HOW TO STUDY ENGLISH
READING
As
the study of English always require reading, it is very necessary to understand
the types of reading, the purpose of
reading, the different rates of reading, and certain physical and mental
attitudes involved in good reading.
1. THE TYPES OF READING:
a. “Intensive” ---- slow, very
thorough, very careful reading as in proof-reading a composition or in the
reading of directions as to how to do something, of difficult poems or prose
passages, and of material presenting an abstruse idea.
b. “Study- type”----careful, thorough, thoughtful reading, such as of
literary history, essays and poems of average difficulty, and f8iction read
critically.
c. “Extensive”--- recreational-type reading, as of plays , novels, short
stories, and magazine articles, especially those assigned for outside reading
or those which are read for pleasure.
d. “Skimming”---rapid turning of pages and scanning of lines to find a
particular piece of information (a definition in a dictionary, the names of
characters involved in a particular action in a novel, the date of an author’s
birth or the place of his burial, etc.) or to gain a general idea of something,
as is done in forming a quick impression of a book and should be done in a
first reading of a “study-type” assignment.
2. PURPOSES OF READING:
There are eight
main purposes in reading for English:
a. To get the
main ideas in a section, chapter, essay, story, or poem.
(“Extensive”)
b. To get detailed information:
the facts supporting the main ideas.( “Study- type”)
c. To find answer
to a specific question or to locate a particular fact.( “Skimming”
then “Study-
type”)
d. To gather
material for critical analysis, as for a study of an author’s style or of
the
construction of
a short story; for an evaluation of an author’s ideas; etc.( “Study-
type”)
e.To share the
author’s feelings or that of his characters.( All types except’Skimming’)
f. To find how to do
something, such as how to write a “contrast- type “ essay or to
diagram a
compound sentence.(“Intensive”)
g. To increase
knowledge and broaden experience.(All Types)
h. To get pleasure. (
All Types)
3. RATE OF READING
Your rate of
reading must always be governed by your purpose in reading and the difficulty
of material. Generally, “intensive reading” is done at the same rate as oral
reading, ’study-type”, from200to 300 words per minute; ’extensive” 300w.p.m. on
up depending upon th3e skill of the reader and the difficulty level of the
material; and “skimming” at almost any
rate.
It is important
to know that material in the sam3e book is usually read at different rates; for
example in a novel, certain unimportant or very uninterested parts may be
almost “skimmed,” most of the actions and dialogue should be read “extensively”
and a few passages of important description, subtle dialogue, and philosophic
comment may have to be read as “study-Type” or “intensive-Type” of complete understanding and full effect.
The important
thing is to vary your rate depending upon your purpose and the type of
material.
4. PHYSICAL ATTITUDES:
a.
Posture:
(1)
Sit, don’t lie on your chair.
(2)
Lean slightly forward..
b.
The head:
(1)
Move your eyes. not your head.
(2)
Keep the book perpendicular to the
line of vision and 13 to 15 inches away from your eyes.
c.
The eyes:
(1)
Read by phrases, not by words.
This will reduce the number of ‘fixations’
(eye-pauses in reading a line of print).
Furthermore you will get ideas, not
words (will see the forest instead of
just the trees).
(2)
Don’t let your eyes pause for long
either within or at the end of a line;
move them along and sweep them back to the beginning of the next line.
(3)
Avoid eye “regressions” ; i.e. , returning to
or phrases that you have already read.
(4)
Look up from time to time and focus your eyes
on a distant object. This will help to prevent eye-fatigue.
d.
The lips: Avoid moving them as you
read except in “intensive-type” reading. Also
avoid pronouncing the words to yourself
even in your throat, for that will
hinder comprehension and slow you down to the rate of oral reading.
e.
The finger: Avoid moving the
finger (or a pencil) along the line as you read.
f.
If the book is worth reading at
all, read it with a pencil in your hand, and use the
pencil to underline “key” words,
phrases, and sentences; to make marginal notes
and personal comments; to
summarize, to take notes; etc.
5. MENTAL ATTITUDES:
a.
Read actively, not passively.
(1)
Think about what you are reading.
(2)
Associate it with your own
experience or your past reading.
(3)
Get mental pictures and other
sensory images.
(4)
Remember that the author is trying
to tell you something through the printed
word: so “listen” don’t just
“hear.”
b.
Above all, approach your reading ,
not as a chore, but as a pleasurable experience.
You can find pleasure in anything
if you will give it your close attention, and you can always learn something
about people and about life from almost anything that you read for
English.
CONCENTRATING
- Get interested in English. The more that you know about it, the greater your interest will be, and the easier , accordingly, it will be for 6you to concentrate.
- Don’t le your mind wander( or remain blank either). Make a conscious effort to bring it back to the subject if it drifts off. Continued practice of this will increase your powers of concentration enormously.
- Set a definite time period in which to complete an assignment, and then complete it within the limits set. If you failed to do so, go on anyway to the next thing on your schedule. This self-penalty will help force you to concentrate on the job at hand.
- If you find yourself unable to keep your mind on your work, get a drink of water, or sharpen your pencil or just relax for a moment or so.
- If a distracting thought(girls, friends, holidays, a football game, a conflict with someone, etc.) persists, write it on a piece of paper and put it into your pocket for later perusal. (As strange as it may seem, this really works!)
GETTING THE RIGHT ASSIGNMENT
- Have an assignment notebook for all of your courses, or devote a section of your
English to
assignment in English.
- Write in it each assignment as it is given.
- Have a page in it to enter special assignment, such as book reports, panel discussion, term papers, etc., which are due at a future date (and be sure to consult this page from time to time to make sure that you are planning your work properly so as to complete 6these special assignment on schedule).
SCHEDULING YOUR WORK
1.
Have a definite time set aside
each day for study.
2.
Try to establish a habit pattern
by studying your subjects each day at a
certain order.
3.
Arrange your study schedule so
that, if possible, you may have time for review before class.
4.
Remember that your schedule must
be fl3exible enough to meet the special demands of review tests, compositions
and other long assignments.
5.
Don’t forget that setting definite
time limits within which to complete an assignment will help you to
concentrate.
6.
On the weekends, relax and enjoy
yourself, but set aside definite periods for outside reading, library research,
etc.
PREPARING TO STUDY
1.
Have a well-lighted room with a
strong light directed at your book from the left (if you are right handed).
2.
Have no distracting influences
(radio, television. or a telephone).
3.
Have a desk or a table, and use a
straight chair.
4.
Go to your study room ready to
work, not to dawdle or play.
5.
Have a loose-leaf notebook with
separators, and devote a part of it to each of the following: a. Assignment; b.
Literature notes and Tests; c .Grammar notes and Tests; d. Compositions; e.
Vocabulary; and f. Spelling. Clear your desk of everything except your textbook
, your notebook, and writing materials.
6.
Have a good dictionary handy.
7.
Study your assignment book to see
what has to be done, and plan your evening accordingly.
STUDYING LITERATURE
1. GENERAL
a. Read over the
notes that you took in the class that day.
b. While you are
studying,
- Write in the text the meanings of words that you have to look up.
- Summarize and transcribe to the body of the text notes from the end of the selection or from reference works so that you will not have to look them up again when you review.
- Make marginal notes referring to your past reading, such as, “Cf. Mark Twine,” “Cf. ‘Self-Reliance’,” “Idealism like Longfellow’s,” “Influence of Wordsworth,” “ similar to situation in Macbeth,” etc.
- Write “?” or “??” by anything that you study and re-study but still cannot understand. Ask you r teacher about this points or passages.
- Make full use of any “Study Questions” “Suggestions for study.”
- Note in particular any summaries given by the editor.
c. Follow the
time-tested procedure: Skim-Study-Outline-Review.
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