Reading, Listening, Speaking


The writing process is an important component of communication. Like any skill, communication takes an understanding of how words affect us and others. In a previous assignment, you created a presentation of how words have affected you in your life. Whether the words are written down or spoken, we can create an effect that these words have on others. Effective reading, listening, speaking, viewing and representing takes planning; we wish to express our thoughts for maximum benefit, while listening to the nuances of meaning that other people's communication presents.


Time to Read



Read pp. 152-157, Reading, in your English Language Arts Handbook for Secondary Students.
Read pp. 157-174, Viewing and Representing, in your English Language Arts Handbook for Secondary Students.
Read pp. 175-184, Speaking and Listening, in your English Language Arts Handbook for Secondary Students.


Reading

Reading is incredibly important for us in our fast-paced, technologically advanced world. Digital signs flash their messages in many forms, often with flashing lights, and we are expected to read and comprehend their messages instantaneously. In writing, we are the ones delivering the message while in reading we are the ones receiving the message. Reading takes different skills and not having those skills can often put us in a bind. As readers it is important for us to be aware of the tactics that writers will use in order to get, and keep, our attention, and influence us to make decisions we might not have thought of making.

With the increase in technology, the idea is often expressed that reading has become less important. The reality is that careful reading has become more crucial in accessing large amounts of information. There may be the erroneous expectation that reading has to be done faster, but in reality, reading has to be done with great care in order to deal with the huge amount of relevant information impacting us.

One of the skills required in reading is developing different reading speeds. Some types of material will require you to slow down and pay close attention to the content. Other types of material will allow you to move at breakneck speed because it isn't really important to concentrate on every single word.

There are some important things to keep in mind about reading:

  • What is your purpose for reading a particular text?

    • If you are reading to find one particular bit of information, or reading to learn every detail in the selection, or following directions to put a bicycle together, you will approach the text differently.

    In some situations you will be better off scanning the material because you are just looking for one little tidbit of information.

    In reading essays or textbooks, for example, you might just read the first sentence of the paragraph and if you understand that, slip over to the next paragraph. The rest of the sentences in the paragraph explain the topic sentence, so if you understand the topic sentence, the rest is more detail that you may or may not find useful. If you don't understand the topic sentence fully and want to drill down a bit deeper, you read the rest of the paragraph.


  • Preview the material before you get into it so that you understand the structure, organization, and the topics that are going to be addressed.

    • Look at the table of contents to see what the topics are in each chapter. That way, you can avoid reading more than you really need to. Pay attention to the index, usually at the back of book, to see if the book is addressing the topic you are most interested in.

  • Determine the reading speed and technique that will be most beneficial to you. If you are reading a novel for pleasure, you will likely be able to read quickly, whereas if you are reading the manual for restoring a 1957 Chevy, you will need to read the text more carefully.


    • SQ3R Method - Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review - At first this method seems to be more work, but it is an organized, efficient way of studying material and taking notes. It is also easy to remember, so when studying for exams, or complex ideas, it helps to keep your thinking clearer.


Speaking, Listening


You will continue to communicate in some form or other to those around your for the rest of your life.

Speaking to one another is important, but so is listening to one another; and listening skills need to be developed. Generally speaking, you will spend more time during the day listening than you will speaking, so it is incredibly important to develop the skill of being able to listen to others in meaningful ways.

Without a doubt, you have found some discrepancies in what people say and what they mean. Words people speak have to be matched with their body language, their facial expressions, and the tone of what they are saying to hear what they are really saying. That is why listening is incredibly important. To miss some of the cues that people give may lead to some disastrous miscommunication.