The article is dedicated to reading as an educational activity. The essence of reading is described by many linguists. The author of the article gives the overview of reading in the framework of educational system and shows the necessity of developing reading skills in students.
Key words: reading, education, skills, learning process.
The processes of globalization place increased demands on the informatization of society. Perception, processing, synthesis and reproduction of information streams are the main processes processed using speech and language activities. The modernization of the general education system in the context of globalization dictates new standards for teaching students. Teaching reading as a type of speech activity, the definition of new methods, techniques, is a priority within the educational system. This section of the dissertation highlights the aspects of reading as a type of activity with its inherent characteristics and problems of its development.
Reading is a form of linguistic communication between people. By its essence, reading is a receptive type of speech activity, since it represents the totality of reading as an independent process and process of perception and comprehension of what has been read. Reading as a type of speech activity is presented as the process of decoding a text from inscribed (handwritten or printed) sign units into a sound verbal-mental form. With the help of reading, the act of mediated communication between the author of the text and the reader is realized, which consists in complex thought processes. generating perception and processing of information. Consequently, the main task in teaching reading is to teach students to extract information in a certain amount to solve certain set speech problems using certain reading techniques and techniques.
The features and problems of reading were considered by such linguistic scientists as Bim I. L., Galskova N. D., Korobeinikova V. I., Kornev A. N., Leontyev A. A., Luria A. R., Lalaeva R. I., Levina R. E, Lvov M. R., Minyar-Beloruchev R.K, Orlova G. A., Rusetskaya M. N., Svetlovskaya N. N., Sidorova O. S., Solovova E. N., Shcherba L. V., Tsvetkova L. S., etc..d.
Lvov M. R. in his work says that a mature ability to read presupposes mastery of all types of reading, and the ease of transition from one type to another, depending on the purpose of obtaining information from a given text. Thus, when teaching to read, target attitudes should be provided: for what the act of reading takes place. Distinguish between such types of reading as introductory, study, viewing and search reading. [1]
Introductory reading is cognitive reading, in which the subject of attention of the reader becomes the entire speech work without setting the receipt of certain information. This reading does not provide for further reproduction of the information received. During introductory reading, the main communicative task set for the reader is to extract basic information in a short time of reading: to find out what issues and how are resolved in the text, what exactly is said in it on these issues. The purpose of the introductory reading is to distinguish between main and secondary information. [2]
The task of the student reading is a clear and complete understanding of all information contained in the text and its critical comprehension. This reading is characterized by a thoughtful and unhurried process followed by an analysis of the content of the read based on the linguistic and logical connections of the text. Its principle is the formation of the trainee's ability to overcome difficulties in understanding a foreign language without the help of others. The object of study in this type of reading is the information contained in the text, but not linguistic material. [3 p. eight]
Minyar-Beloruchev R. K. by the term learning reading means a kind of reading that requires careful reading of the text and its analysis. [4 p. 35]
Mirolyubov A. by studying reading meant reading with a full understanding of what is being read. It is characterized by a slow pace and fixation of attention on linguistic facts for the purpose of subsequent use in the language [5].
Review reading — involves getting a general idea of the material being read. The purpose of this type of reading is to get the most general idea of the topic and the range of issues discussed in the text. Review reading — fluent, selective reading, reading in blocks for a more detailed acquaintance with its «fixing» details and parts. This type of reading ends with the presentation of the results of the read in the form of a message or an abstract.
Search reading is aimed at reading newspapers and literature in the specialty. The ability to carry out search reading allows you to quickly find in the text or in an array of texts quite definite data: facts, features, characteristics, indications. This type of reading is focused on finding specific information in the text. Based on their typical structure of texts, the reader turns to certain parts or sections, which he subjects to search reading and detailed analysis [3 p.7]. Search reading provides for the ability to navigate in the logical-semantic structure of the text, to select the necessary information from it on a specific problem, to carry out synthesis: to select and combine information from several texts.
The main basic skills underlying reading are the ability to predict the content of information in terms of structure and meaning; determine the topic, the main idea; divide the text into semantic pieces; to separate the main from the secondary; interpret the text. The specification of these basic skills depends on the purpose of reading. N. D. Galskova distinguishes the following groups of skills:
– understanding of the main content: to identify and highlight the basic information of the text, to establish a connection between events, to draw conclusions from what has been read;
– extraction of complete information from the text: fully and accurately understand the facts, highlight information that confirms something, compare information;
– understanding of the necessary information: to define in general terms the topic of the text, to determine the genre of the text, to determine the importance of information [6].
N. D. Galskova notes that at each stage the formation of strategic reading skills is envisaged, which in general boil down to the following list: the ability to predict the meaning of words by initial letters; use a linguistic guess in relation to the meaning of words based on the similarity with the words of the native language; predict content based on headings (visual clarity, footnotes, pre-text questions); do not pay attention to unfamiliar words that do not affect the understanding of the main content; the ability to return to what you read in order to clarify or better memorize; the skill of using text supports for a better understanding of the content (tables, diagrams, graphs, font emphasis); use bilingual and monolingual dictionaries [6 p.236].
Obviously, reading acts as an independent type of speech activity in the case when we read in order to obtain the necessary information from the text. It should be clarified that, depending on the situation, the completeness and accuracy of information extraction can be different. Thus, the tasks of teaching reading as an independent type of speech activity are as follows: to teach students to extract information from the text in the volume that is necessary for solving a specific problem using certain reading technologies. Exercises are an integral part of the overall complex of teaching reading. Students' level of reading and comprehension skills and abilities confirm the need for exercises aimed at teaching reading.
Depending on the type of teaching reading and the tasks that are posed when using this or that type of reading, exercises are selected that are arranged in a strict sequence. For example, when teaching uninterrupted comprehension of what is read in the conditions of pre-reading by oral speech, the following system is proposed: pre-text exercises in listening and speaking, exercises performed in the process of reading a text, as well as exercises that develop an informed guess while reading.
In the process of reading with coverage of the main content, the grasping of meaning, carried out on the basis of lexical syntactic and contextual unification, is prepared by exercises that teach students to see and find linguistic supports, see the syntactic structure of a sentence, etc.
In the process of reading with coverage of the main content, the ability to highlight the main thing is of great importance, even if there is unfamiliar vocabulary, therefore, exercises are needed that teach how to find the main idea in a sentence or paragraph.
Primary reading with coverage of the content provides anticipation of the subject of the message, which is an action necessary for mature reading (reading with elements of analysis). The very nature of the text (the presence of illustrative material and compositional features) presents great opportunities for the process of anticipation.
Anticipatory actions can be developed with the help of certain tasks that help shape this action. For example, anticipating the subject of the message with the help of illustrative material can be prepared by an exercise such as: look at the picture and say what the text might suggest. Read the paragraph and tell me what data you need to add for a more detailed description of the hero, etc.
When teaching reading with elements of analysis, it is proposed to move on to more complex texts, and in establishing the meaning, students' attention is drawn to the linguistic means of expressing content. The teacher has the opportunity to pre-analyze the text, to identify all the places that are difficult for students and in need of analysis. The teacher can preliminarily focus on the linguistic and extralinguistic pillars available in the text. The check in this case covers the text and the control of the ability to analyze and adequately convey thoughts in the native language. Reading the text common to the class allows you to show students the necessary techniques and involve all students in the work within 10–15 minutes allotted for reading control.
Independent home reading of the text common to the whole class and individual reading should not be mutually exclusive. It should be borne in mind that reading at home using a single textbook is especially convenient.
for a teacher who gets the opportunity to show working techniques in one text and then check reading comprehension.
It is advisable to switch to individual reading at a later stage of teaching a foreign language, when students have already mastered reading techniques and their language level allows you to check the degree of reading comprehension.
Teaching students to read is to teach practical language skills, to instill in the skills of independent work and skills that should remain with the student for life.
References:
- Lvov MR; Fundamentals of the theory of speech: Textbook. — M.: Academy, 2000. — 248 p.
- Kolesnikova ON Aesthetics — the speech activity of a child — a reader of poetry / ON. Kolesnikova // Primary school — 2006.-№ 4.-p. 39–46
- Svetlovskaya N. N. Teaching children to read: a practical technique: Textbook. A guide for students. ped. universities. -M.: Academy 2001.-M.: Academy, 2001.-288s.
- Minyar-Beloruchev R. K. «Methodical vocabulary. Explanatory dictionary of terms of methods of teaching languages». Moscow, «Strela», 1996.
- Mirolyubov AA «General methodology of teaching foreign languages in secondary school». M. «Education», 1967
- Galskova N. D. Theory of teaching foreign languages: Linguodidactics and methodology: textbook. manual for stud. lingual high fur boots and fak. in. lang. higher. ped. study. institutions / N. D. Galskova, N. I. Gez. — M.: Publishing Center «Academy», 2004. — 336 p.
