ELTWeekly Volume 9

Article: The Development of Young Learners’ Reading Skills – Part 2

Post author:Tarun Patel
Post published:January 16, 2017
Post category:ELT Articles and Research Papers ELTWeekly Volume 9 Volume 9 Issue 3

This article follows a previous article, in which I introduced the research project I carried out as part of my Master’s degree in research in second language education. In my study, I explored the scaffolding strategies that children with English as an Additional Language (EAL), and monolingual children with English as a first language, use in a collaborative reading task. I paired an EAL pupil with either an older EAL pupil, or an older monolingual pupil, and I recorded the children as they read together. Underlying my research was the belief that literacy should not only be viewed as a set of skills, but also as a social practice, meaning that the role of a reader’s lived experience plays an important role in comprehension.

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ELTWeekly Volume 9, Issue 2

Post author:Tarun Patel
Post published:January 9, 2017
Post category:ELTWeekly Volume 9 Volume 9 Issue 2

Article: Igniting a Passion for Reading Webinar Replay: Grammar Activities for Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing Classes Scott Thornbury’s Upcoming Book: About Language Article: Back to School Activities for your…

Article: Igniting a Passion for Reading

Post author:Tarun Patel
Post published:January 9, 2017
Post category:ELTWeekly Volume 9 Volume 9 Issue 2

Brian Sztabnik says, “I have taught English on the secondary level for the past 12 years, and for many of those years I taught books only one way: I would hand out a set of novels, and study guides to go along with them. In class we would do close readings and go over the study guide questions, and, of course, as an English teacher I was compelled to pick apart all those symbols.

There were quizzes along the way and a big test at the end, all of which assessed the same topics we covered in class, and mimicked many of the questions on the study guide. Once we finished one book, we would move on to the next. It was lather, rinse, repeat.

While I may be painting a uninspired picture, this traditional approach certainly has its benefits: With a common text, skills can be targeted and taught with examples that everyone recognizes. Whole-class discussions are more vibrant and engaging since everyone has (theoretically) read the same book, and everyone has the potential to participate. It’s also much easier to assess. (more…)