Academic Reading Literacy Slide # 1 Student Diversity in Academic Writing (SDAW) Subject / discipline specific reading Reading leads to one becoming more

Slide # 1 Student Diversity in Academic Writing (SDAW)

Academic Reading Literacy

Subject / discipline specific reading

• Reading leads to one becoming more expert in a particular domain.

• Subjects often have different perspectives and vocabularies.

• Subjects have differences in terms of the legitimacy of sources, e.g conferences over journal articles, books over journals.



Week 2 – ACADEMIC READING:

Managing, engaging with and recording what you read

LING 402 - ACADEMIC DISCOURSE PRACTICES:

A critical approach


Academic Reading LiteracyDifferent ways of reading





Intensive



ExtensiveIntensive



ExtensiveIntensive

NOT ALL LIKE THIS!



Reading Strategies

Core sources

(In-depth)

Extendedsources

(Skim)

Peripheralsources(Scan)

All potentialsources

All academic reading has a focus and a

purpose



Reading depth

• Scan read – Main purpose is to gain overall impression.

Reading for relevance, key words and to determine quality/legitimacy.

• Skim read– Main purpose is exploratory. Reading for key

words, vocabulary, key arguments (schools of thought)

• In-Depth read – Main purpose is reflexive or critical reading



Active reading

• Reading is an active process in which the reader continually anticipates the meaning of the text

• Speed reading as a form of active reading

Reading is an active process in which the reader continually anticipates the meaning of the text (7 out of 16 words)



Scan read the peripheryFocus/Activity Prompting questions or activities

Look at title What is it about? Do I know anything about this topic?Can I guess what it might be about?

Look at the author Have I read anything by the author before?

Speed read the TOC / abstract

What does it suggest about the structure / content?Can I identify key chapters/sections/ideas (key words)

Speed read the index / conclusion

Index: Which ideas/terms (authors) are highly referenced? What are the key words / conceptsConclusion: Is there a summary of arguments of ideas

Look at headings Does it suggest the content, structure, flow of argument?

Look at tables, diagrams, etc. Does it suggest a structure or content?

Look at references What sort of references are there (coverage, depth)?Any familiar authors? Can you get an idea of the intellectual influences of the author? Key authors?

Anticipate, guess, predict What do you think this is about? Where is it heading? Is it relevant for to your focus?



Academic Reading Exercise #3

• Scan read a number of academic journal papers and a number of academic books (from one of your course reading lists)

• Make some notes– What was difficult about it?– What did you learn from the experience?

• If possible discuss it in a group



Skim read the extensions

Focus/Activity Prompting questions or activities

Read the abstract / introduction

Does it suggest a structure? What are the main claims / conclusions suggested

Speed read the conclusion What are the conclusions?

Speed read the first and last paragraph of each section (topic sentences)

Can you pick up the flow of the discussion? What are the important points being made?

Speed read the core section / chapter

What is the central argument or position?

Anticipate, guess, predict What do you think this is about? Where is it heading? Is it relevant for to your focus?



Read the core in-depth

Focus/Activity Prompting questions or activities

Skim and scan the source (book journal, etc)

Read actively and critically • Make notes (draw diagram of structure)• Underline key ideas (one per paragraph)• Annotate pages / diagrams• Critically evaluate argument • Relate to other core and extended readings

Make your own summary of main points / argument

Keep in safe place for later reference

Reread (multiple times) With each read try and become more critical about the claims and the argument

- Why do you agree / disagree



• Look at your reading list. Mark items as ‘core’, ‘extension’ or ‘peripheral’

• Scan read all three items you brought with you, using the notes on slide 10.

• Choose one of the items to skim read, and a different one to read in depth,

• Use these to practice skim-reading and reading in-depth using the notes on slides 12 and 14 (just a page or two, there isn’t time to read the whole paper)

• Discuss

– What was difficult about it?

– What did you learn from the experience?

– How can this help you to manage and engage with your course reading?

INDIVIDUAL WORK

SMALL GROUP WORK



Concluding comments

• Important to:– Identify and reflect upon existing experience– Practice those aspects of academic reading

literacy that you are not familiar with– This is an ongoing process as you become

more expert in a subject area.– Practice, practice, practice….

Documents

Academic Reading Literacy Slide # 1 Student Diversity in Academic Writing (SDAW) Subject / discipline specific reading Reading leads to one becoming more