specific purposes

Interactional View of Language

According to interactional view, language is a means of creating and maintaining social relations
or social transactions between people.
Exercises:

Learning Exercises / Activities.

I. Essay: Answer the following briefly.

1. Explain what functional view is.

2. What are the purposes of language learning?
3. What do you mean when we say structural view of language? Cite an
example.