Making the most of reading texts minimal preparation activities that you can use with any text

The end of reading

Coursebook writers should label texts not as READING but as TEXT

“ Don’t our students know how to read already? Have they never skimmed and scanned in their own language? Are they from Mars? “

We should be teaching the language of second language reading, not the skill of it Texts should not be used superficially (eg. for skimming and scanning purposes) but should be subject to intensive reading and close analysis, so that their potential as linguistic data is maximised

eliminating reading texts classroom boredom time is reduced coursebook length is slashed whole tracts of Amazon rainforest are spared

agree / like  disagree / don’t like ? don’t understand!

T-H-E R-E-S T-L-E S-S-M I-N-D human brain development memory dreams Debates are on-going over the development of the _________ and the role of _______ and _______ in consciousness

era fading in memorisation digital away is the wishes practice can dreaming of come lucid make true problems? 9-year-old time it a computer call to be may

Pop stars forget lyrics, beauty queens flub pageant interviews, everyone... It’s gotten easy to forget to teach young people how to remember. As storage space on computer chips increases, human storage data decreases.

kiss – exquisite stranger dreaming – control subconscious direct the action- generate fantastical events professor of psychology – research into lucid dreaming a film – a retreat – online chat – soon-to- be-published books

An American Journey in the Wilderness What kind of journey? Who is going/ went on it? How are they going to/did they travel? Where are/were they going? Why are they going/did they go? Why was the article written? Who is it written for?

Reader response code reasons why I might want to see it  reasons why I wouldn’t want to see it

The movie was written and directed, and even partly filmed, ____ Sean Penn, who invested the project with some ___ the sane testy singleness ___purpose he has recently brought ___ his political activism, his reporting stints ___ Iran and Iraq, his jeep tour ___ Venezuela with Hugo Chávez. That Hollywood might not be too wild ___ a movie ___a guy who slowly turns ___ a cadaver did not deter Mr Penn ___ a instant.

The movie was written and directed, and even partly filmed, by Sean Penn, who invested the project with some of the same testy singleness of purpose he has recently brought to his political activism, his reporting stints in Iran and Iraq, his jeep tour of Venezuela with Hugo Chávez. That Hollywood might not be too wild for a movie about a guy who slowly turns into a cadaver did not deter Mr Penn for an instant.

a what mystery it exactly is happened of something what mystery exactly is happened something a

Penn / read “Into the Wild” / not long after / come out / 1996, he/ say, when reach / last page / turn back /start again. Right away / know / want / film it

Making the most of reading texts