Effective reading
Reading is a purposeful activity and you read different texts for different purposes. Reading is an interactive process because while reading you have to construct the meaning from the words in the text using your knowledge of language, your subject and the world. Before you start reading a text in detail, it is important to find out whether the text is worth reading. In order to achieve this, you may use one of the following strategies:
- Surveying the text
- Scanning the text
- Skimming the text
Content
Surveying
Surveying a text is to take a broad look at the text with the aim to make yourself familiar with the layout of the text and what is included. The focus is on the general aspects rather than detail to consider the value of the text and determine whether the text is worth reading more closely.
The potential reader might be interested in how the text is organised and what is included.
Task 1a
Look at the table to see possible parts of the text and complete it with their descriptions.
| Part | Definition | |
|---|---|---|
| Title | ||
| Subtitle | ||
| Details about the author | ||
| Date of publication | ||
| Edition | ||
| Publisher | ||
| Appendices | ||
| Acknowledgments | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Preface | ||
| Foreword | ||
| Table of Contents | ||
| References list or Bibliography | ||
| Index | ||
| Blurb | ||
| Reviewers´ comments |
Task 1b
Look at the table to see possible parts of the text and complete it with their functions.
| Part | Function | |
|---|---|---|
| Title | ||
| Subtitle | ||
| Details about the author | ||
| Date of publication | ||
| Edition | ||
| Publisher | ||
| Appendices | ||
| Acknowledgments | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Preface | ||
| Foreword | ||
| Table of Contents | ||
| References list or Bibliography | ||
| Index | ||
| Blurb | ||
| Reviewers´ comments |