ELT365 · Day 168 — Text selection: what makes a good reading text

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.

Example — A genuine newspaper column on a topic the class debated last week: good. A fabricated ‘model text’ with artificial density and no real writer’s voice: weaker.

Try — Evaluate a text you plan to use: (1) level appropriate? (2) topic engaging? (3) language teachable? (4) a real reason to read? If fewer than three yes, find a different text.

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