Model Lesson Plan

Stages/ Components of a Lesson Plan

A lesson plan is the instructor’s road map of what students need to learn and how it will be done
effectively during the class time. A successful lesson plan addresses and integrates three key
components:

 Learning Objectives
 Learning activities
 Assessment to check for student understanding

A lesson plan provides you with a general outline of your teaching goals, learning objectives,
and means to accomplish them, and is by no means exhaustive. A productive lesson is not one in
which everything goes exactly as planned, but one in which both students and instructor learn
from each other. According to Jeremy Harmer:

“Lesson planning is the art of combining a number of different elements into a coherent
whole so that a lesson has an identity.”

Various approaches are adopted to plan a lesson like PPP (Presentation-Practice-Production),

TBL (Task-Based Learning) and CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning). We are
going to discuss PPP.

Although quite old and heavily criticised over the years, PPP is probably the most commonly
used lesson structure in teaching English to foreign learners today. Although there are many
ways to organise a lesson, the merit of PPP is that it provides a clear step-by-step model for new
teachers to follow by dividing the lesson into three main stages: Present, Practice and Produce.

PRESENTATION

Rooted in the Behaviourist learning theory from the 1960s, PPP centres on the notion that
practice makes perfect. As a result, the PPP model moves learners from supported to freer use of
the target language in a lesson. At the start of the lesson, learners are presented with the target
language – this could be a grammar point or a set of vocabulary. This first Presentation stage of
the lesson enables learners to explore the meaning, form and use of the language before they are
expected to practice using it.

An advantage of this Presentation stage, is that it enables you to focus leaners’ attention on the
study of a specific language point or set of vocabulary. You might use a short text or an audio
clip to present a grammar point in context to learners. By setting well-designed tasks, learners
can be guided to discover the target language in the text or audio and then explore meaning, form
and use with the support of the teacher - this is known as a top-down approach. Alternatively, a
bottom-up approach can be adopted by using questions and visuals to elicit the target language
from learners before looking at how it is used in a text or audio.
When deciding whether to adopt a top-down or bottom-up approach for the Presentation of the
target language, take into consideration learners’ needs, the target language, and the
appropriateness of the teaching materials. A top-down approach that starts with a text or an audio
clip is likely to be successful providing that the chosen text or audio clearly demonstrates the
target language in use and is appropriate for the level of the learners. A text or audio that
contains too much unknown language can create confusion as learners will struggle to identify
the target language and work out its meaning.

Similarly, with a bottom-up approach, how the meaning of the target language will be elicited
from the learners is part of the planning process. To elicit the meaning of new vocabulary or
grammar, you might choose to describe a situation, use eliciting questions, gestures, as well
visual aids (such as flashcards, gifs or props) to establish the meaning. Teacher talk and any
supporting resources at this stage needs to be carefully thought through. Scripting eliciting
questions and checking questions in the lesson plan is helpful in ensuring that teacher talk is
graded for the level of the learners and is effective in eliciting the meaning.

Whether a top-down or bottom-up approach is adopted in Presenting the target language, this
stage of a PPP lesson needs to be well-planned for the Practice and Produce stages to follow on.
Careful planning is needed in order to set the learners up for success in the following Practice
tasks, and thus prevent backpedalling to the Presentation stage because learners are unclear on
what the target language means, or how it is used.

PRACTICE

The Practice stage of a PPP lesson gives learners the opportunity to use the target language in a
controlled way – this focuses on them developing their accuracy in using the new language.
Controlled Practice tasks can include matching activities, fill in the gaps, organising words into
the correct order, or a memory card game to name just a few. As controlled Practice tasks centre
on building learners’ accuracy, tasks should focus on learners using the target language and have
a clear answer. If the answer for a controlled Practice task is unclear or contains multiple correct
answers, then learners will struggle to recognise patterns in how the target language is used.

To bridge the jump from Practice to Produce, it is a good idea to set a second Practice task that
gets learners using the target language more freely. A freer Practice task can be as simple as
learners noting a few sentences that use the target language. This type of freer Practice gives
learners the opportunity to experiment in merging the new language with their existing language
with some support. The trick here is to strike a balance in providing enough scaffolding for
learners to experiment, but not so much that it becomes another controlled exercise.

PRODUCE

The third and final Produce stage is designed to develop learners’ fluency. Learners at this stage
are expected to produce the target language in context, whether this is in their speaking or
writing. As a result, Produce tasks that develop learners’ speaking skills can range from role-
plays to debates depending on the target language and context of the lesson. Similarly, if the
language and context of the lesson lends to developing learners’ writing skills, they may write a
recipe, a film review, a synopsis of a book, a description of an item for sale online…the list is
endless. Whether you’re getting your learners to Produce via a speaking or writing task, allow
sufficient time for them to plan, participate and receive feedback before wrapping up the lesson.

Assumptions Behind PPP

Some learning assumptions behind presentation, practice, production are:

 Students should be told the grammar rules and then practice them (a deductive approach).
 Language learning is a skill like any other and should be practised as such.
 There should be a high level of teacher control, slowly handed over to learners as the
lesson progresses.
 Language is a series of items that can be learned in sequence.
 The target language should be practised by removing unnecessary language to help focus.

Advantages

 It’s easy to learn for new teachers.

  It’s very flexible.
 It’s easy to plan for and has a logical progression.
 It works for most types of classes, including larger classes.
 Most course books use this or a similar method to structure their lessons and chapters.

Disadvantages

 Research shows that it may not be the best way to teach/learn a language.
 Weaker learners may overuse the target language from the practice session, so it
sounds unnatural.
 Learners may not know how to use the target language in different contexts.
 It can be boring if used repeatedly for higher-level students.

How to Develop Listening Skill

Listening skills affect every aspect of our lives. If you can develop the art of listening well, you
could stand to improve every area of your life – be that professional, academic, social or
personal. To listen, we must make a conscious effort to not just hear but also absorb, digest, and
understand what others are saying. The listening process involves four stages: receiving,
understanding, evaluating, and responding. The teacher must encourage, inspire, motivate and
support the learners to overcome the intricacies which hinder the way to improve listening skill.
Following are some ways to improve the listening skill:

 Encourage the student to be an active listener by:

 Improving eye contact while listening
 Paying attention to non verbal signs like body language
 Making a mental image of what the speaker is saying
 Providing feedback
 Keeping an open mind
 Enhance the student’s understanding.
 Speak in short sentences and talk relatively slowly.
 Supplement orally presented information with written information.
 Reinforce what you are saying with gestures.
 When posing questions in class, give him three or four possible answers to
choose from or ask questions with a number of correct answers.
 Monitor his understanding.
 Practise certain activities as given to develop listening skill.

 Play listening games

 Sound Recognition Activity 

 Spot the Mistake

 Play “story chain”

 Help your child to build their vocabulary

 Listening with flashcards

 Listening dialogs

 Read stories to your child

 Study natural pronunciation

 Surround yourself with different accents, voices & contexts
 Write what you hear

Micro Teaching
Microteaching, a teacher training technique currently practiced worldwide, provides teachers an
opportunity to perk up their teaching skills by improving the various simple tasks called teaching
skills. It’s a way of organizing teaching in its microform regarding time duration, content
covered and class size. The concept of micro-teaching is allowing teachers to improve
themselves by reviewing their performance and receiving feedback. The concept of micro-
teaching is based on the following:
  Real-form teaching but with the minimum concept 
 Focusing on basic teaching skills and using feedback for improvement
 Enabling teachers to learn effective teaching skills
 Monitoring micro-teaching exercises

The Principles of Micro-Teaching

Teaching is a very complex process, and as a teacher, you need a range of different skills to be
efficient and effective in a classroom. You require the right training and courses to become a
teacher. Micro-teaching revolves around a few principles that improve its reach in the
development of teachers. Below are the principles of micro-teaching:

 One skill at a time

The method of micro-teaching involves targeting one skill at a time. When it comes to the steps
of micro-teaching, it’s about training teachers on specific skills until they master them. Once a
skill is mastered, another one is targeted. Thus, the method of micro-teaching is all about aiming
for one skill at a time 

 Small-scale content

There are many steps of micro-teaching that teachers must be aware of when training. When
content is limited, it gives teachers more ease and freedom. Micro-teaching is also based on the
principle of small-scale content or limiting content. Teachers are expected to prepare lessons
based on the given content. So, it becomes much easier for them to teach

 Practice makes perfect

The principles of micro-teaching are also about practice. To master teaching skills, teachers
require a lot of practice. The concept of micro-teaching allows pupil teachers to practice those
teaching skills one at a time. Practice helps boost self-confidence and also promotes the
development of different teaching skills. The process of micro-teaching involves a lot of
practice, which is very important to master the art of teaching  

 Experiments

Experiments are also one of the key features of micro-teaching. In micro-teaching, there are
many different experiments conducted to test the teachers. The objective of micro-teaching is to
prepare teachers in the best way possible. With experiments, the objectives of micro-teaching are
met as skills are tested time and again 

 Feedback

Another key feature of micro-teaching is feedback. Once a micro-teaching session ends,

supervisors and pupils give their feedback immediately. Through micro-teaching, a teacher can
improve and work on their drawbacks 

 Self-evaluation opportunities

One of the main objectives of micro-teaching is self-evaluation. Self-evaluation plays a

significant role in any kind of task. Through the process of micro-teaching, one can analyze their
mistakes and try to improve their skills. The use of micro-teaching allows students to understand
their mistakes and work on improving themselves. The use of micro-teaching for training
purposes helps point out drawbacks and solutions, thus helping in the overall development of
teachers.

Types of Micro-Teaching
There are different types of micro-teaching that one needs to understand. They are as follows:

 The Skill of Introduction 

 The Skill of Explaining
 The Skill of Questioning
  The Skill of Demonstration
 The Skill of Illustrating
 The Skill of Reinforcement
 The Skill of Stimulus Variation
 The Skill of Blackboard Writing
 The Skill of Closure

The Process of Micro-Teaching

Now that we’ve clearly understood what micro-teaching is, let’s look at the process of micro-
teaching. Micro-teaching revolves around six basic ideas. They are as follows:

 Plan

Micro-teaching allows teachers to conduct a teaching session for a small group. This gives them
the freedom to plan accordingly. They prepare a topic or lesson and what they want to cover in
class. This is similar to lesson planning but it’s not full-fledged. This is the very first step of
micro-teaching. Teachers will have to plan their lessons according to their trainer’s instructions

 Teach

The next step of micro-teaching is to take a class and teach. The trainee will teach a class
according to the plan they’ve prepared. Their trainer will be the supervisor 

 Observe

The trainer will observe the trainee teacher’s class and will comment and give feedback based on
their observations 

 Re-plan

Based on the trainer’s feedback and self-evaluation, the trainee will re-plan their approach and
strategies. This can include communication, presentation style or teaching skill. Micro-teaching
may be stressful for many, but one will be able to master the art of teaching eventually with
practice 

 Re-teach

The trainee teacher will have to repeat the same process and re-teach the class. Micro-teaching is
a process where teachers learn through trial and error 

 Re-observe

Once again, the trainer will observe the trainee teacher and give feedback according to the
observations made

Now, let’s find out more about the phases of micro-teaching.

The Phases of Micro-Teaching

There are three phases of micro-teaching. They are as follows:

1. Knowledge Acquisition

This is the very first phase of micro-teaching. This phase is all about gathering
knowledge about the various skills needed to become a successful teacher. Trainee
teachers will go through different teaching lectures and demonstration videos to
understand everything about a teaching career. In this phase, trainee teachers understand
the meaning of micro-teaching and what a teaching job involves.

2. Skill Acquisition
 The next phase is the working phase of the program. In this phase, trainee teachers are
asked to prepare certain topics or lessons based on the micro-teaching model that’s
presented at the start of the program. In this phase, there are two essential things to keep
in mind—setting and feedback. Setting includes the duration of the class, the lesson
length, the students, the supervisor and the skill to be obtained.

3. Transferring Phase

This is the final and the most vital phase of micro-teaching. In this phase, the trainee
teaches in a real classroom that’s not controlled. It’s a real situation, and both students
and teachers get an opportunity to learn and grow.

With that said, we must also evaluate the pros and cons of this method, which are enumerated
below.

Advantages of Micro-Teaching
Micro-teaching is a great platform for teachers to improve their teaching skills. Here are some
advantages or benefits of micro-teaching:

 Builds confidence
 Involves a lot of practice 
 Budget-friendly 
 More learning
 Improves attitude
 Develops communication skills 
 Promotes systematic lesson planning 
 Instant feedback 
 Helps master skills

There are also some drawbacks of this model, which are listed below.

Disadvantages of Micro-Teaching
The main shortcomings of micro-teaching are:

 Reduces creativity
 Teaching is limited
 Lesser students mean lesser interest 
 Wastes a lot of time
 Not realistic and practical
 Time-consuming 
 Involves overlapping of certain skills 

Understanding what micro-teaching is essential if you’re looking to enroll in a teaching course.

Micro-teaching programs for experienced and non-experienced teachers are an ideal way to enter
into the world of teaching. There are pros and cons for every innovation. Micro-teaching is a
widely used technique that’s approved and adopted by various institutes across the world. 

Communicative Approach
“Communicative Approach in language learning is an approach that is used in learning the
second language or foreign language that emphasizes on the improvement of
communicative ability”, that is ”the ability of applying the language principle in order to
produce grammatical sentences and understand ’when, where, and to whom’ the sentences
used” (Richard, 1997). Communicative method focuses on language as a medium of
communication. It recognises that communication has a social purpose – learner which has
something to say or find out. Communication embraces a whole spectrum of functions and
notions.

Michael Canale said that “communicative ability is formed by four competences:

1) grammatical, 2) sociolinguistic, 3) discourse, and 4) strategy.

Grammatical competence relates to language system mastery, such as: vocabulary, word
formation, and sentence meaning’.

Sociolinguistic competence is a competence to understand and produce accurate utterance in

accordance with the context in which the utterances happen.

Discourse competence relates to the ability in combining the form and the meaning of a
language. Besides to understand the kinds of discourse which is cohesive and coherence.

Strategy competence refers to the ability of overcoming the obstacles and simultaneously
improving the effectiveness of communication.

Principles of The Communicative Approach:

i. Language learning is learning to communicate using the target language.

ii. The language used to communicate must be appropriate to the situation, the roles of
the speakers, the setting and the register. The learner needs to differentiate between a
formal and an informal style.
iii. Communicative activities are essential. Activities should be presented in a situation or
context and have a communicative purpose. Typical activities of this approach are:
games, problem-solving tasks, and role-play. There should be information gap, choice
and feedback involved in the activities.
iv. Learners must have constant interaction with and exposure to the target language.
v. Development of the four macroskills — speaking, listening, reading and writing — is
integrated from the beginning, since communication integrates the different skills.
vi. The topics are selected and graded regarding age, needs, level, and students’ interest.
vii. Motivation is central. Teachers should raise students’ interest from the beginning of
the lesson.
viii. The role of the teacher is that of a guide, a facilitator or an instructor.
ix. Trial and error is considered part of the learning process.
x. Evaluation concerns not only the learners’ accuracy but also their fluency.

Main Features and Techniques of Communicative Language Teaching

i. Meaning is paramount.
ii. Dialogues, if used, enter around communicative functions and are not normally
memorized.
iii. Contextualization is a basic premise. (Meaning cannot be understood out of context.
Teachers using this approach will present a grammar topic in a meaningful context.
Example: If the new topic to teach is Present Continuous, the teacher will not mime
the action of ‘walking’ and ask: What am I doing? I am walking. Instead, the teacher
will show, say, pictures of her last trip and tell the students something like: I have
pictures of my vacation. Look, in this picture I am with my friends. We are having
lunch at a very expensive restaurant. In this other picture, we are swimming at the
beach.
iv. Language learning is learning to communicate and effective communication is
sought. (When learners are involved in real communication, their natural strategies
for language acquisition will be used, and this will allow them to learn to use the
language.)
v. Drilling may occur, but peripherally.
vi. Comprehensible pronunciation is sought.
vii. Translation may be used where students need or benefit from it.
viii. Reading and writing can start from the first day.
ix. Communicative competence is the desired goal (i.e., the ability to use the linguistic
system effectively and appropriately).
x. Teachers help learners in any way that motivates them to work with the language.
xi. Students are expected to interact with other people, either in the flesh, through pair
and group work, or in their writings.

The following is a compilation of authentic material sources most commonly used in the
classroom:

i. Ad Banners, advertisements, billboards

ii. Catalogs, college and university brochures, flyers, travel brochures.
 iii. Movies, scripts, commercials
iv. Radio shows, newspapers, Internet websites, magazines, TV shows
v. Social media, YouTube, phonebooks
vi. Ticket stubs, manuals, menus, maps
vii. Greeting cards, horoscopes

Advantages of Communicative Approach.

Following are some benefits that the CLT offers.

One of the benefits of the Communicative Approach and related approaches under the
Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) umbrella is that teachers can integrate a grammar or
vocabulary lesson with receptive and productive language skills.

With the Communicative Approach, a grammar lesson can be integrated with a speaking lesson
creatively.

Authentic material such as movies, newspapers, comics, and songs is key to supporting English
language learning in an enjoyable and meaningful context to students.

Objections Raised Against CA.

There are certain objections leveled against the Communicative Approach. They include:

Some critics indicate that the Communicative Approach does not place sufficient emphasis on
grammar rules, so the method could not properly teach grammatical competence.

Placing too much emphasis on games or authentic material can lead to a fun and engaging
lesson, but the students do not learn anything of value.

Teachers need to be proficient in grammar rules and have the ability to structure a lesson plan
that properly follows each stage of the Communicative Approach. But that is a herculean task in
Pakistani schools.

It can be concluded that Communicative Approach is one of the important approaches to help
learners to be able to contact with others in order to talk fluency and to express about themselves
confidently and to present many social issues in their environment as quick as possible. As what
Littlewood said that “Communicative Approach in the language learning pays attention to
the language structural aspects and its functional aspects. Language structural aspects
focus on language form grammatically, while language functional aspects relate to the
functions of language form itself”

TEACHING OF POETRY
“Poetry is made out of life, belongs to life and exists for life”

Teaching poetry leads to an all round development of the whole personality of pupils particularly
the emotional, imaginative, intellectual, aesthetic and intuitive sides. The study of poetry offers a
great opportunity for those aspects of personality to develop, which may remain underdeveloped
in a purely intellect curriculum. Poetry is the best words in their best rhythmical order. It is a
musical and metrical form of language. Poetry is “a thing of beauty” and “a joy forever”.
Poetry is a thing of beauty, beauty of thought, and beauty of form, mood and feelings. Poetry is
defined differently by different poets and critics. Some of the definitions are given as below:

“Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings.” (Woodworth)

“The rhythmical creation of thought.” (E.Allen)

“All that is worth remembering of life is the poetry of it.” (William Hazlitt)

Aims of Teaching Poetry:

According to Menon and Patel, “In teaching poetry is not so much to improve the child’s
knowledge of English as to add to his joy and increase his power of appreciation of beauty”.
The chief aim of teaching poetry is not so much to improve student’s knowledge of English as to
his joy and increase the power of appreciation of beauty and imagination.

General aims of teaching poetry:

i. To enable the students to recite the poem with proper rhythm and intonation etc.
ii. To enable the students to understand the thought and imagination of the poet
contained in the poem.
iii. To create love for English poetry among the students.
iv. To develop the students aesthetic sense.
v. To develop all round personality of the students.
vi. To develop a taste for poetry reading and writing.
vii. To train the emotion of the students.
viii. To develop the imaginative power of the students.
ix. In the words of Eastman, “To leave the child with a sense of satisfaction that
comes from play, from absorption or from a spontaneous activity”.

Specific aims of teaching Poetry:

Specific aims of teaching poetry vary with poems because each poem is exclusive
in its treatment of situations, feelings and emotions. The following can be the specific aims of
teaching poetry-:
i. To enable the students to grasp the exclusive message that the poem/poet want to
convey.
ii. To enable the students to appreciate the poem critically.
iii. To enable the students to recite the poem with correct pronunciation and rhythm.
iv. To enable the students about the figures of speech that the poet has used.
v. To enable the students to grasp the poetic and literary devices employed in the poem.

Procedures and steps of teaching Poetry:

No uniform method can be laid down for teaching of poetry. Each poem has to be treated
individual. So, a good teacher has to make plans his lesson well before he goes to the classroom.
According to Max Eastman, “A successful poetry lesson should leave the pupils with some
insight into the delight or beauty that is portrayed”. The steps involved in teaching poetry can
be enumerated as under-:

i. OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the poem are to be written in behavioural terms, the objectives may vary from
poem to poem depending upon the main theme of the poem. Objectives of teaching poetry
should be well known before hand as it helps in guiding our teaching learning activities.

ii. PREPARATION

To realize the above aims, it is necessary for the English teacher to prepare material aids for
teaching poetry. Preparation of teaching poetry entails the following sub-steps-:

Material Aids: The English teacher should select material aids that are suitable for the poem. It
can be a picture depicting the scene. Material aids can also be used to explain the difficult words
used in the poem.

Previous knowledge: Before teaching the poem, the teacher should know the age, previous
experience, mental development and linguistic abilities of the students. The teacher should
introduce the new poem on the basis of the pupil’s previous knowledge. Asking previous
questions helps the teacher to make a bridge between the past experience and new experiences.

Introduction: The teacher should arouse interest of the students by creating situation for the
poem. A poem can be introduced by many ways-:

i. By showing picture and asking questions based on it.

ii. By playing music.
iii. Recite a parallel poem to the students preferable from the same poet.
iv. Explain the gist of the poem and ask relevant questions confirming their
comprehension. Here the teacher may use mother tongue if the students do not follow
the English language.
v. The life sketch and other interesting incident from the poet’s life can be given.
 vi. The poem can be played on an audio-video aid so that the students are able to enjoy
it.
vii. Explain the situation under which the poem was written.
viii. If the poem to be learnt is descriptive, a picture can be shown and two or three
questions on the picture should be asked.

Statement of the Aim: After introducing the poem, the next step is to give the statement of aim
by giving the title of the poem. The aim should not be only passing the examination.

iii. PRESENTATION:

Ryburn says, “A good poem is complete whole”. So the poetry should be taught in one unit.
Again he rightly says, “A good poem should be taught whole, if , of course, it is very long, it
should be divided into units.” The presentation stage consists the following points-:

Model Reading: The teacher reads the poem loudly and the students are instructed to listen
carefully. The teacher should recite the poem carefully by which the students can easily follow
the musical tone of the poem.

Gist of the Poem: To make the students familiar with the theme and matter of the poem, the
teacher tells the gist of the poem. It is presented in short, generally in few lines. At the time of
presenting the gist of the poem, the teacher can use mother tongue if the students needed.

Pronunciation Drill: In this step, the teacher should derive the meaning of the difficult words
and phrases in the poem with the help of material aids such as drawing sketches, pictures or
explain the meaning directly. The teacher also conducts pronunciation drill of the difficult words.

Model Reading (II): A second reading should be done by the teacher to create an atmosphere
and to respond to the emotions of the poem. When the poem has been fully explained and
discussed, the teacher should read the poem once again. At the time of second model reading by
the teacher, the students should be asked to look after their books and listen attentively.

Reading Aloud: After second model reading by the teacher, two or three students should be
asked to read the poem loudly with correct stress and intonation pattern. The teacher should
encourage the students to recite not to read simple.

Comprehension questions: At this stage, the students should be asked questions in order to
know whether the students comprehend the poem entirely. The question should be simple and
relevant. The number of comprehensive questions depends upon the feelings and ideas of the
poem.

iv. Assignment:

The assignment should be related to some creative work. The teacher may ask to memories the
lines of the poem or to write the gist of the poem. The assignment should be relevant and to the
knowledge of the students.

Advantages of Teaching Poetry: Teaching of poetry has the certain following advantages.

i. Poetry helps in all round development of the students. According to S. Subrahmanyam,

“The value of teaching poetry in English language course at the secondary school level is
immense. It leads to an all round development of the whole personality of pupils,
particularly the emotional, imaginative, intellectual, aesthetic and intuitive sides.
ii. It enables the students to acquire natural speech rhythm through the rhythm of poetry.
iii. Poetry is for enjoyment and pleasure.
iv. It helps in increasing the power of imagination.
v. Poetry has cathartic value as it helps in training the emotions.
vi. The repetition of certain pattern in a poem helps in learning pattern sentence.

In short, teaching of poetry is comprehensive process. It is helpful in developing the aesthetic

skills of the learners. It also enhances the comprehension of the literary and poetic devices
leading to overall understanding of the literary genres. We can infuse the literary taste in the
learners, make them more critical thinkers and widen their imagination. Hence, teaching of
poetry plays a pivotal role in understanding literature.
 TEACHING OF PROSE
The word prose is derived from the Latin word “proversa oratio” which means straight forward
discourse. English prose came into existence in the 14th century. Elizabethan age is considered is
very rich in prose writing. Bacon wrote essay in the 16th century, which becomes the landmark
in the development of prose. The teaching of prose should be intensive as well as extensive for
gaining knowledge, giving information, communicate ideas, relate events and for the
development of aesthetic sense. Prose is an important aspect of literature. It includes essay,
drama, novel, composition, and biographies etc. It enriches the vocabulary of the students and
develops language skills such as reading, writing, speaking and listening. It helps the students to
grasp the ideas of the writer. The meaning of prose will be clearer by the given following
definitions.

Prose is “a loose sally of the mind, an irregular indigestion piece, not a regular and orderly
performance.” (Dr. Johnson)

Prose is “written or spoken language in its ordinary form, without metrical structure.”
(Oxford American Dictionary)

Types of Prose: Teaching of prose includes two types of lessons -:

i. Detailed prose lesson

ii. Non-detailed prose lesson

Detailed prose lesson: Detailed prose lesson is also called intensive reading lesson. In this the
text book is read thoroughly, word by word and difficult words, idioms or phrase is explained to
the students by which they can able to grasp them firmly.
Non-detailed lesson: Non-detailed prose lesson is also called extensive reading lesson. The main
aim of this kind of lesson is giving information and pleasure to the students. In this lesson the
teacher need not explain the meaning of each and every word. The students grasp the meaning of
the words in the context to the situation in which they are used.
The subject matter of prose includes essays, story, biographies, composition, plays and dramas,
novels etc.
Objectives of Teaching Prose: The objectives of teaching prose can be divided into two parts -:
i. General objectives.
ii. Specific objectives.
General Objectives of Teaching Prose:
i. To develop students understandings and comprehension as regards passage.
ii. To develop the ability of loud reading of the passage with correct pronunciation,
stress, intonation, pause and articulation of voice.
iii. To enable the students to understand the passage by silent reading.
iv. To enrich learner’s active and passive vocabulary.
v. To make the students interested in enjoying reading and writing.
vi. To enables the students to express fluently their ideas, feelings, or thoughts orally as
well as in writing.
vii. To develop the power of imagination and explanation.
viii. To enable them to perceive the knowledge contained in the passage.
ix. To develop critical thinking in the students.
x. To develop moral values through teaching of prose.
xi. Last but not least, to prepare the students for world citizenship.
Specific Objectives of Teaching Prose: Specific objectives of teaching prose are subject to
verification according to the subject matter of the prose lesson, as it may be an essay, story,
biography, play, drama, Novel, composition etc. Broadly, the specific objectives of teaching
prose are given details -:
Descriptive prose:
i. To develop the imagination and fancy of the students.
ii. To acquaints the students with the style of the writer.
iii. To develop their love for natural objects.
iv. To develop their aesthetic sense.
v. To develop the habit of thinking among the students.
Story
i. To impart knowledge of the facts as mentioned in the story.
ii. To give moral lesson through the story.
iii. To train the students character.
 iv. To acquaint the students with the style of the story writing.
v. To develop the power of imagination.
vi. To develop among the students a habit of story reading.
vii. To enable them to compose interesting stories.
viii. To provide a suitable channel for the use of surplus energies of the youths.
Essay
i. To make them receive knowledge.
ii. To arouse curiosity of the students about the subject of the essay.
iii. To acquaint the students with the style of the essay writer.
iv. To enable them to arrange ideas in a systematic way.
v. To enable the students to think freely.
vi. To enrich the students intellect.
vii. To develop the mental capacity of the students
Composition
i. To enable the students to write correct English with reasonable speed.
ii. To develop the power of imagination of the students.
iii. To enable the students to express their ideas in a logical way.
iv. To acquaints the students with the different style of writing composition.
v. To enrich the vocabulary of the students.
vi. To develops the knowledge of punctuation marks and their use.
vii. To enable the students to recall appropriate words for their appropriate use.
Biography
i. To acquaint the students with the life and deeds of great man.
ii. To show them a path of character building.
iii. To increase their love of aspiration.
iv. To develop the test of the students for reading biographies of famous persons of the
world.
v. To inculcate desirable sentiments among the students.
vi. To train the students character through the life history of great personality.
vii. To develop taste of the students for reading biographies of famous person of their
own country and the world.
Play and Drama
i. To teach the students with play way method.
ii. To provide them opportunity for self expression.
iii. To develop conversational ability of the students.
iv. To enable them to play different roles.
v. To build their character.
vi. To develop their self confidence.
vii. To utilize leisure time.

Procedure of Teaching Prose:

The whole teaching learning process is divided into three stages. The first stage is pre-active,
second one is inter-active and the third stage is post-active. The pre-active is considered as for
preparation, interactive is for presentation and explanation and post active is for application.
Different scholars have suggested different procedure and steps for teaching prose lesson. The
following are the steps / procedures/ methodology of teaching prose -:

i. Determining the objectives:

The first step for teaching prose is, a teacher has to be clear about the general and specific
objectives of teaching prose lesson, which are discussed earlier. After determining the general
and specific objectives of teaching prose lesson, then the teacher has to prepare himself for
teaching.
ii. Preparation:
The teacher must be careful and well prepared before hand while presenting the prose
lesson. The students find it difficult because it is a foreign language. So, the teachers try to
motivate the students to study the lesson. Therefore a teacher has to do something by which he
attracts the students to learn. Under this the following steps to be followed -:
Teaching aids: The teacher should use various material aids like charts, models, map, T.V, radio,
chalk, duster, pointer etc in accordance with the kind of the lesson he is going to teach. By using
such aids a teacher can easily arouse interest and curiosity of the students.
Previous Knowledge: A teacher before imparting new knowledge to the students should know
and access that how much knowledge students have gained. Previous knowledge testing (PKT) is
a process by which a teacher can easily facilitate the teaching learning process.
Introduction: Introduction should be very interesting and it should be based on the previous
knowledge of the learners. So the teacher should first ask some questions to test the previous
knowledge of the students and then link that to the subject to be taught. The introduction has two
purposes -:
a) To bring past knowledge into consciousness.
b) To attract students attention to the new subject.
Statement of Aim: A teacher should be clear in his mind what aim he is going to achieve and at
the same time he should acquaint the students about it so that they pay attention to what is
expected of them. After asking introductory question, he should declare what he intends to teach.
He should ask students to open their book at appropriate page.
iii. Presentation:
Presentation is the main part of a lesson plan. The teacher can divide the lesson into a
number of units, so that the students may easily understand the topic. If the lesson is very short,
only one unit should be made. The following sub steps should be followed for effective
presentation.
Model reading /loud reading by the teacher: In this step, the teacher should read out his
selected passage loudly. Ha should be very much careful about the pronunciation, words, phrases
and intonations. His reading must be a model reading as the pupils learn to read through
imitation.
Pronunciation drill by the students: Before loud reading there should be pronunciation drill.
Selection of words for pronunciation drill should be on the basis of general pronunciation of
students.
Loud reading by the students: After pronunciation drill, the teacher should ask some students
to read out the passage loudly. This loud reading is very much helpful to them for clear
pronunciation. It helps the students to develop reading ability.
Exposition and Explanation by the teacher: Exposition and explanation is the vital part of
teaching on which the effectiveness of teaching depends. The objectives of exposition and
explanation is (I) to clear the meaning of difficult words, phrases, and idioms (ii) to make the
comprehension of the passage easy and (iii) to pave way for intensive reading.
Comprehension test by the teacher: The teacher asks some questions from the present passage
to test the comprehension of students the meaning of the passage. The question should be direct
and objective based. The main purpose of asking comprehension questions is to obtain a general
understanding of the passage quickly.
iv. Recapitulation (application test) by the teacher:
Recapitulation is similar to comprehension questions but the objective is different. The objective
of recapitulation test is to know that how much the students captured the lesson or what extent
the objective of a lesson has been achieved.
v. Black board work:
Black board is one of the most important tools in the hand of a teacher is for communication of
his ideas clearly and explicitly. A teacher can make its use in writing words, drawing figures and
comparing two things. The assignment for lower classes can also be written on the black board
and at the time of asking comprehension and recapitulation questions a teacher can also use
black board for effective communication.
vi. Assignment for the students:
The students must be given assignment which may complete in the classroom or at home. The
questions should be-:
· Meaning and spelling of words.
· Use of words and sentences
· Fill the blanks.
· Translate the passage into mother tongue.
· Writing summary of the passage.
· Explaining words, phrases, idioms,
· Giving the synonyms and antonyms of the new words.
· Answering long, short and one word questions on the passage.
· To point out grammatical features of a sentence or passage.
The main purpose of the prose lesson is to develop speech and writing habits of the students.
Therefore every lesson in English should be taught through the medium of English. The teacher
must remember that vocabulary, structure and grammar are the most important things in prose
lesson. For this it is necessary that the teacher exposes new words and structures properly. The
exposition should be made in such a way that the students are able to understand the ideas
inherent in the passage. For exposition of new words and structures, teacher may use object,
model, picture, gesture, facial expression, hand movements etc. In this way, the teacher can teach
the prose lesson effectively and his teaching will be more interesting.

Difference between Prose and Poetry:

A poem contains the same elements as a prose composition. The differences between the two
must therefore consist in a different combination of words. This is because the object proposed is
different; the object of the poem may be to give pleasure or simply to aid the memory. Thus the
main differences in teaching prose and poetry are as follows-:

i. While prose appeals to the head and poetry appeals to the heart.
ii. While prose appeals to the intellect only, poetry is more powerful form of expression.
It affects the whole man, his sense, intellect and emotions.
iii. Prose is more sight than sound but poetry is more sound than sight. It appeals
principally to ear than eye.
iv. Unlike prose, poetry is not so much read but sung. It is not so much seen but heard.
The poet uses music for expression of his ideas.
v. In poetry, there is peculiar rhythm that is not there in prose.
vi. It is a thing of beauty, beauty of language, beauty of thought, beauty of mood and
feelings.
vii. Prose provides information where as poetry provides delight.
viii. While prose is for knowledge and poetry is for appreciation.
ix. Prose cannot be sung but read where poetry cannot read but sung.
x. Prose is seen mere where poetry is not seen but heard more.

Writing Skill
Writing as a skill is very important in teaching and learning a foreign language; it helps pupils to
assimilate letters and sounds of the English language, its vocabulary and grammar, and to
develop habits and skills in pronunciation, speaking, and reading.

“Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions” (Sagan, 1980)

The skills-based approach views writing as a collection of separate skills, including letter
formation, spelling, punctuation, grammar, organization, and the like. This approach also views
writing as a product-oriented task. In this respect, McLaughlin state that writing, like many other
complex tasks, requires ''learners organize a set of related subtasks and their components''. In
contrast, the whole-language approach views writing as a meaning-making process which is
governed by purpose and audience rather than by compositional rules.

Types of Writing:

Narrative Writing: Narrative writing is storytelling at its most basic: it’s all about sharing
something that happens to a character. It can be an epic tale or a small anecdote; it can span years
of time or a few minutes; it can be fact or fiction.

Descriptive Writing: Descriptive writing involves capturing every detail of the place, person, or
scene you’re writing about. The goal is to really immerse the reader in the experience, making
them feel like they are there.

Persuasive Writing: Persuasive writing is all about getting your point across. The goal is to
share your opinion in a thoughtful way—or, even better, to actually convince the reader of a
viewpoint or idea. Whether you have a strong stance on an issue or need to inspire people to take
action towards a cause, persuasive writing is the way to do it.

Expository Writing: Expository writing exists to explain a subject or inform about a particular
topic area. The goal is simply to teach the reader something. You can find it in textbooks,
journalism (except opinion or editorial articles), business writing, technical writing, essays, and
instructions.

Mechanics of Writing:
Writing mechanics are the established rules that should be followed when writing sentences.
They go hand in hand with grammar as the standards to follow when writing and are an
important way to effectively communicate ideas. In composition, writing mechanics are the
conventions governing the technical aspects of writing, including spelling, punctuation,
capitalization, and abbreviations.

The four steps of the writing process are: prewriting, writing, revising, and proofreading.

Pre-Writing – Whatever type of writing a student is attempting, the prewriting stage can be the
most important. This is when students gather their information, and begin to organize it into a
cohesive unit. This process can include reading, taking notes, brainstorming, and categorizing
information. Prewriting is the most creative step and most students develop a preferred way to
organize their thoughts. Stream of consciousness writing, graphic organizers, outlines, or note
cards are popular techniques. Often this stage is best taught by a parent modeling the different
methods, perhaps a different one each week until the student finds which one works best for him.

Writing -The actual writing stage is essentially just an extension of the prewriting process. The
student transfers the information they have gathered and organized into a traditional format. This
may take the shape of a simple paragraph, a one-page essay, or a multi-page report. Up until this
stage, they may not be exactly certain which direction their ideas will go, but this stage allows
them to settle on the course the paper will take. Teaching about writing can sometimes be as
simple as evaluation good literature together, and exploring what makes the piece enjoyable or
effective. It also involves helping a student choose topics for writing based on their personal
interests. Modeling the writing process in front of your child also helps them see that even adults
struggle for words and have to work at putting ideas together.

Revising , or editing is usually the least favorite stage of the writing process, especially for
beginning writers. Critiquing one’s own writing can easily create tension and frustration. But as
you support your young writers, remind them that even the most celebrated authors spend the
majority of their time on this stage of the writing process. Revising can include adding, deleting,
rearranging and substituting words, sentences, and even entire paragraphs to make their writing
more accurately represent their ideas. It is often not a one-time event, but a continual process as
the paper progresses. When teaching revision, be sure to allow your child time to voice aloud the
problems they see in their writing. This may be very difficult for some children, especially
sensitive ones, so allow them to start with something small, such as replacing some passive verbs
in their paper with more active ones.

Proofreading – This is a chance for the writer to scan his or her paper for mistakes in grammar,
punctuation, and spelling. Although it can be tempting for parents to perform this stage of the
writing process for the child, it is important that they gain proofreading skills for themselves as
this improves a student’s writing over time. And because children want their writing to be
effective, this can actually be the most opportune to teach some of the standard rules of grammar
and punctuation. When students learn the rules of mechanics during the writing process, they are
much more likely to remember to use them in the future.

Writing activities

Teachers need to plan lessons in a step by step way. They need to build up students’ confidence
by starting from controlled and guided activities and move towards less guided and more student
centered and creative activities. Guided activities, which are easy and short, will help all students
to write with few mistakes in a controlled situation. As their confidence and interest grow, less
guided activities will encourage them to write more confidently.

Controlled Writing:

Controlled writing is a learning model used by teachers where learners are given structured
prompts to help them put their writing on the page. It is first used to teach early years students,
and comes in handy all throughout schooling. Most controlled writing focuses on the form and
technique of writing rather than the content. Controlled writing activities include the following
writing practices:

Copying correct sentences.

Matching beginning and ending sentences.
(Examples:
I went to the shop … a. to ask for a favor
 I washed my clothes… b. to buy some bread
I walked to my friend… c. to go to the party
Substitution drills. (Example: show students a picture of cinema. Students should copy
the following sentence, choosing and writing the correct word from the list.
[The other day/last night] Dad took us to the [theatre/cinema] to see a [film/play].
Sequencing jumbled words (Example: like Afternoon the going I in swimming.)

Guided Writing:

Guided Writing is a teaching approach that allows children of similar abilities to write together
in a small group in the style of a mini-lesson. Guided writing is a similar activity to shared
writing, but is a step further towards writing completely independently as children are
encouraged to take on individual projects that will provide valuable practice and enhance their
skills. Guided writing activities help teachers to monitor progress and see the child’s way of
working first-hand, away from the hustle and bustle of the classroom. Every child has their own
unique way of learning and writing.

Guided practices

Gap-fill sentences: This is a more challenging activity, where students have to think of
and write some of the words in sentences themselves.

Example: I ------- two sisters and-------- like going-----------school.

2. Changing sentences: This activity gives the basic correct sentences, but the students have to
change a grammatical structure, for example, from singular to plural, or to a different tense.

.Example: I like bananas, but I don’t like oranges.

My friend----------- bananas, but she--------- oranges.

Completing sentences: You give the beginning of sentences and the students have to
complete them.

Example: I am--------------------------------------------

I like------------------------------------------

4. Parallel sentences: You write correct model sentences on the blackboard, and the students re-
write the sentences, making it true for themselves.

Example: My name is Ali and I am nine. I have three brothers and we live in a small house.

My name is …

Free writing

As soon as the students have mastered basic skills of sentence writing, they need to
progress beyond very controlled writing exercises to freer paragraph and essay writing.

Teachers can give instructions regarding the organization of essays and paragraphs and so
improve students’ writing. Cheron Verster (2002) suggests the following guidelines:

• Explain the overall organization of an essay to students.

• Explain paragraph organization.

• Find ideas or information for a composition.

• Put these ideas or information in logical paragraphs.

• Make sure the meaning is clear within these paragraphs.

• Make sure the paragraphs are linked together well.

• Make sure the language is accurate.

• Make sure the language is appropriate to the purpose of the writing

• Give students a model essay.

• Ask students to use their outline to write their essay.

• Give students a topic.

Free writing activities include paragraph writing, essay writing etc.

We can conclude the discussion on writing as productive skill in the following diagram.

Speaking Skill

Speaking is "the process of building and sharing meaning through the use of verbal and
non-verbal symbols, in a variety of contexts" Speaking is an interactive process of
constructing meaning that involves producing, receiving and processing information Speaking is
a crucial part of second language learning and teaching. Today’s world requires that the goal of
teaching speaking should improve students' communicative skills, because, only in that way,
students can express themselves.

The four elements of speaking skills

Vocabulary:

To develop our speaking skills, we first need to know the right words. Vocabulary development
begins when we are infants, as we learn to describe the world around us and communicate our
needs. This progresses from single words to sentences when children are 2 or 3, at which point
they will normally have a vocabulary of 150-300 words.

Vocabulary development is where students understand the meanings and pronunciations of

words necessary for communication. When they understand what a word means, they can check
what the word or sentence means. This is so important so they can keep up a conversation. If
they understand what the other person is saying and they know what vocabulary to say back,
they are halfway there to communicating effectively.
Grammar:

You may think that grammar is something we only need for written language. But grammar
includes lots of important areas for spoken language such as an understanding of tenses and the
correct way to structure sentences. Grammar helps us to convey information in a way that the
listener will recognise and understand.

Pronunciation:

Understanding how to correctly pronounce words is another important element of speaking

skills. We learn how to pronounce words by listening to those around us, such as our parents,
friends and teachers. Pronunciation varies from country to country, and even city to city!

A lot of this comes from phonemic awareness. This involves understanding the small units that
make up spoken language. English can differ quite a lot compared to other languages. Some
phonemes might not be in ESL students' native languages and children's minds are trained to
categorise phonemes in their first language, so it can become confusing. Developing this ability
in English can come from playing language games and using songs and poems to reiterate
rhythm and repetition. Phonics is where students start to see the relationship between the sounds
of spoken language and graphemes which are the letters and spellings representing sounds in
written language.

Fluency:

Fluency in spoken language is something that naturally develops as children go through school,
as they are using and practising speaking skills every day. Reading widely (and out loud) is a
good way to improve fluency as it introduces children to new vocabulary and reinforces their
knowledge of spoken language.

Fluency is the ability to hear words and understand them straight away. If they see a word
written down, they can read it aloud and pronounce it properly. Ways to develop this include
guiding your students to read passages loud. You could also get your students to read aloud in
front of the class. This builds their confidence and also helps them to annunciate better.

How to develop English speaking skills with ESL students

Practice makes perfect when it comes to developing English speaking skills. Listening to
English, understanding grammar and reading can all help slightly, but they're never going to
improve English speaking skills to the extent it is possible. Your class needs to actually speak.
As ESL students, understanding the nature of English can be a real struggle. Here are some
helpful tips on how to develop English speaking skills:
Learn new vocabulary in phrases - although learning new words and their pronunciation is
always beneficial, some words need to be learnt in phrases to be of much use when speaking in
English.

Focus on pronunciation. Although learning lots of vocabulary can boost English skills, if these
words aren't pronounced correctly it can be easy to misunderstand what the student is saying. For
this purpose, the students must listen the target language a lot and try to reproduce the sounds
with the correct phonics.

Ensure they understand how English flows. With ESL students, an important focus on how to
develop English speaking skills is to get them into the flow of how English is usually spoken.
This is because often their native language has a very different flow. Native speakers of English
link words together, often resulting in a sound disappearing, or a new sound being made. There
are often some syllables stressed that wouldn't be in other languages or a different rhythm
overall.

Practice self-talk. This involves getting them to talk loudly in English to themselves.

Use of practice apps. The use of technology can break down difficult language into manageable
chunks that can be practised on the go at regular intervals. It can enhance the speaking skill a lot.

Now many linguistics and ESL teachers agree on that students learn to speak in the second
language by "interacting". Communicative language teaching and collaborative learning serve
best for this aim. Communicative language teaching is based on real-life situations that require
communication. By using this method in ESL classes, students will have the opportunity of
communicating with each other in the target language. In brief, ESL teachers should create a
classroom environment where students have real-life communication, authentic activities, and
meaningful tasks that promote oral language. This can occur when students collaborate in groups
to achieve a goal or to complete a task.

The following activities can prove to be vital in promoting speaking skill in the learners.

Discussion
Role Play
Simulation
Information Gap
Brainstorming
Storytelling
Interviews
Story Completion
Picture Narrating
Picture Describing
Find the Difference

In short, teaching speaking is a very important part of second language learning. The ability to
communicate in a second language clearly and efficiently contributes to the success of the
learner in school and success later in every phase of life. Therefore, it is essential that language
teachers pay great attention to teaching speaking. Rather than leading students to pure
memorization, providing a rich environment where meaningful communication takes place is
desired. With this aim, various speaking activities such as those listed before can contribute a
great deal to students in developing basic interactive skills necessary for life. These activities
make students more active in the learning process and at the same time make their learning more
meaningful and fun for them.
 Reading Skill
The ability to read words, sentences, and paragraphs, and to comprehend thought processes and
ideas, is important for any reader. The ability to absorb content and gain meaning and clarity
through word processing is a skill that comes with experience and exposure. Reading is defined
as a cognitive process that involves decoding symbols to arrive at meaning. Reading is an active
process of constructing meanings of words.

The Reading Process

Reading is a process that involves recognizing words, leading to the development of

comprehension. According to research, reading is a process that negotiates the meaning between
the text and its reader. The reading process involves three stages.

The first is the pre-reading stage, which allows the reader to activate background knowledge,
pre-view the text, and develop a purpose for reading. A strategy for students to utilize during this
stage is to look at the title of the selection and list all the information that comes to mind about
the title.

The second stage occurs during reading, when the reader makes predictions as they read and
then confirms or revises the predictions. For example, a double-entry journal enables the reader
to write the text from the reading on one side and their personal reaction on the other side.

The final stage occurs after reading and allows the reader to retell the story, discuss the
elements of a story, answer questions, and/or compare it to another text. For example, students
can create summaries, where they take a huge selection and reduce it to its main points for more
concise understanding.

The Essentials of Reading Skill

Reading skill is a broad one and requires some essentials. They include,

i. Decoding
ii. Acquiring new vocabulary
iii. Fluency
iv. Knowing language conventions
v. Focused attention
vi. Expanding world knowledge

It is necessary to master these essential skills to develop reading skill. The more proficient you
become in these mentioned skills, the better reader you can turn into.

Decoding:

Decoding or phonemic awareness is the first skill you learn when you start reading. It is the
ability to make out words, phrases, and sentences. The best way to help kids with these skills is
through specific instruction and practice. Kids have to be taught how to identify and work with
sounds. You can also build phonological awareness through activities like word games and
reading to your child.

Vocabulary Range:
Using your vocabulary knowledge means you can decipher meaning from the words and phrases
you’re reading. Language is a living thing, which means that new vocabulary is being invented
and acquired naturally all the time. Vocabulary is also closely related to concept development.
What this means is that the richer your vocabulary is, the broader your understanding of the
world is. The more reading builds vocabulary.

Fluency:

Reading fluency means you can read any text without difficulty, regardless of whether you are
familiar with the topic or not. Fluency in reading is reflected in how much you have to pause
while reading to understand what’s written. The main way to help build fluency is through
practice reading books.

Language Conventions

Language conventions refer to your knowledge of grammar, spelling, and punctuation. While
spelling words correctly can fall under vocabulary skills, being familiar with various grammar
constructions and standard punctuation rules deserves a special mention. If you can understand a
text that has complex sentence structures, you possess one reading comprehension skill. Explicit
instruction can teach kids the basics of sentence construction.

Attention:

Poor readers have short attention spans. They cannot focus on a lengthy passage without being
distracted—oftentimes, by their own thoughts. It’s why attention while being a cognitive skill
essentially, is also a part of proficient reading comprehension. If you are struggling to focus on
the text you are reading, you should practice broadening your attention span.

World Knowledge:

Drawing on your background knowledge of the world is another skill you use unconsciously
while you read. In practice, you are relating what you already know to what you are reading.

The linguists and educationists suggest the following techniques as well to grasp reading skill.

Intensive Reading

Intensive reading implies you are diving deep into a given text. You want to analyze not only
every idea expressed in it but also the words and phrases the author has used. For this reason,
intensive reading is usually regarded as an advanced reading activity.

To read intensively, you need several types of reading skills we have outlined, most notably:

i. Advanced vocabulary range

ii. Excellent attention span
iii. Good memory
iv. Familiarity with the context (or extensive world knowledge)

If you want an effective intensive reading practice, you should:

i. Pick a reading material that deals with the topics you are interested in.
ii. Set a time when you will read.
iii. Preview the text by reading the heading, subheadings, and first sentences of
paragraph.
iv. Read the text deeply, noting down any questions that come to mind or
highlighting the statements you want to fact-check.
v. Jot down the vocabulary items you are not familiar with.

Extensive Reading:

You can think of extensive reading as reading for pleasure. You don’t have to analyze each part
of the reading material or scratch your head anytime you’re not sure what the author wanted to
say. Reading extensively implies you are reading to get the bigger picture, enjoy the story, and
pass the time. 
Extensive reading should not be confused with passive reading. While you are absorbing a
certain material for pleasure, you still want to take in new knowledge and engross yourself in the
story. Regular extensive reading helps you acquire new vocabulary too. It also builds a healthy
habit of reading for pleasure. Ideal materials for extensive reading are magazines, fiction novels,
and comic books.

Skimming:

Skimming implies going over a text briefly before you decide whether you want to read it whole.
In fact, you use skimming a lot in your daily life—for example, when you leaf through a
magazine to check if any content in it is worth a complete read. Here’s how you can apply the
skimming technique:

i. Look at the title and table of contents of your material

ii. Go over the text quickly to get the gist of the material
iii. Pay attention to bolded or italicized sentences 

This technique is useful because it saves you plenty of time. You don’t have to start reading
some material deeply only to conclude after a while that it has no use for you.

Scanning:

Scanning is the technique you use to locate specific bits of information in texts. Usually, you
already know what the text is about, and you know it contains the information you need.
Scanning is a useful technique to employ both in education and real life. Like skimming, it saves
you time and makes locating specific facts easy.

Differences Between Active and Passive Reading:

In reality, you employ both active and passive reading, depending on your mood and the reason
you are reading different texts. To help you discern whether you are reading actively or passively
—i.e., critically or uncritically—here’s a table that demonstrates how the two play out:

Active Reading Passive Reading

 Aiming to find something out
 Gaining little new knowledge from texts
 Reading slowly or quickly based on
 Leafing through the material regardless of the
the given information or writing
content
style
 Letting the ideas in the text slip away quickly
 Going over what you have read in
upon finishing it
your head and being willing to
 Being unwilling to question your
discuss it with others
understanding of the text
 Taking care to understand the text
 Going ahead with reading without any idea
you’re reading thoroughly
what the text is about
 Skimming the text before reading it
whole