Reading Text Strategy

ENGLISH EXERCISE

Group:

1.      Septi Martiana

2.      Nur Ernawati

3.      Siska Aprilia

Class A4-12

Universitas PGRI Yogyakarta

Reading Text Strategy

1.      Scanning

Scanning is a technique you often use when looking up a word in the telephone book or dictionary. You search for key words or ideas. In most cases, you know what you're looking for, so you're concentrating on finding a particular answer. Scanning involves moving your eyes quickly down the page seeking specific words and phrases. Scanning is also used when you first find a resource to determine whether it will answer your questions.

Scanning is sweeping your eyes (like radar) over part of a text to find specific pieces of information.

To scan text:

a.       Know what you’re looking for. Decide on few key words or phrases–search terms, if you will. You will be a flesh-and-blood search engine.

b.      Look for only one keyword at a time. If you use multiple keywords, do multiple scans.

c.       Let your eyes float rapidly down the page until you find the word or phrase you want.

d.      When your eye catches one of your keywords, read the surrounding material carefully.

Example: when looking up a word in the telephone book or dictionary.

2.      Skimming

Skimming involves running your eye very quickly over large chunks of text. It is different from previewing because skimming involves the paragraph text. Skimming allows you to pick up some of the main ideas without paying attention to detail. It is a fast process. A single chapter should take only a few minutes.

How to skim:

a.       Note any bold print and graphics.

b.      Start at the beginning of the reading ang glide your eyes over the text very quickly.

c.       Do not actually read the text in total. You may read a few words of every paragraph, perhaps the first and last sentence.

d.      Always familiarise yourself with the reading material by gaining an overview and/or skimming before reading in detail.

Example: use skimming when you want to see if an article may be interest in your research.

3.      Previewing

Previewing a text means that you get an idea of what it is about without actually reading the main body of the text.

To preview, start by reading:

a.       The title and author details.

b.      The abstract (if there is one).

c.       Read only the parts that “jump out”; that is: main headings and sub headings, chapter, summaries, any highlighted text.

d.      The first sentence in each paragraph.

Example: help you decide whether a book or journal is useful for your purpose; to get a general sense of the article structure, to help you locate relevant information; to help you to identify the sections of the text you may need to read and the sections you can omit.