Reading
I like the idea to use “speaking activities” after a particular reading. Moreover, teaching/learning reading is another excellent way to improve students’ vocabulary skills. The most effective way comes with an extensive reading which I personally prefer (as a learner of English language). I like reading books-novels that I can choose on my own and nothing is so effective in the process of learning as doing activities you really enjoy. On the other hand, there is also an intensive reading and it would be a mistake to underestimate its importance. Thanks to the intensive reading, usually short articles in which we focus on the construction of reading texts, we are finally able to improve our reading skills in the classroom.
Unfortunately, there is a fundamental problem with the extensive reading. It requires full students’ participation and their willingness to read a book so there is my question: “How many pupils at elementary schools are interested in reading even Czech books?” They are so busy with their mobile phones and computers that their ability to know at least the mother language is quite arguable.
The activity called “jigsaw reading” has captured my attention not only because it’s a funny way of teaching/learning but it’s also a great opportunity to learn our student’s to cooperate with each other.
I am sure that teaching reading is a fundamental part in the process of teaching English as a second language. Moreover, I absolutely agree that we, as teachers, should always choose something that attracts our students’ atention. It could be sometimes (or very often) a demanding part of teachers’ lesson plans, especially in classrooms with boys and girls.
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Lesson plan
Lesson plan - Reading.pdf
The material used:
Source: Justice, Frances, Alfredo Belli, and Mark Twain. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Genoa, Italy: Black Cat Pub., 2006. Print.
I must say that this activity was a great succes because students really liked it. Some of them were even so inspired by the activity that they continued reading the rest of the book at home.
