Idea — Match the task to the text type. A recipe calls for scanning and order. A novel calls for gist and pleasure. An exam question calls for intensive reading. Task mismatch wastes learning time.…
Idea — Inferencing is reading or listening for what is implied but not stated. A critical higher-order skill — and the one that separates B1 from B2. Example — ‘The room was quiet when she…
Idea — Detailed questions direct learners to specific parts of the text. They should require reading, not background knowledge. Reference the text: where is the evidence? Example — ‘In paragraph 2, what reason does the…
Idea — One gist question, answered in one sentence. Common mistake: setting multiple-choice for gist. True gist is open: ‘What is the writer’s main point?’ Answer in your own words. Example — Poor gist: ‘Circle…
Idea — Activating background knowledge before a text reduces cognitive load during reading. Like a pre-listening warm-up, but faster: text titles usually give more context than audio titles. Example — Before a text on urban…
Idea — Scanning means moving over a text quickly to find one specific piece of information. The reader isn’t reading; they’re searching. Eyes move, brain filters. Example — ‘Find the opening time of the museum.’…
Idea — Skimming is reading for overall meaning in minimum time. One pass, one question, one answer — what is this text about? Not what does every word mean. Example — Give learners 30 seconds…
Idea — Showing the transcript after listening helps learners connect sounds to spelling and see where they were confused. Never show it before — it turns listening into reading. Example — After three listens, learners…
Idea — Authentic recordings are not designed for learners — they’re fast, overlapping, and full of ellipsis. They’re also motivating and honest about what real English sounds like. Example — A native speaker podcast at…
Idea — Tasks during listening should be light enough to do and listen at the same time. Ticking boxes and ordering pictures work; writing sentences does not. Example — Learners number five events in order…