Idea — Listening for specific information means focusing on targeted details — names, numbers, times — while letting irrelevant content pass. Learners hold a question in mind before the text plays. Example — At an…
Idea — Critical reading tasks ask learners to evaluate a text — to judge bias, distinguish fact from opinion, or assess the writer’s purpose. This is reading as active dialogue. Example — A newspaper headline…
Idea — Inference means deriving meaning that the writer implies but does not state. It requires combining text signals with background knowledge. Example — “She put her coat back on.” In context, this implies the…
Idea — Detailed comprehension tasks target specific information — facts, figures, sequences, or attitudes — and require a second or third pass. They follow gist; they never precede it. Example — After establishing that a…
Idea — A gist task gives learners one reason to process the whole text — not individual facts. It trains tolerance of ambiguity and listening for direction. Example — “Is this conversation formal or informal?”…
Idea — A lead-in activates learners’ prior knowledge before they encounter the text. It does not preview the content — it warms the relevant schema so processing is faster. Example — Before a listening about…
Idea — Extensive reading means reading large amounts at a comfortable level for pleasure and fluency — not stopping to analyse. Volume drives vocabulary growth and reading speed. Example — ER programmes with 20-minute silent…
Idea — Intensive reading means careful, slow reading for precise understanding — examining vocabulary, grammar, and cohesion closely. It suits short texts and language-focused aims. Example — Analysing the grammar of a business email before…
Idea — Krashen’s Input Hypothesis suggests we acquire language from input slightly above our current level (i+1). Graded readers operationalise this — they are calibrated to that zone. Example — An A2 reader on a…
Idea — Authentic texts are designed for native speakers; adapted texts are simplified for learners. Neither is always right — the choice depends on level, task, and learning aim. Example — A B1 class reading…