How to teach reading for exams

Which of the following text types do you read?
Why?

https://docs.google.com/document/d/18cKL9QVJ3vUoHHzcabKJHgm6_5ADDHvydoEr1RRVXMA/edit?usp=sharing

Why do we read?
To learn something new
For fun
To communicate
To give or get information

Why is it important?
The variety of texts available and
the reasons we read them
affects how we teach these skills.

Difficulties when reading a text
What are our main problems when trying to read a text in English?

What are our main problems when trying to read a text in English?
I don’t know enough words >> Long sentences and difficult vocab
I need the dictionary
It’s very slow – it takes ages to get through a few sentences >>>>>>> the interest is soon lost
I understand all the individual words, but the whole thing eludes me completely (can’t read between the lines)
Poor reading skills (skimming and scanning)
Lack of background knowledge about the reading texts

The different types of reading test

Simplify the task! Simplify the text!
Simplify the task!
Simplify the text!

FCE, part 7, CAE, part 8
Paraphrasing

FCE, part 7, CAE, part 8
Read text A >>
read the statements >>
read text B >>
read the statements >>
…

Divide up a longer text into … sections!
Create new groups/pairs!
Learners tell each other what they’ve read!

Pair/group 1
Pair/group 2
Pair/group 3

Some ideas for reading tasks
Put the illustrations of the text in the correct order
Put cut-up paragraphs in the correct order
Find words in the text that mean the same as the words in the list provided by you
Read the text and make a list of particular items (+, -, jobs, parts of speech (plastic cups)
Give a headline to each section of the article (or match given headlines with the sections)
Reinsert some sentences that have been separated from the text (cut out those sentences)
Discuss reactions to, feelings about the text
Put the events in the correct order
Discuss the missing last paragraph (predict the finale of the story)
Linking words