Reasons for reading

Reasons for reading- we read to learn. Yes, when we read a textbook. What about when we read a magazine or a story? That is different. We read these for fun, and to entertain ourselves. What about when we read an advertisement? We read these for information. What is active reading? To make your reading active, you need to make your reading interesting and useful.

This might bring excitement to some students as one reacted with shock on hearing such a pronouncement and asked: “What? You mean we should walk or jump when we read? In answer to this, you must think about what you are reading.

First ask questions about the text and then read to find out. Active reading means you should look over the text before you read.

Look at the title and any headings. Ask yourself. What do I know about the topic? Then think what the text is about. Ask yourself what will the text tell you about the topic? Write one or more questions which you think the text will answer. Then read the text to try to find the answer. Then there is scanning. We can read in three different ways to find information in a textbook. Your run your eyes quickly over the text, just looking for the information you want. This could be numbers, data or names. You do not read all sentences. Skim – You do this to get a rough idea of what the text is about (what is sometimes called the gist of the text, headings, introduction and conclusion. You might also look at the first sentence of each paragraph. You do not read all the sentences. Study – You do this when you know what the text is about and want to understand all the information. You read all the sentences carefully.

Skimming: Why do we have to do this? We do this to get a general idea of what the text is about. This helps us to think about what we know about the topic, to ask questions to help us read actively, and decide which parts of the text are the most important. How do we skim a text? We start by looking for the signposts to meaning. Writers try to help by giving us signs like titles, headings, introductions.

These help show us what the text is about. Another way to get meaning from a text before reading every word is to look at the graphs – for example pictures, diagrams, tables or charts (depending on the level of class and subjects). This true.

Diagrams often show the meanings of words better .Diagrams are also good to explain certain situations and facts.

What else do you need to know? Some clue to meaning – main points: the main point is/above all, most importantly.

Supporting points: also/in addition/furthermore/as well as/ apart from that/to support that. Examples: for example/ instance/to illustrate that/ such as/including. Sequence: my first point/firstly/secondly/next/the last point/.

Expressing results: as a result,/therefore/because of this. Conclusions: to conclude/my conclusion is/to sum up/to summarise.

Note that expressions given here serve no purpose on their own. They can only become effective when used correctly and appropriately in sentences. When used properly they give your writing cohesion and flair. Although in public examinations you are always asked to write a speech, let us look at the differences between spoken and written language

You might think that spoken language is the same as written language, except that one is heard and the other is visible, but you would be wrong. There are many important differences. You could think of written language as static or unchanging whereas most everyday spoken language is dynamic. This means it is created instantly, in response to immediate events. As most spoken language forms part of a conversation, it is produced as a joint effort, while writing is a solitary activity.

People usually produce spoken language without much planning. The less planning there is, the more spontaneous language will be. Although you can correct yourself, you cannot actually delete the spoken words.

All public speakers need to think about their audiences and establish a suitable rapport or relationship with them.

Someone giving a speech needs to first acknowledge the audience by greeting them and then try to get their goodwill by making them feel appreciated. To make an effective speech, a speaker not only has to plan what to say, but also how he or she intends to say it.

Here are some unspoken or non-verbal aspects of speech making what you need to consider: pace (how quickly or slowly you speak), use of pauses, volume how loud or quiet your speech is), eye contact with your audience, body language (gestures; the way you stand and movement (whether you are static or move around).

You should consider how these facts are likely to affect the impact of what the speaker says. Slowing down the pace of speech will allow the audience to hear the words more clearly and can therefore be used to add emphasis Speeding up the pace can add more energy to what is being said and can create a sense of hype and excitement.

Pauses can be used in a similar way. A carefully placed pause after a point will give the audience more time to reflect on its significance. Fewer pauses will make the speech more fluid. Movement and body language can be used to aid meaning but too much  can be distracting. Deliberately limiting movement can lend more gravity to what is being said and make a speaker seem more definite or sincere.

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