Teaching and Developing Reading Skills Kindle eBook: Cambridge Handbooks for Language Teachers by Watkins Peter

Teaching and Developing Reading Skills Kindle eBook: Cambridge Handbooks for Language Teachers by Watkins Peter

Author:Watkins, Peter
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 2018-02-21T16:00:00+00:00


Digital reading skills

It seems safe to say that all the skills that are required for successful print reading are also required when reading digital texts. However, it may be that additional skills are also needed, particularly when reading online. A simple internet search can produce thousands of results, requiring the reader to make quick decisions as to which seem the most relevant. Hyperlinks within texts may offer support and useful background information, or be a distraction, and so again require skilled decision making on the part of the reader. It is probably also the case that online reading requires ever greater criticality (see Chapter 8: Developing critical reading skills) so that readers can identify the true and the trustworthy from the untrue and the simply fabricated.

Online readers are also often working with new text types which blend features of written and spoken language to a very large degree. These texts, such as instant messages and posts to discussion forums, can make their own demands of a reader as they require an awareness as to whether contributions are intended to be serious, ironic, comical or even provocative. Face-to-face interaction usually provides sufficient context and supporting information (body language, tone of voice and so on) to allow us to make these judgements but the intentions of a writer are considerably harder to gauge.

With digital reading set to increase, it would seem appropriate that we include more digital reading in our classrooms where possible, and address the development of the skills and strategies it requires. The activities that follow in this chapter aim to support teachers in providing engaging and useful activities to their learners.



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