Idea — Real communication blends skills: we read then discuss, listen then write. Linking a receptive input to a productive output gives reading and listening a purpose beyond comprehension questions. Example — Learners read two…
Idea — Giving learners a text and immediately asking ‘What do you think?’ skips the comprehension stage entirely. Learners end up discussing what they brought to the text, not what is in it. Example —…
Idea — Reading aloud tests pronunciation, not comprehension — a learner can voice words without understanding them. Use it for noticing sounds or rehearsing a script, not as a comprehension check. Example — A child…
Idea — Different genres — emails, recipes, news, stories — have predictable shapes. Knowing the genre helps readers predict structure and purpose, speeding comprehension before close reading begins. Example — A recipe means an ingredient…
Idea — In jigsaw reading, different groups read different parts of a text, then regroup to share what they know. The information gap creates a real communicative reason to speak. Example — Group A reads…
Idea — Authentic texts are written for real readers; graded texts are simplified for level. Authentic material motivates and shows real language, but you support it with task design rather than rewriting. Example — A…
Idea — Schema is the network of prior knowledge a learner activates when reading or listening. Strong schema compensates for weak language; weak schema makes even familiar language confusing. Example — A learner with no…
Idea — When adapting an authentic text, cut difficult words and complex grammar — but preserve the writer’s logic, the examples, and the argument structure. Distorting meaning defeats the purpose. Example — Authentic: ‘The proposal,…
Idea — A good reading text has a clear information load, language at or just above learner level, a topic learners can connect to, and at least one reason to read beyond the language task.…
Idea — One gist question sends learners in with a clear, single purpose. More than one and learners start reading for detail; the gist pass becomes confused and slow. Example — Weak: ‘Read and answer:…