Effective reading skills

If you are doing academic study, you will need to read a large number of books and journals. If these texts are in English, you may need some help in reading them quickly and effectively. Here are two suggestions for techniques you can use to help you read effectively, taken from this programme, Academic Listening. Do you use these techniques when reading in your own language?

• Readers can employ a useful technique called skimming to help them decide which books and sections of books to read. Often, a quick glance at the title and subtitles, at the chapter headings and any information about the author’s special interests will soon tell you whether a book is likely to be useful for your purpose.
• Like skimming, scanning is a rapid reading technique that can save you a lot of time.With scanning, however, you are looking for specific words and ideas rather than general information about the book.You have a specific question in your mind, and you are looking for the answer to that question – it could be a name, a date or it could be a sentence – but you know what you are looking for.

1. In one sentence, describe the difference between skimming and scanning.
2. Scan passage a) above to find five words which relate to the subject ‘books’.

Answer

1. You skim a text by reading very quickly to get the general idea but you scan a text by looking at the text to pick out key words, figures and information.
2. sections; chapter headings; title; subtitle; author

The keys to effective reading

If you have to read for study or work, remember the following four points to help make your reading easier

1. Be selective. Choose which books or articles you really need to read by scanning the titles or chapters for key words – that is, words which are relevant to your subject.
2. Skim the relevant article, chapter or page to check that it is really relevant. Skimming will give you the general idea – or gist – of the text.Then you can decide if it is really important enough for you to continue reading.
3. Before you begin to read in depth, ask yourself some questions about the text: ‘What do I want to find out?’, or ‘How does this author’s opinion differ from the others I have read?’. By setting questions before you read, you can help yourself to pick out information more effectively.
4. Don’t worry if you don’t understand every word.Try to focus on what you do understand, then decide which new words are important in helping you understand more.

Reading task

Here is academic Tony Lynch describing a reading technique named SQ3R. First, scan the passage to find out what the letters S – Q – R – R & R signify.Then read the passage and note down the main features of SQ3R.

Students often tell me the main problem is the amount of reading they are expected to do.When sitting down with a text, it’s easy to get overwhelmed so it’s important to read effectively. Some well-established reading-skills books promote the idea of
SQ3R – that is, survey, question, read, recall, review.The idea is to survey the text – or look at it briefly – then set questions to yourself, such as ‘What do I expect to learn from this text?’.The next step is to read, then recall the information. Make notes to summarise what you have read.Then finally review what you have read and understood. How relevant is this to what you want? The most important thing to keep in mind is your purpose for reading.
Answer key

• Survey;Question; Read; Recall; Review
• Survey the text to find out if it’s relevant to you.
  Think of questions which you would like the text to answer.
  Read the relevant sections or chapters.
  Recall what you read by making notes.
  Review what you read by asking yourself, ‘Did this answer my questions?’.