Idea — Inference means working out what is implied but not stated. In listening, this includes reading between the lines — detecting sarcasm, implication, or unstated attitude. It is a higher-order skill worth teaching explicitly.…
Idea — Note-taking while listening is a productive academic skill, but it competes with comprehension at lower levels. Teach it explicitly: what to note, how to abbreviate, and how to review. Example — Learners listen…
Idea — Beyond facts and details, proficient listeners track how a speaker feels about what they are saying. Attitude markers (tone, hedging, stress, discourse markers) carry meaning that the words alone do not. Example —…
Idea — Extensive reading means reading large quantities at a comfortable level for pleasure and fluency, not for study. Nation’s research suggests it is one of the most effective vocabulary acquisition routes available. Example —…
Idea — Reading aloud by learners in class often looks like reading practice but is usually pronunciation practice at best and a source of anxiety at worst. Comprehension tends to collapse when learners focus on…
Idea — Graded readers simplify vocabulary and syntax to make texts accessible. Authentic texts keep the full complexity. Both have a place — the question is whether you are building fluency or exposing learners to…
Idea — A good classroom reading text is appropriately levelled, genuinely interesting, and generates language worth noticing. All three matter. A boring text at the right level teaches nothing useful. Example — Criteria: is the…
Idea — Learners who stop at every unknown word never build reading fluency. Teaching strategies for handling unknown vocabulary is as important as teaching the vocabulary itself. Example — Strategy one: skip and read on…
Idea — A post-reading stage extends the text into production. Learners respond, personalise, debate, or write from the content they have just read. Without this stage, reading ends at passive understanding. Example — After reading…
Idea — While-reading tasks should guide learners through the text, not test them after the fact. The task shapes what they notice and how deeply they process. Example — Learners read and underline every phrase…