Communication skills - trainer

2. Reading

Reading means to create meaning from text on paper or screen. Reading means not only a technical ability to read, but also to understand the meaning of text, the content. It also means to comprehend, reflect, and reflect critically. Competences in reading texts also indicate to understand texts in broad sense, not only verbal texts, but also illustrations, graphs, symbols and other modalities and the functions of these modes of expressions. 

Reading competences means:

• read screen and paper texts critically and in an independent manner 
  
• can ask questions and talk about the content of texts
  
• seek information of different kinds
  
• be acquainted with new routines or working tasks 
  
• understand daily messages from colleagues and leader
  
• understand the purpose of a text
  
• understand complex sentences and difficult words and expressions 
  
• use different reading strategies relevant to text types and purposes
  
• understand texts of different modalities, like illustrations, graphs, pictures and symbols.
  

Activity:

What is the most often used texts in the workplace? 

Choose a text relevant to assumed competences in reading to the learner, the age and gender, work experiences, background and ethnicity (Text of Human Resources (HR) can be an example).  

Reading aloud: Start with learners reading the text aloud. Is it fluent or staccato? Staccato reading can indicate challenges in understanding words, sentences or part of text. 

Let the learner summarize the content of the text. Did s/he understand the content?

Discuss with the learner possible challenges in the text as words and expressions, sentences or paragraphs. 

Important information: Distribution of information in texts can be relevant. Explain the structure of important information at paragraph-level and in sentences. 

The key information in paragraph is always in the beginning of a paragraph. We describe this as thematic sentence(s). The rest of the paragraph usually explain/exemplify/give reasons for these opening sentences. 

The key information in sentences is usually in front/beginning of a sentence. We describe this as focus in the sentences.  

Activity: 

Ask the  learners to read the text. Learner shall pay attention to thematic sentence(s) in paragraph and to focus in sentences. Check if this do understanding of text content more easily.  

Vocabulary in professional texts is characterized by specific professional words/terminology and expressions probably unknown to learners. 

Activity: 

Ask the learners to make a note of these words and expressions. Explanations of such words and expressions can be done in several ways; by showing concrete examples, by synonyms, by drawings, by explanations in simple words etc. 

Make sure that spelling and pronunciation are correct. Check understanding of these words/expressions by repeating. 

Activity: 

Assess learners understanding of words/expressions by using/reading these in new texts (write, and rewrite, pronounce, say out loud, use them in texts, get feedback). The aim is to develop vocabulary.

Activity: 

Find another text on paper, combined with illustrations; graphs etc. 

Let the learner read the text. 

Check the understanding by letting the learner orally retell/repeat the content, and explain different modalities. 

Ask the learner where in text s/he find the important information. 

Ask the learner to formulate the purpose of the text.

Check the reading strategies.

(Activities related to reading texts on screen and Internet, see topic “Digital tools”)