ELT365 · D169 — Scanning: Finding the One Fact You Need

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.’ Learner’s eyes move until they hit a number near ‘open’. They don’t read the paragraphs about the café.

Try — Give a 400-word text and five scanning questions. Time it. What strategies did learners use? Did anyone read the whole text instead of scanning?

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