What is reader-response theory? elt reader response theory reading rosenblatt transactional theory

By Dr Jeremy Koay

A limited view

In literature classes, a common focus for reading is aesthetic appreciation of a particular text. However, the focus of reading in an ESOL classroom tends to be on finding information. This focus in the ESOL context reflects an emphasis on the literal meaning of a...

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How to encourage critical thinking through storytelling children children's literature critical thinking elt extensive reading language teaching reading stories storytelling

By Dr Jeremy Koay

Critical thinking is widely agreed on as an important component in language classrooms. But what is critical thinking? Yang and Gamble (2013, p. 398) state that critical thinking involves at least four skills:

  • metacognition (awareness of one’s own thought processes)
  • ...
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How to involve parents in childrenā€™s language development efl elt library parents reading reading time teachers

By Dr Jeremy Koay

In countries where English is not a mainstream language, many children learn English as a Foreign Language (EFL).

One of the challenges that some parents in EFL environments report is that they are not able to teach their children English due to their own limited English...

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What is fluency? elt fluency fluent reading reading fluency speaking speaking fluency

By Dr Jeremy Koay

A limited view

Fluency is often associated with the ability to perform a task quickly, smoothly and effortlessly, as Jiang (2016) summarises. However, this aspect of language should not be considered in isolation from other aspects, such as topic familiarity, vocabulary and the...

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What is reading anxiety? elt reading reading anxiety

By Dr Jeremy Koay

A limited view

Children who have issues with reading are sometimes described as poor, reluctant, or struggling readers (Jalongo & Hirsh, 2010). These descriptions tend to focus on children rather than their reading problems.

While it is important to focus on strategies to...

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What is intensive reading? elt intensive reading reading reading comprehension

By Dr Jeremy Koay

A limited view

As the name suggests, intensive reading refers to reading short texts thoroughly and with clear goals, such as to answer reading comprehension questions or to identify how sentences are linked. Unlike extensive reading, the goal of intensive reading is not to read...

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Designing a reading lesson in five minutes elt lesson design reading

By James Jenkin

Students should read more. Reading has a significant impact on learners’ English in general: it seems to raise proficiency in other skills, such as writing and speaking (Waring, 2006).

Studies such as Ro (2016) report that extensive reading has a positive effect on...

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What is a graded reader? elt graded reader reading

By Dr Jeremy Koay

A limited view

Graded readers are generally understood as storybooks that are simplified and adapted for children by limiting the vocabulary range and controlling the grammatical structures. However, content is not limited to storybooks, and there is a significant proportion of...

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What is reading? elt reading

by Dr Jeremy Koay

A LIMITED VIEW

As a young child, my mother would spend time reading graded readers with me. This is what it looks like. I would read aloud from a book and my mother would ‘correct’ my pronunciation. At primary school, I was sometimes asked to read a passage...

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