ELT365 · Day 171 — Pre-reading: switching on knowledge
Idea — As with listening, a lead-in that activates prior knowledge makes reading easier and faster. Predicting from title, images or topic primes the vocabulary and…
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ELT365 · Day 165 — The lead-in: why context before text always matters
Idea — The lead-in gives learners a reason to engage with a text before they see it. It activates relevant vocabulary and schema, reducing the cognitive…
ReadELT365 · Day 170 — Guessing vocabulary from context
Idea — Readers need not know every word. Surrounding clues — grammar, examples, contrast — often reveal enough meaning to keep going. Training this guess-and-go habit…
ReadELT365 · Day 164 — Intensive reading: close attention on short text
Idea — Intensive reading focuses on a short passage — one paragraph, one exchange — with close attention to language. It is the opposite of skimming:…
ReadELT365 · Day 169 — Reading for detail
Idea — Intensive reading targets exact meaning — argument, grammar, nuance. It is slow and effortful, so reserve it for short, important extracts rather than whole…
ReadELT365 · Day 163 — Scanning: reading to find one thing
Idea — Scanning is fast reading to locate specific information — a name, a date, a figure — without reading everything. The key is knowing exactly…
ReadELT365 · Day 168 — Reading for specific information: scanning
Idea — Scanning means hunting a text for a particular item — a date, a name, a price — while ignoring everything else. The eyes move…
ReadELT365 · Day 162 — Skimming: reading fast for the big picture
Idea — Skimming is fast reading for global meaning — what is this text about, what is the writer’s position. Learners skim by reading the first…
ReadELT365 · Day 167 — Reading for gist: skimming
Idea — Skimming is fast reading for the overall idea — running the eyes over a text to grasp topic and purpose. It is a survival…
ReadELT365 · Day 161 — Why native speed confuses learners
Idea — Connected speech — assimilation, elision, linking, weak forms — makes native-speed English sound unlike the written form. Learners who know the words still cannot…
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