Methods of Teaching Reading to Learners

THE MINISTRY OF HIGHER AND SECONDARY SPECIAL EDUCATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN

 

THE UZBEK STATE WORLD LANGUAGES UNIVERSITY

 

METHODOLOGY OF LANGUAGE TEACHING DEPARTMENT

 

 

Sharipova Gulnora Rajabboy qizi

 

II- ENGLISH PHILOLOGY FACULTY GROUP 405b

 

Qualification paper

 

METHODS OF TEACHING ENGLISH WITH

COMPUTER TECHNOLOGIES

 

 

5220100 – Philology (The English language) for granting

the bachelor’s degree

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“THE QUALIFICATION PAPER IS ADMITTED TO DEFENSE” The head of the methodology of language teaching department Akhmedova L.T.(Ph.D) __________________________ “___” ____________________2012

Scientific supervisor: senior teacher  F.Azizova   __________________________ “___” ____________________2012

 

Tashkent - 2012

 

                                                                                      

CONTENTS

 

INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………..3

CHAPTER I. THEORETICAL BASIS OF TEACHING READING

          1.1. Approaches to teaching reading skills ……………………………..

1.2. Main methods of teaching foreign language………………………..

CHAPTER II. READING AS AN AIM AND A MEANS OF TEACHING       AND LEARNING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

2.1 The content of teaching reading. …………………..……………….. 27

2.2. Some difficulties pupils have in learning to read in the English language. ………………………………..……………………………………..34

2.3. How to teach reading…...……………………………………………..38

CHAPTER III. OVERCOMING THE SCARCITY AT THE TEACHING READING

3.1. Methods of Teaching Reading to Learners

3.2. Approaches to Correcting Mistakes………………………………….41

3.2. Practical works for the 6th form at school……..50

CONCLUSION……………………………………………………………63

THE LIST OF USED LITERATURE……………………………………..67

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I N T R O D U C T I O N

This qualification paper is dedicated to the problem of teaching reading at the 6th form stylistics, especially to the types of methods of teaching foreign language.

The subject of the qualification work is to develop the usage of methods of teaching reading in our educational system.

 The object of the qualification paper is to study main methods of teaching reading and also the useful sides of these methods for the young pupils.

The actuality of the qualification paper is determined teaching reading with the help of exercises at the 6 form. 

The aim of our qualification paper is to looking through the methods of teaching reading for pupils.

The tasks of our research are the followings:

• To analyze the theoretical literature
• To analyze the programmes and textbooks
• To analyze the main methods of teaching foreign language
• To study some difficulties pupils have in learning to read in the English language.
• To introduce methods of Teaching Reading to Learners
• To study the approaches for Correcting Mistakes

The actuality of our research is that the teaching reading through exercises at 6th form

The novelty of our research is that at the first time doing the analysis is teaching reading thoroughly.

The hypothesis of our research is that the methods of teaching reading are effectual for teaching foreign languages at schools.

The methods of investigation are:

• Sociologic-pedagogical method
• Test
• Experiment

The theoretical significance of the work is that the results of the scientific work can be used in the course of lectures from methodology and also can be useful for those who study in the sphere of linguistics.

Practical value of the work is the exercises which can be used during the seminar on methodology of teaching English language and practical lessons.

The structure of the research paper consists of introduction, three chapters, conclusion and bibliography.

The first chapter is devoted to the study of investigation of theoretical basis of teaching reading of the English language.

The second chapter is devoted to investigation of aim and a means of teaching and learning a foreign language.

The third chapter is devoted to investigation practical basis of teaching reading.

In conclusion the basic results of investigation are submitted and at the end of the list of used literature. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER I. THEORETICAL BASIS OF TEACHING READING

1.1. Approaches to teaching reading skills

Reading is about understanding written texts. It is a complex activity that involves both perception and thought. Reading consists of two related processes: word recognition and comprehension. Word recognition refers to the process of perceiving how written symbols correspond to one’s spoken language. Comprehension is the process of making sense of words, sentences and connected text. Readers typically make use of background knowledge, vocabulary, grammatical knowledge, experience with text and other strategies to help them understand written text.

Reading skills are the cognitive processes that a reader uses in making sense of a text. For fluent readers, most of the reading skills are employed unconsciously and automatically. When confronted with a challenging text, fluent readers apply these skills consciously and strategically in order to comprehend1.

There are numerous reading skills that pupils need to master to become proficient readers: extracting main ideas, reading for specific information, understanding text organization, predicting, checking comprehension, inferring, dealing with unfamiliar words, linking ideas, understanding complex sentences, understanding writer’s style and writing summaries2. But if adult learners are psychologically prepared for reading and the matter is only in acquiring basic reading skills, enriching vocabulary stock and mastering at least few grammar rules, then the situation with young elementary readers is quite different.

Learners read effectively only when they are ready. The reader’s preparedness to read is called ‘reading readiness’. According to Thorndike’s law of learning, the first requisite for beginning reading is an interest in reading. Reading stories, allowing children to draw and read charts, displaying readable messages, providing picture books and labeling the objects will stimulate their interests3.

At any level, the following skills are necessary for a pupil to become a proficient reader:

• automatic, rapid letter recognition
• automatic, rapid word recognition
• the ability to use context as an aid to comprehension
• the ability to use context when necessary as a conscious aid to word recognition [11; 2-3].

A good readiness program develops proficiency in the following area:

speaking and listing skill; visual discrimination; knowing the alphabet;

thinking skills; word meaning skills; auditory discrimination;

moving left to right; sight vocabulary; identification skill

 

For visual discrimination a teacher may use exercises of identification of the same picture in a row, for visual and auditory discrimination one may find useful exercises of identification of same letters in a row, finding the odd one, picking out word pairs (yes-yes, tit-tit), circling the odd word pair in a group. To train word identification and word recognition tasks like ‘complete the letters or words with the help of pictures in a sentence’ may be appropriate [22; 5-6].

While teaching reading the following approaches should not be neglected:

1. Focus on one skill at a time. Explain the purpose of working on this skill, and convince the pupils of its importance in reading effectively.3. Work on an example of using the skill with the whole class. Explain your thinking aloud as you do the exercise.4. Assign pupils to work in pairs on an exercise where they practice using the same skill. Require them to explain their thinking to each other as they work.5. Discuss pupils’ answers with the whole class. Ask them to explain how they got their answers. Encourage polite disagreement, and require explanations of any differences in their answers.6. In the same class, and also in the next few classes, assign individuals to work on more exercises that focus on the same skill with increasing complexity. Instruct pupils to work in pairs whenever feasible.7. Ask individual pupils to complete an exercise using the skill to check their own ability and confidence in using it.8. In future lessons, lead the pupils to apply the skill, as well as previously mastered skills, to a variety of texts [4; 4].

Reading becomes effective when teacher starts with words that are familiar to pupils, uses simple structures, blackboard and flashcards, and gives emphasis to recognizing and understanding the meaning of a word simultaneously. As far as young elementary learners are concerned teaching reading should be started when a child can learn his/her own mother-tongue [22; 9]. Also, it is suggested to use some kind of reading repetition or practice and progress monitoring [13; 151]. Moreover, teachers should always keep in mind the various problems of reading a foreign language [22; 9].

It is useful to know if a pupil can read nonsense words such as ‘flep, tridding and pertollic’ as the ability to read nonsense words depends on rapid and accurate association of sounds with symbols. Good readers do this easily so they can decipher new words and attend to the meaning of the passage. Poor readers usually are slower and make more mistakes in sounding out words. Their comprehension suffers as a consequence. Poor readers improve if they are taught in an organized, systematic manner how to decipher the spelling code and sound words out [20; 19].

There are also several principles behind the teaching of reading:

Principle 1: Reading is not a passive skill. Reading is an incredibly active occupation. To do it successfully, we have to understand what the words mean, see the pictures the words are painting, understand the arguments, and work out if we agree with them. If we do not do these things - and if pupils do not do these things - then we only just scratch the surface of the text and we quickly forget it.

Principle 2: Pupils need to be engaged with what they are reading. As with everything else in lessons, pupils who are not engaged with the reading text - not actively interested in what they are doing - are less likely to benefit from it. When they are really fired up by the topic or the task, they get much more from what is in front of them.

Principle 3: Pupils should be encouraged to respond to the content of a reading text not just to the language. Of course, it is important to study reading texts for the way they use language, the number of paragraphs they contain and how many times they use relative clauses. But the meaning, the message of the text, is just as important and we must give pupils a chance to respond to that message in some way. It is especially important that they should be allowed to express their feelings about the topic - thus provoking personal engagement with it and the language.

Principle 4: Prediction is a major factor in reading.

When we read texts in our own language, we frequently have a good idea of the content before we actually read. Book covers give us a hint of what's in the book, photographs and headlines hint at what articles are about and reports look like reports before we read a single word. The moment we get this hint - the book cover, the headline, the word-processed page - our brain starts predicting what we are going to read. Expectations are set up and the active process of reading is ready to begin. Teachers should give pupils 'hints' so that they can predict what's coming too. It will make them better and more engaged readers.

Principle 5: Match the task to the topic. We could give pupils Hamlet's famous soliloquy 'To be or not to be' and ask them to say how many times the infinitive is used. We could give them a restaurant menu and ask them to list the ingredients alphabetically. There might be reasons for both tasks, but, on the face of it, they look a bit silly. We will probably be more interested in what Hamlet means and what the menu foods actually are. Once a decision has been taken about what reading text the pupils are going to read, we need to choose good reading tasks - the right kind of questions, engaging and useful puzzles etc. The most interesting text can be undermined by asking boring and inappropriate questions; the most commonplace passage can be made really exciting with imaginative and challenging tasks.

Principle 6: Good teachers exploit reading texts to the full. Any reading text is full of sentences, words, ideas, descriptions etc. It doesn't make sense just to get pupils to read it and then drop it to move on to something else. Good teachers integrate the reading text into interesting class sequences, using the topic for discussion and further tasks, using the language for Study and later Activation [9; 70].

All things considered, reading is far from being a passive skill. Pupils need to be engaged with what they are reading. Teachers should match tasks to the topic, choose activities up to the pupils’ abilities and develop teaching programs in such a way so that to develop all the reading skills.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.2. Main methods of teaching foreign languages

The direct method

Methods of foreign language teaching is understood here as a body scientifically tested theory concerning the teaching of foreign languages in schools and other educational institutions . It covers three main problems:

1 ) aims of teaching a foreign  language;

2 ) content of teaching , what to teach to attain the aims;

3 ) methods and techniques of teaching , how to teach a foreign language to attain the aims in the most effective way.

       Methods of foreign language teaching is closely related to other sciences such as pedagogics , psychology , physiology , linguistics and some others .

Pedagogics is the science concerned with the teaching and education of the younger generation. Since methods also deals with the problems of teaching and education, it is most closely related to pedagogics. To study foreign language teaching one must know pedagogics. One branch of pedagogics is called didactics. Didactics studies general ways of teaching in schools. Methods, as compared to didactics, studied the specific ways of teaching a definite subject. Thus, it may be considered special didactics. In the foreign language teaching of mathematics, history, and other subjects taught in schools, general principles of didactics are applied and, in their turn, influence and enrich didactics. For  example, the so-called “ principle of visualization  “ was first introduced in teaching foreign languages. Now it has become one of the fundamental principles of didactics and is used in teaching all school subjects without exception. Programmed instruction was first applied to teaching mathematics. Now through didactics , is it is used in teaching many subjects, including foreign languages.

          Teaching a foreign language means firs and foremost the formation and development of pupils habits and skills in hearing, speaking, reading, and writing. We can not expect to develop such habits and skills of our pupils effectively if we do not know and take into account the psychology of habits and skills, the ways of forming them, the influence of formerly acquired habits  on the formation of new ones, and many other necessary factors that psychology can supply us with. At present we have much material in the field of psychology which can be applied to teaching a foreign language.

         Effective learning of a foreign language depends to a great extent on the pupil’s memory. That is why a teacher must know how he can help his pupils to successfully  memorize and retain in memory the language material they learn.                     Here  again psychological investigations are significant.

        Methods of foreign language teaching has a definite relation to physiology of the higher nervous system. Pavlov’s theories of “ conditioned reflexes “ , of the “ second signaling system” and of “ dynamic stereotype” are  the examples. Each of these interrelated theories bears a direct relation to the teaching  of a foreign language. Methods of foreign language teaching is most closely related to linguistics deals with the problems which are of paramount importance to  methods, with language and thinking, grammar and vocabulary, the relationship between grammar and vocabulary, and many others.

        Methods successfully uses, for example, the results of linguistic investigation in the selection and arrangement of language material for teaching.

It is known that structural linguistics has had a great impact on language teaching. Teaching materials have been prepared by linguists and methodologists of the structural school.

       Many prominent linguists have not only developed the theory of linguistics, but tried to apply it to language teaching. The following quotation may serve as a proof of this: “ It has occurred to the linguist as well as to the psychologist that the foreign language classroom should be an excellent laboratory in which to test new theories of language acquisition. “

Methods of foreign language teaching like any other science, has definite ways of investigating the problems which may arise. They are:

1) a critical study of the ways foreign languages were taught in our country and abroad;

2) a thorough study and summing up of the experience of the best foreign language teachers in different types of schools;

3) experimenting with the aim of confirming or refutting the working hypotheses that may arise during investigation.

Experimenting becomes more and more popular with methodologists. In experimenting methodologists have to deal with different data, that is why in arranging research work they use mathematics, statistics, and probability theory to interpret experimental results.

In recent years there has been a great increase of interest in Methods since foreign language teaching has many attractions as an area for research. A great deal of useful research work has been carried out. New ideas and new data produced as the result of research are usually developed into new teaching materials and teaching techniques.

         It should be said that we need research activities of the following types: descriptive research which deals with “ what to teach “ . More research is now needed which compares different combination of devices, various teaching aids.

        Aims are the first and most important consideration in any teaching. Hence the teacher should know exactly what his pupils are expected to achieve  in learning his subject, what changes he can bring about in his pupils at the end of the course, at the end of the year, term, month, week and each particular lesson. He should know the aims and objectives  of foreign language teaching in schools.

The terms  “ aims “ and “ objectives “ are clearly distinguished  in this work in accordance with the suggestion given  by R. Roberts. Here is what he writes: “ The term , aims ‘ be reserved for long – term goals such as provide the justification or reason for teaching second languages. The term ,, objectives “ be used only for short term goals ( immediate lesson goal ) , such as many reasonably be achieved in a classroom lesson or sequence of lessons. “

The changes the teacher must bring about in his pupils may be threefold: practical –pupils acquire habits and skills in using a foreign language; educational – they develop their mental abilities and intelligence in the process of learning the foreign language; cultural – pupils extend their knowledge of the world in which they live.

Therefore there are three aims, at least, which should be achieved in foreign language teaching: practical, educational and cultural.

Practical aims.

The foreign language as a school subject differs from other  subjects of the school  curriculum. Whereas the teaching, for instance, of history is mostly connected with the  imparting of historical laws and facts which pupils are to learn and the teaching of the mother tongue leads to the mastery of the language as a system ( which is already used for exchanging thoughts and feelings ) so that pupils will be able to use it more effectively in oral and written language, the teaching of a foreign language should result in the pupil’s gaining one more code for receiving and conveying information; that is, in acquiring a second language for the same purpose as the native language: to use it as a means of communication. In this connection we should like to quote G. Perren: “ Whatever  a new language is being taught as a curricular extra … or as an essential medium for education it will be learned by the young child only if it obviously makes possible some purposeful activity other than language learning. If it does not do this, attemps to teach it may be largely a waste of time. “

When adopting the practical aims for a secondary school course  the following factors are usually taken into consideration: the economic and political conditions of society, the requirements of the state ; the general goals  of secondary school education; the nature of the subject, and the conditions for instruction.

Cultural aims.  

Learning a foreign language makes the pupil acquainted with the life, customs and traditions of the people whose language he studies through visual material  ( such as post cards with the views of towns, countryside, people, filmstrips, for example, “Great Britain “ . “ What Tourists can see in London” ) and reading material dialing with the countries where the target language is spoken. Foreign language teaching should promote pupils’ general educational and cultural growth by  increasing their  knowledge about foreign  countries, and by acquainting them with progressive traditions of the people whose language they study. Through learning a second language the pupil gains a deeper insight into the nature and functioning of language as a social phenomenon.

In conclusion it should be said that practical, educational, and cultural aims are intimately related and form an inseparable unity. The leading role belongs to practical aims, for the others can only be achieved through the practical command of the foreign language.

Educational aims.

Learning a second language is of great educational value. Through a new language  we can gain an insight into the way in which words express thoughts, and so achieve greater clarity and precision in our own communications. Even at the most

elementary level learning a second language teaches the cognizance of meaning, furnishes a term of comparison that gives us an insight into the quality of language. When learning a foreign language the pupil understands better how language functions and this brings him to a greater awareness of the functioning of his own language.

Since language is connected with thinking, through foreign language study we can develop the pupil’s intellect. Teaching a foreign language helps  the teacher develop the pupils’ voluntary and involuntary memory, his imaginative abilities, and will power. Indeed, in learning a new language the pupil should memorize words, idioms, sentence patterns, structures, and keep them in long-term memory ready to be used whenever he needs them in auding, speaking, reading, and writing.

Teaching a foreign language under conditions when this is the only foreign language environment, is practically impossible without appealing to  

 Pupils’ imagination. The lack of real communication forces the teacher to create imaginary situations for pupils, to speak about making each pupil determine  his language behaviour as if he were in such situations.

Teaching a foreign language contributes to the linguistic education of the pupil, the latter extends his knowledge of phonic, graphic, structural, and semantic aspects of  language as it is through contrastive analysis of language phonema.

The direct method appeared as a reaction against the grammar – translation method.

The prerequisites that brought about the appearance of new method are as follows. The rapid development of various branches of industry and the tremendous development of international trade and colonial expansion required plenty of officials who had a practical mastery of the language, people who could speak and write a foreign language and able to communicate with foreigners. Therefore practical mastery of a foreign language becomes the main purpose of teaching this subject at school. The rapid development of pedagogics, psychology, namely, apperceptive psychology, and linguistics promoted the appearance of new methods.

The characteristic features of the direct method are as follows:

1 ) the practical direction in the teaching of foreign languages which is understood as teaching language skills and speaking in particular, therefore spoken language becomes the basis of teaching;

2 ) the ignoring of the existence of the mother tongue as it is assumed that the mother tongue and learning a foreign language are similar processes, merely undertaken at different ages;

3 ) restricted application or very  often complete elimination of translation as a means of teaching a language which plays a leading part in the grammar – translation method; instead of translation, visual aids and various oral and written exercises are recommended on a large scale.

4 ) the inductive approach to teaching grammar, i.e., the learner may discover the rules of grammar for himself after he has become acquainted with many examples ( in the grammar – translation method the rule is first stated, and then sentences embodying the rule are studied; later the rule is put into practice by writing new sentences, generally by translating sentences from the mother tongue into the foreign language ) ;

5 ) great care in teaching pronunciation throughout the course, and especially the first weeks and months; correct pronunciation must be constantly practiced since comprehension and speaking is possible if the learner has adequate pronunciation in the target language;

6 ) great attention to the subjects of the texts, especially a topical arrangement of the material with the purpose of ensuring speech development.

The method is called direct because in teaching a foreign language an attempt is made to establish a direct connection between a foreign word and the thing or notion it denotes without the aid of the native language.

The teachers who accepted the method, involve the pupil from the first step of learning a new language in conversation and supply meaning by referring directly to objects and picture charts; they act out the meaning of sentences in order to make themselves understood.

The direct method found ready supporters. It stimulated enormously the pupil’s curiosity to learn and make progress. But there were too many difficulties in the use of the method, the main of them being the following:

1. No scientific principles were applied to selection of study material and vocabulary in particular. The only principle applied was the topical one, i.e., the material was arranged in topics. As a result of such arrangement of vocabulary, the pupil had to assimilate a great number of words. For example, in textbooks compiled according to F. Gouin system  the vocabulary listed 8000 words.
2. School conditions did not favour the development of pupil’s speech habits ( too few periods a week, overcrowded classes,  lack of visual materials )
3. In the hands of inexperienced and ill – equipped teachers the direct method did not work and the teachers had to return to the old grammar – translation method.

      The main points in Palmer’s method are:

1. In learning a foreign language the pupil must tread the path he has followed in acquiring the mother tongue, i. e, starting with oral language.
2. The teaching of a foreign language must be based upon carefully selected material. H. Palmer was one of the first methodologists who tried to work out principles of vocabulary selection on a scientific basis.
3. Great attention should be given to the rationalization of study material to make the assimilation of a foreign language easier.

H. Palmer compiles a series of study guides for teaching oral language:

English Through Actions – where a system of exercise drills based upon the concrete showing of things and actions is given.

100 Substitution Tables – in which typical English sentences are arranged in tables for pupils to make up their own sentences, following the pattern. Since Substitution Tables is one of the innovations introduced by H. Palmer and they are widely used in contemporary methods, it is relevant to mention what such tables allow the learner to do while using them:

1. To present the most frequently used English words and word groups in such a manner as to form the greatest number of useful sentences of general application.

2. To serve as practical ear – training exercises, by the use of which the pupil will come to understand the most rapid speech.

3. To serve as a series of pronunciation exercises, by the use of which the pupil will acquire fluency and rapidity of expression with the appropriate stress and intonation.

4. To provide a simple context for each word in such a way as to encourage the pupil to learn words not as isolated elements but as component parts of sentences.

5. To serve as a simple scheme for analysis in which the function of the various parts of speech and the nature of group – words are clearly shown.

 

1.2 Contemporary methods

      All the points mentioned above are undergoing further development in contemporary Methods abroad.

      There are many methods of language teaching and a considerable amount of controversy as to the best way of foreign languages teaching  abroad at present. However it is possible to group them into  ( 1 ) traditional methods which have their origin in the grammar – translation method, and ( 2 ) audio – lingual methods which are considered to be a further development of the direct method line.

       The traditional approach to foreign language teaching is characterized by ( 1 ) the use of the native language for explanation, retention and checking; ( 2 ) the deductive explanation of grammar and the use of grammar exercises; ( 3) the development of all the language skills, i. e., hearing, speaking, writing, reading

from the beginning of the course. This approach is called  t r a d i t i o n a l because it has been prevalent in schools for a long time. The traditional methods, although they are adopting some kinds of innovation in teaching techniques and teaching materials, still retain  those distinguishing characteristics which were mentioned above. Since these methods are often contrasted with  a u d i o – l i n g u a l  methods, and the latter are considered to be contemporary ones, we shall dwell upon the audio – lingual methods more thoroughly.

         The main features of the contemporary methods are:

1. The development of audio – lingual skill first, i. e., listening comprehension and speaking, that is why the methods are called audio – lingual. The justification of the priority of spoken language in foreign language learning  is found in the observation that a language is first of all a system of sounds used for social communication; writing is a secondary derivative system people use for the recording of spoken language. Children normally learn spoken language before they learn written language. Even if the learner’s aim is only to read  or write the language he can attain a surer mastery of the foreign language if he passes through a substantial stage of work with the spoken language. It is thought that reading and writing might, at least in the beginning, interfere with the development of audio – lingual skills, and that especially the use of writing may lead to spelling pronunciation. The amount of delay between presentation of the spoken and the written material may vary from a short time to a very long time which depends on the aim of teaching, the pupil’s age, the organization of the course, the conditions of instruction, etc.
2. Great care in teaching speaking so that the learner could use the spoken forms as accurately as possible, that is, with native – like sentence patterns and pronunciation. For this purpose the pupil should have some adequate model of speech – preferable in the person of a native or near – native speaker of the language, or in the form of a faithfully recorded voice of such a speaker . This is now becoming possible because of modern teaching equipment such as radio, television, language laboratories, and teaching machines.
3. The rejection of translation as the main tool of instruction. All the exercises performed by the pupil are usually  within the target language. The use of the pupil’s native language is minimized. It is admitted to supply meaning to the pupil, although, even in this case the target language supported by whatever props, pictorial materials, or pantomimic gestures, is preferred.
4. Teaching grammar through pattern practice. The grammatical exercises usually take the form of drills in which the pupil is asked to substitute words for other words, or to make  changes  in sentences ,  e. g., from singular to plural ,  from past to present , from active  to passive,  following   

the model. Grammatical  descriptions  of patterns are taught only after the patterns are  well on  the way to being mastered  at a purely  oral level, and the only when it is felt that such  descriptions will  hasten the learning process or help ensure retention. Pattern  practice with varying elements provides drill in the conscious application of structural elements and leads the pupil to the “automatic”  use of the structural patterns. Such an approach to teaching grammar is justified on the basis of theories and observations as to how children learn their mother tongue, and how they use well-practised  patterns of their native language.

5. Extensive use of  “real-life” communication situations for stimulating  the

pupil’s language activity. The is done to involve the pupil in the act of communication in the target language, and in the way to arouse his interest  in language learning and increase his motivation. Modern teaching aids and teaching materials make such situations accessible,  e.g.,  a filmstrip with foreign language sound track can represent realistic situations and context and “engage” the pupil in conversations.

 

6. Development of reading and writing first using the linguistic material the

     pupil has learned orally, and than the material characteristic of written                                               language with the aim of getting information (reading) and sending information (writing).

           These features of contemporary methods may be illustrated by Voix et images de France.

           There are quite a number prominent methodologists who have contributed to foreign language teaching, and English in particular. Some of the most interesting articles and chapters from  well known books have been translated into Russian and published under the title

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER II.  READING AS AN AIM AND A MEANS OF TEACHING AND LEARNING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

2.1. The content of teaching reading

Reading is one of the main skills that a pupil must acquire in the process of mastering a foreign language in school. The syllabus for foreign languages lists reading as one of the leading language activities to be developed. It runs: “ To read, without grammar a dictionary, texts containing familiar grammar material and no more than 4-6 unfamiliar words per 100 words of the text the meaning of which, as a rule, should be clear from the context or familiar word- building elements ( in the eight -year school ). Pupils are to read, with the help of the dictionary, easy texts containing familiar grammar material and 6-8 unfamiliar words per 100 words of the text ( in the ten year school ).” Therefore  reading is one of the practical aims of the teaching a foreign language in schools.

Reading is of great educational importance, as reading is a means of communication, people get information they need from books, journals, magazines, newspapers, etc. Through reading in a foreign language the pupil enriches his   knowledge of the world around him. He gets acquainted with the countries where the target language is spoken.

Reading develops pupils’ intelligence. It helps to develop their memory, will, imagination. Pupils become accustomed to working with these books, which in its turn facilitates unaided practice in further reading. The content of texts, their ideological and political spirit influence pupils. We must develop in Uzbek pupils such qualities as honesty, devotion to and love for our people and the working people of other countries, the texts our pupils are to read must meet these requirements. Reading ability is, therefore, not only of great practical, but educational, and social importance, too.

Reading is not only an aim in itself, it is also a means of learning a foreign language. When reading a text the pupil reviews sounds and letters, vocabulary and grammar, memorizes the spelling of words, the meaning of words and word combinations, he also reviews grammar and, in this way , he perfects his command of the target language. The more the pupil reads, the better his retention of the linguistic material is. If the teacher instructs his pupils in good reading and they can read with sufficient fluency and complete comprehension he helps them to acquire speaking and writing skills as well. Reading is, therefore, both an end to be attained and a means to achieve that end.

Reading is a complex process of language activity. As it is closely connected with the comprehension of what is read, reading us a complicated intellectual work. It requires the ability on the part of the reader to carry out a number of mental operations: analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction, comparison.

Reading as a process is connected with the work of visual, kinesthetic, aural analyzers, and thinking. The visual analyzer is at work when the reader sees a text. While seeing the text he ,, sounds it very “ it silently, therefore the kinesthetic analyzer is involved. When he sounds the text he hears what he pronounces in his inner speech so it shows that the aural analyzer is not passive, it also works and, finally, due to the work of all analyzers the reader can understand thoughts. In learning to read one of the aims is to minimize the activities of kinesthetic and aural analyzers so that the reader can associate what he sees with the thought expressed in reading material, since inner speech hinders the process of  reading making it very slow. Thus the speed of reading depends on the reader’s ability to establish a direct connection between what he sees and what it means. To make this easier to understand it may be represented as follows:

                    Visual  --------------------------thoughts        analyzer

Kinesthetic

analyzer ------------------- aural    analyzer

There are two of reading: aloud or orally, and silently. People usually start learning to read orally. In teaching a foreign language in school both ways should be developed. Pupils assimilate the graphic  system of the target language as a means which is used for conveying information in print. They develop this skill through oral reading and silent reading.

When one says that one can read, it means that one can read, it means that one can focus one’s attention on the meaning  not on the form: the the pupil treats the text has a familiar form of discourse and not as a task of deciphering. ,, The aim of the teacher is to get his pupils as quickly as possible over the period in which each printed symbol is looked at for its shape, and to arrive at the stage when the pupil looks at words and phrases, for their meaning, almost without  noticing the shapes of the separate letters.” A good reader does not look at letters, nor even at words, one by one, however  quickly; he takes in  the meaning of two, three, or four words at a time, in a single moment. The eyes of a very good reader move quickly, taking long ,, jumps “ and making very short ,, halts “.We can call this ideal reading ,, reading per se ”. Reading per se is the end to be attained. It is possible provided:

1 ) the reader can associate the graphic system of the language with the phonic system of that language;

2 ) the reader can find the logical subject and the logical subject and the logical predicate of the sentences:

The man there is my neighbour.

There were many people in the hall.

It was difficult for me to come in time.

3 ) the reader can get information from the text ( as a whole ).

These are the three constituent parts of reading as a process.

As a means of teaching reading a system of exercises is widely used in school, which includes:

1.graphemic – phonemic exercises which help pupils to assimilate graphemic- phonemic correspondence in the English language;

2 ) structural –information exercises which help pupils to carry out lexical and grammar analysis to find the logical subject and predicate in the sentences following the structural signals;

3 ) semantic – communicative exercises which help pupils to get information from the text.

The actions which pupils perform while doing these exercises constitute the content of teaching and learning reading in a foreign language.

    2.2. Some difficulties pupils have in learning to read in the English language

Reading in the English language is one of the most difficult things because there are 26 letters and 146 graphemes which represent 46 phonemes. Indeed the English alphabet presents many difficulties to Russian speaking pupils because the Russian alphabet differs greatly from that of the English language. A comparison of the two languages shows that of the 26 pairs of printed letters (52- if we consider capital and small letters as different symbols ) only 4 are more or less similar to those of the Russian alphabet, both in print and in meaning. These are K, k, M, T, f, G, g, h, L, l, I, i, J, j, N, n, Q, q, R, r, S, s, t, U, u, V, v, W, w, Z, z. The letters A, a, B, C ,c, E, e, H, O, o, P, p, Y, y, X , x occur in both languages, they are read differently. They are, therefore, the most difficult letters for the pupil to retain. Obviously in teaching a pupil to read English words, much more attention should be given to those letters which occur in both languages but symbolize entirely different sounds. For example, H, p… (Pupils often read How as ( nau ). Therefore, in presenting a new letter to pupils the teacher should stress its peculiarity not only from the standpoint of the English language  what sound or sounds it symbolizes ) but from the point of view of the Russian language as well.

It is not sufficient to know English letters. It is necessary that pupils should know graphemes, how this or that vowel, vowel combination, consonant, or consonant, combination is read in different positions in the words  (window, down).

The teacher cannot teach pupils all the existing rules and exceptions for reading English  words. Nor is it necessary to do so. When learning English pupils are expected to assimilate the following rules of reading: how to read stressed vowels in open and closed syllables and before r; how to read ay, oo, ou, ow; the consonants c, s, k, g, ch, sh, th, ng, ck, and tion, ssion, ous. The rules are not numerous, but they are important to the development of reading.