Understanding Language

Reading Comprehension –Lecture 3

Prepared by: SIMONE BERRY

 Please take notes on the following:

Review communication process

 What is Reading Comprehension?

 Reading comprehension can be simply defined as understanding what you are

reading.
 You are not merely reading for relaxation or pleasure, but with the intention to
fully understand and interpret a writer’s message.
 Reading for comprehension requires your total attention and concentration.

 It is important to note that deficient comprehension skills may cause you to

struggle in other subject areas as you will find it difficult to not only recall

information but understand various concepts.

Source :https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1516979187457-637abb4f9353?ixlib=rb-1.2.1&auto=format&fit=crop&w=1950&q=80
 Reading comprehension strategies

 Read the text at least three times

 Try to understand the language of the text, vocabulary is important.

 Activate background knowledge on the topic as this may help you to fully
understand what the writer is trying to say
 Make inferences- develop ideas based on what the writer has implied

 Establish links -try to tie events together to get to the larger picture
 Consider the following elements as you read for
understanding
Audience –refers to the people who will read the text
 Identify the writer's audience based on content, language and publisher

-Who would be interested in that particular text/message?-content

-Is the language specialized and complex or simple enough so the average person could understand it?

-Where was the work published? Is it accessible to all or is access limited ( consider texts that are found
on social media platforms as well)
Purpose-refers to the reason for writing
 Identify a writer’s purpose by asking the following questions

-What does the writer hope to achieve from his writing?

- Is he/she attempting to inform, educate, highlight etc for exposition or persuade

or tell a story .

- Note – Pay careful attention to language use

Source:https://images.pexels.com/photos/3059748/pexels-photo-3059748.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&dpr=3&h=750&w=1260
Context- situation within which a text is positioned
 Establish context by asking the following questions

-What kind of background information has the writer provided? (historical, cultural, physical)

- Has the writer provided new words, theory/notion and information to help build thought so as to aid
understanding?

Tone-refers to a writer’s attitude both toward the reader and subject matter

 Does the work appear formal or informal? Does the writer sound sarcastic, fair, biased, angry, joyful,
informative?
Thesis /main idea or the main point the writer is trying to make-consider
the following:

 Does the title of the text give me an idea of his/her main idea?

 Does the beginning paragraph explain the subject matter to be discussed?

 Is there a summation in the concluding paragraph?

 How is the title borne out in the body of the text?

 Group Activity-

Read the given text and discuss in terms of the following:

 Audience-Who is the intended audience? Give reasons for your response.
 Purpose- Identify the writer’s purpose for writing

 Tone- Identify the writers tone

 Main idea/thesis- Write the main idea in your own words

 Stem cells
Adapted from: Dr. Derrick Aarons
Published in the Jamaica Observer, Sunday October 14, 2018

Stem cells are 'undifferentiated' cells of an organism that are capable of giving

rise to indefinitely more of the same cell type, as well as differentiate into other

types of cells that the body needs in its development.

Their excellent promise over the last two decades has meant guaranteed press

coverage and probable approval for research to occur on stem cells. Importantly,

stem cells are pluripotential in nature, meaning they have the ability to grow into any

type of body tissue, such as muscles, nerves, bones, cartilage, brain, kidneys, and so

on.
Stem cells may be obtained from embryos (embryonic stem cells) or from the

umbilical cord at delivery. They may also be obtained from fat tissue in adults

(adult stem cells). These cells are already being used in the treatment of certain

diseases of the blood such as leukemia, as well as in multiple sclerosis and in

degenerative problems in the bone and cartilage.

Mesenchymal stem cells are examples of adult stem cells and are regarded as being

'multipotent', meaning they have multiple potential but are not as diverse in their

abilities as 'pluripotential' stem cells, which have the ability to differentiate into any

type of cell tissue within the body.

The mesenchymal adult stem cells are, therefore, regarded as having use in the

possible regeneration of damaged body tissue; tissues such as bones, cartilage, fat,

muscle, and tendons that normally give our bodies strength and structure. These

cells are also viewed as potentially having healing properties that can reverses

damage to diseased organs, for example in arthritis and following organs

transplantation.

Consequently, there is much hope that adult stem cells may be used to treat serious

chronic diseases such as diabetes, colitis, arthritis, liver disease, kidney disease,

heart disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

On the other hand, research on or use of embryonic stem cells have invoked morals

indignation in some people, as they regard the fertilised egg of a woman as a

human being, and therefore deserving of special protection on moral and religious

grounds. As the fertilised egg multiplies and grows into an embryo at six to seven

weeks, extracting stem cells from those embryos and leaving the remaining tissues

to die would be akin to abortion, they claim.

However, some countries do not have this moral or religious perspective, and so it

was not surprising to many that China announced recently that it had begun

research on embryonic stem cells with the intention to treat Parkinson's disease and

macular degeneration in the eye.

 Engagement Activity (under week 1) 5%

Based on the Youtube video ‘Jamaican Patois, not English respond to the
following questions-

1. What is the origin of the Jamaican Creole (JC)

2. List the 3 varieties that are to be found on the Jamaican Language

continuum

3. List One similarity and Four differences (with examples) which exist between
Standard English (SE) and Jamaica Creole (JC).

Final week for completing this activity