Reading comprehension in a foreign language

Reading comprehension in a foreign language

1. BDA strategies are used to get students to have a better reading comprenhension.

   • What does BDA contribute?
     • BDA activate existing knowledge
       • BDA create a mental framework to which new text, terms, ideas, etc. can be attached.
         • This mental framework is begun before reading even begins
       • Key processes used throughout BDAs are writing, conversation and reading.
   • Grenall and Swan’s (1989) propose some activities in three stages: prereading/before, while/during reading, post/ after reading.
     • BEFORE
       • Activate students background knowledge important to the content of the text
         • How to do this?
           • WORD SPLASH: Students write a story using some familiar and unfamiliar words that are all found in the text.
             • A Word Splash activates prior knowledge about key vocabulary and concepts.
           • KEY WORDS: this is a way for students to describe what they already know about the terms before they actually read the text.
             • It is a tool for activating prior knowledge and determining necessary instruction.
           • PREWRITE QUESTIONS: Students survey the text and create questions they think the text was designed to answer.
             • This sets a purpose for reading.
     • DURING
       • UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE READING
         • How to do this?
           • Making predictions: it is about what is going to happen next in the text.
           • RESPONSE SHEET: Students note key statements on the left and personal responses to them on the right
             • helps connect text to prior knowledge, and provides meaningful study guide later
           • TEXT RENDERING: An alternative to traditional highlighting of words or concepts that stand out; an interaction between reader and text.
           • REREADING: Students look back at the text to find support of an answer/opinion/position.
           • Making using of context guessing: the readers guess the meaning of the words.
     • AFTER
       • Check that the reading was fully understood.
         • How to do this?
           • Discussing the text written/oral. Summarizing or synthesizing written/oral.
           • REFLECTION: Students write about the new content or perspectives learned, and describe how the new learning relates to previous understanding and future actions.
           • Role play. Draping tale, stories. Dramatize tale, stories. Graphic and semantic maps
           • THINK-PAIR-SHARE: Students write down thoughts on a given subject, discuss with partner, and share with class.
             • Forces interaction and uncovers various perspectives and comprehension.

2. Reading is an interactive process between the reader and the text

   • for this reason
     • reading is one of the important skills of a foreign language which teacher must teach to students, in order to help learner read more quickly and effectively.