LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Using a Reading Material for Interactive Reading

M. Hemamalini, M.A. (Ling.), M.A. (Eng.), Ph.D.
K. Devadoss, M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D.

Abstract

Reading is essentially an active as well as a communicative process. It is an important language skill required for academic and professional purposes. Quick, efficient and imaginative reading techniques are essential to achieve academic success. One's professional performance also definitely depends on the quantity and quality of reading. In the learning process, reading comprehension follows the listening comprehension. It is the listening ability, which enhances one's reading comprehension.

This paper calls for doing away with the conventional method of teaching in developing comprehension skills by introducing the Interactive Method and argues for the utilization of groups of students. In this context, the students are first exposed to listening, and then reading. They are required to discuss before taking up writing skills. Hence, interactive skills and group tasking, necessary for inculcating communication skills in the long run, have been successfully attempted.

Key words: reading techniques, professional performance, interactive skills, group tasking

Importance of Reading for Academic Achievement

Reading plays a major role in the learning process. Reading technical materials involves a complex process of obtaining discipline-specific information and retaining the same for future use and reference. Reading could be quite a challenging activity because of the complexity involved - comprehension is not always simple. Reading needs better concentration and motivation and especially reading of technical materials needs critical analysis and evaluative understanding.

Reading is an important skill by which profound ideas and observations of the writer gently flow into the minds of the readers. Moreover, it is a communicative process to meet the academic and professional needs. Thus, students pursuing professional courses such as engineering need excellent reading skills because of their need to get exposed to different kinds of materials.

Needed: Effective Linking of Four Processes

Efficient reading could be achieved with the effective linking of the four processes: decoding, comprehending, text analysis and response. The process of reading could easily be influenced by social, cultural, educational, professional and intellectual frames of reference (Rizvi, 2005:219). In order to overcome any possible negative influence of these frames of reference, the basic purpose of reading should clearly be identified.

In academic contexts, a student has to read and interpret textbooks, research papers and articles in technical journals, teaching notes, notices, internet resources, technical reports, directories, encyclopedias, laboratory instruction sheets, safety manuals and regulations and reference materials. Unless the student reads with a purpose and comprehends the text clearly he or she may not be efficient in his or her academic activities as well as in his or her chosen profession. Hence, it is imperative to identify dynamic and productive grasping techniques to improve reading.

The Goal of This Paper

The present study aims to improve students' reading comprehension focusing on analysis activities.

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