Learn to Communicate 2

By Femi Adedina

"A book lying idle on a shelf is like a wasted ammunition.Like money, books must be kept in constant circulation.A book is not only a friend;it makes friends for you. When you have possessed a book with mind and spirit, you are enriched.But when you pass it on, you are enriched three fold."- Henry Miller, The book of My Life.

Good books exist but it is rare to find great books. Great books are not defined by the complexity of their components but by the ability of the book to speak to its reader and the reader, appreciating its magnitude and complexity in simplicity. Great books depend on their readers.
I can call this book a great book because of its content. It aims at enlightening the reader by presenting topics in form of a tutorial.
It takes a good student to become a good teacher. I say this because it is only when one has passed through the process of being a student that he or she can understand the needs of the persons that belong to this academic level.
This book proves that the author is aware of these needs and is capable of meeting these needs by adopting student-friendly teaching methods.
The book is a sequel to Learn to Communicate 1. Any student who wants to fully understanding the workings of the English language should certainly get this book. It completely demystifies the mysteries of reading and writing through a step by step consideration in chapters. Each chapter presents a vivid explanation of the sub topics under consideration. In addition, the book is filled with apt exercises and examples that will help the student learn the grammatical ropes of the use of the English language for communication.
The writer asks a number of thought-provoking questions that help him engage his reader in the tutoring process
There are a number of analogies and illustrations in the book and all these point to the fact that the author is aware of the need to make his teaching as pragmatic as possible The language of the book is lucid and easy to understand. .
Learn to Communicate 2 is a powerful entity packaged with so much simplicity. It promises to serve as an able guideline for persons who which to enhance their skills of communication.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Femi Adedina
• Release date: Mar 12, 2018
• ISBN: 9781370724017

Book preview

READING SKILLS, COMPREHENSION AND SUMMARY WRITING

WHY DO WE READ?

Reading is the most important skill out of all the communication skills. This is so because reading is the core, the foundation and the necessity for the understanding and practice of speaking and writing skills. If the individual does not have the knowledge of reading, such a person may not be able to speak well. In the same vain, if that individual does not have enough information, he or she may not be able to write well.

An empty container pours nothing out, and the only method through which the individual can fill this container of knowledge and information is through reading. Reading helps us to widen our horizon, our perceptions and our knowledge of the immediate and external environments. Inability to read puts us in a bind. It builds a brick wall around us and narrows our vision and perception. Reading helps us to have knowledge and information about ourselves and other people that are distant from us.

Reading is a process where we recognize, identify and give meaning to the text read. Reading can be physical, it can also be perceptual. Reading, however, is more than recognition and interpretation of words. It is an act involving the use of imagination, the relationship between words and what they mean and reflection of words as used in peculiar situations and communities. We read in order to become enlightened, cultured and knowledgeable. We also read in order to become aware of ourselves and others. In this age of information explosion, we cannot afford not to read. The questions, however, are: How do we read? What happens when we read? And how can we become effective readers? These are the questions that would be looked at in the next section of this chapter.

WHAT IS READING?

Reading has been defined by many scholars like Ellis and Tomllison as a mental and mechanical process in which an individual tries to understand and interpret the linear words written by another. (Ellis and Tomllison 1977:249) Cushenberry, (1969) views it as the complex act of recognizing visual symbols and interpreting these symbols in terms of the readers' background or experience. It is clear from the definition above that:

-Reading is an interaction of ideas between authors and readers;

-It is a form of communication and

-It goes beyond mere recognition of symbols on paper.

Reading, then, is a process through which an individual or a reader goes through a reading material or a text with the intention of bringing out what is inside the text and giving meaning to them. Reading could be taken as done when we are able to not only pick out words, but also make meaning out of such words. When reading is done, the reader puts into effect a process which is a combination of the following.

Visual + Perceptual + Experiential = Reading

The question, however, is: How does this process happen?

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE READ?

When we take a reading text, there is a process that starts. The first step in this process is the recognition of words which is visual. The reader is expected to not only recognize individual letters, but should also recognize the arrangement of the letters, and also the patterning of the sentence. In carrying out the above, there can be the problem of impairment; visual impairment which can either be total or partial. If it is total, it means the reader is blind, and a blind man cannot read a text prepared for those who are visually capable. So, those who are blind read texts specially prepared for them. This text is called the Braille text which is made of spots so that the blind can read through touch. In the case of a partially impaired individual, this problem can be corrected through the use of recommended glasses or a surgical operation.

There are instances where the basic problem of the reader is the inability to even recognize the words as arranged and the letters as they follow. This could also extend to a point where the individual jumbles the words rather than ordering them in the right way. This state is referred to as dyslexia. The dyslexic individual finds it difficult to read and control language, so he/she encounters problems in reading and spelling.

The second action that happens when we read is the perceptual action. Here, we are able to relate what we have read to our experiences and backgrounds. We are also able to imagine and create pictures in our mind about the words read. If we do not have these experiences, such words or sentences become meaningless to us.

The reading process is controlled through the mind of the reader. The ability of the reader to focus their mind in a way that it arraigns the pictures being generated or organized, determines how effective the reader become. In reading, the individual is trying to paint a picture of happenings, incidents and situations. The experiences or backgrounds of the reader determine the meaning given to a word. An individual who is from a broken home generates a different meaning from one who is from a stable and happy home. Similarly, a person whose house is burnt by fire will give a different meaning to the word; fire. This is important because it helps the reader to know that words and letters are only symbols and their meanings are always hidden in the reader’s mind. When reading, the individual is expected to give meanings, understand the relationship between words, and predict and/or interpret. To do these, the reader is expected to pick words within what is being read and make meaning out of them. They are also expected to question themselves while reading. We will look at the kind of questions which the reader is expected to ask later in the chapter.

When the individual reads, there are some problems which are bound to be encountered. These problems contribute a great deal to the reader’s ineffectiveness when reading. What are these problems, and how can they be corrected? This is what will be the focus in the next section.

READING PROBLEMS

During the reading process, there are some problems which are encountered. These problems arise out of the faults or inherent weaknesses of the reader. They are:

1. VOCALISATION

2. SUB-VOCALISATION

3. POINTING TO WORDS

4. REGRESSION

5. EXCESSIVE EYE FIXATION

6. POOR READING SPEED

1. VOCALISATION: This is the act of reading aloud while one is reading. The reader pronounces each word as he/she reads. It is a bad habit of reading. It is a result of word-by-word reading.

2. SUB-VOCALISATION: The reader does not read aloud, but pronounces the words silently in soliloquy. Vocalization and sub-vocalization slow down reading rates and impair comprehension.

3. POINTING TO WORDS: It is the physical representation of vocalization. In this case, the reader points to each word when reading either with a finger or pencil. In pointing to words, the reader is dragging himself or herself because their eyes will not leave one word until the reader points to another word. When the reader points to a word, the brain is restricted and restrained from interpreting what is being read.

4. REGRESSION: The reader attempts to recall what has been read because he or she cannot remember them. Regression is caused by lack of concentration and poor coordination.

5. EXCESSIVE EYE FIXATION: This refers to the way the eye covers words on paper. In reading, the individual is expected to draw an imaginary line down the middle of book read from this point taking in large chunks of words. The readers suffering from this problem, however, allow their eyes to remain for long on a span – group of words taken in at a time.

6. POOR READING SPEED: This means that an individual reads each word singly, that is, he tries to get the meaning of a word before going to another whereas it is expected that string of words be read together. Other mannerisms that may lead to slow and inefficient reading include: Movement of the head and loss of concentration.

CORRECTING READING PROBLEMS

Vocalisation: Force yourself not to pronounce and understand that you do not need pronunciation to know the meaning of a word. Secondly, try to see that while reading, you keep your mouth shut.

Sub-vocalisation: Avoid the temptation of reading to yourself. Any time you feel like reading silently, try to recognize that it’s not pronouncing to yourself that gives you meaning. Allow your eyes and the mind to do the reading. Do not allow the eyes to remain too long on a word or group of words.

Pointing to words: Make sure you do not have a pen or marker with you while reading. Secondly, cover the area you are not reading presently.

Regression: Learn to concentrate. Focus your mind on what you are reading. In order to do this, read creatively – ask yourself questions as you read. Do not allow any form of physical, psychological or mental distraction to affect your reading. At night, make sure your light is properly placed on the left hand side. All shadows will be thrown to the right hand side away from your reading material.

Excessive eye fixation: Draw an imaginary line through the centre of a book and focus on the word. Improve on the number of sweeps you make per line. Read selectively – pay greater attention to significant phrases. You need a good knowledge of the grammar of the language of the reading materials so that you can see the basic grammatical patterns to determine successive words and phrases.

TYPES OF READING

Reading can be categorized through purpose and mode of reading. When reading is classified according to purpose, there are two main types namely:

1. Intensive reading

2. Extensive reading

Intensive reading: This is the type of reading carried out in order to study a particular issue, idea or to understand some aspect of information. Intensive reading involves reading for specific purposes and it is different from general reading.

Extensive reading: This is reading beyond one’s area of specialization. It involves trying to gain knowledge, ideas or information about some areas or some aspects of life that may be beyond our field. It is also reading for pleasure and leisure.

When categorized through mode of reading there are three broad categories namely: skimming, average speed reading and study speed reading. This can be schematically shown as follows.

Surveying

Skimming

Reading scanning for specific information

Average

Normal reading

Study reading

(Culled from Adetugbo 1997:49)

There are various techniques which we can use while reading intensively or extensively. These techniques include the following:

1. Prescriptive (2) Creative (3) Interpretative (4) Inferential (5)

Study Reading

PRESCRIPTIVE READING: It is the reading done in order to satisfy a need or to solve a particular problem or look for a specific solution to a problem. In prescriptive reading, one is