Greetings also from the South Pacific. I think that reading aloud is an
interesting activity. I have changed my mind about its value over the past
few years. Like many, I used to see it as something that many learners
report they hated from their schooling experience. Not being able to read
and having to do in front of a class (not helped by teachers who added a
dollop of humiliation in some cases) was pretty scary and just exacerbated
their feelings of inadequacy.

However, I do think that it is a valuable way of helping build fluency
(which research does tell us is important) as well as personal confidence,
as it helps put some childhood fears to rest.

I was in the US last year doing some fieldwork on formative assessment in an
OECD study. As part of that study I observed about 15 'exemplary teachers'
(identified by local administrators) teaching. I saw about half of these
teachers getting their learners to read aloud as part of their sessions. I
was most impressed how they did this: there was no embarrassment, all the
learners were focussed on the reading and it was usually integrated with
on-going discussion about the text. Besides the clear skills of the teacher
to manage the activity through the choice of appropriate texts, it also
helped bring the reading to life in the group and generated camaraderie
among them. The groups were fairly homogeneous in terms of their skills,
which meant that they were all similar in their ability to participate - I'm
sure it would be much more difficult in more heterogeneous groups.

I would also like to recommend the NRDC publication
(http://www.nrdc.org.uk/publications_details.asp?ID=109 )which has very good
practical implications included for practitioners


Regards, John

John Benseman

*   john.benseman at criticalinsight.co.nz

*   641 9 627 1882  Cell  027 454 0683

* 52a Bolton St, Blockhouse Bay, Auckland 0600, NZ

Skype: boltonstbunch

-----Original Message-----
From: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Janet Coup
Sent: Wednesday, 14 May 2008 9:24 a.m.
To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List
Subject: [EnglishLanguage 2432] Re: ESL Reading - 2 or 3 things we know

Terry Said wrote:

> Extensive reading in class is a good way to get

> students to read since many of them do not have time

> outside of class.

>

> There are also some newspapers particularly made for

> students learning to read in English. One is News for

> You, and there is another one done by Elizabeth

> Claire. These newspapers have often been popular

> enough with my students, they will read them at home.

>

> I've also used the textbook series True Stories in the

> News. They now even have a Very Easy True Stories in

> the News for students who are just beginning literacy.

>

> One activity I don't recommend is reading in class

> much. There is no research to show this improves

> students' reading skills, but more importantly it is

> really boring for the rest of the students. Some

> students really like reading out loud, so occasionally

> I may have students do a short segment or a dialogue,

> but I usually avoid it unless students insist. Of

> course, if you're tutoring one on one it may work

> better, and be a starting point for other activities.

>

> Terry Pruett-Said

>

>

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> Email delivered to janet at coup.net.nz

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>   

Hi all
Janet here from New Zealand. This online discussion is great!
I have often shyed away from students and oral reading fluency, but I 
have had some learners who have particularly wanted to develop that 
skill, including those who want to or are taking part in Bible study 
groups.
Maxine Burton with the NRDC in the UK has done some research "Oral 
Reading Fluency for Adults" that made me rethink about the positive 
effects that learners can gain from this process. The NRDC, in their 
"Practitioner Guides" have also suggested using oral reading as part of 
effective teaching of reading - I woudn't do it in isolation from other 
teaching reading processes. I have come across people who can read 
orally, fluently and flawlessly, but with little, or virtually no, 
comprehension. I have found this particuarly amongst learners from the 
Pacific Islands where reading is taught by rote learning.
I would also want to discuss whether to introduce oral reading with 
learners before introducing it.
I wonder if oral reading may be more  may effective as a teaching 
strategy with people who have oral history and story telling traditions?

-- 
Janet Coup
Ph: 09 627 0566
Mob: 021 340 666

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