Notes 2

Soft Skills Unit 2
Introduction of Reading Skills

Reading is a complex "cognitive process" of decoding symbols in order to
construct or derive meaning (reading comprehension). Reading is a means
of language acquisition, communication, and of sharing information and ideas.
Like all languages, it is a complex interaction between the text and the reader
which is shaped by the reader’s prior knowledge, experiences, attitude, and
language community which is culturally and socially situated. The reading
process requires continuous practice, development, and refinement. In addition,
reading requires creativity and critical analysis. Consumers of literature make
ventures with each piece, innately deviating from literal words to create images
that make sense to them in the unfamiliar places the texts describe. Because
reading is such a complex process, it cannot be controlled or restricted to one or
two interpretations. There are no concrete laws in reading, but rather allows
readers an escape to produce their own products introspectively. This promotes
deep exploration of texts during interpretation. Readers use a variety of reading
strategies to assist with decoding (to translate symbols into sounds or visual
representations of speech) and comprehension. Readers may use context clues
to identify the meaning of unknown words. Readers integrate the words they
have read into their existing framework of knowledge
Art of Effective Listening

The act of effective reading, in which very few people are able to achieve
expertise. Following are some of the methods or pointers which can certainly
help the reader to develop this art of effective reading
Reading with Interest
The primary rule to develop the art of reading is to read. We often read only that
stuff which we like. With this practice, our brain gets accustomed to certain
subjects and gradually loses interest in other areas. Therefore, we must widen
our horizon and read whatever comes our way with equal interest. Boring is just
a term we use when we are actually not paying adequate interest. So, the key is
to develop interest in varied readings and read them properly.
Soft Skills Unit 2
Slow and Efficient
Whenever we read too fast, we often miss out on the intricacies of the text.
While reading, we try to maintain our pace. But, the focus should be more on
understanding the details implicit in the text, to successfully resolve the
complexities inherent in it. Effective and slow reading not just gives a pleasure
of participating actively in the text but also prepares your mind to register the
material you are reading for longer.
Concentration
This is the most clichéd aspect of reading, with which we come across
innumerable times in our lifetimes. But, we still don’t understand the
seriousness of this activity. Reading a text with concentration, with a pencil in
hand to mark the things that you like in it, is the activity that makes you an
active reader with a deeper understanding of the text.
Reading Again
It happens at times that we read something and when find ourselves unable to
understand it we leave it and move on. But, in order to acquire the skill of
effective reading, one needs to give the text ample time and patience. If the text
doesn’t open up easily, then respect the complexity and read it again. To fetch
any benefit from the text one must read one text more than once. The person
who indulges in this practice finds himself at a better understanding of the text
than others.
Contemplation
Reading a text is different, but reading in a manner to be able to reflect upon it

is different. We all read. But, most of us just read and keep the book aside.
Now, the habit of contemplating upon the text and forming your own opinion is
a chief element in the art of effective reading. With such kind of dedicated
reading, one does not remain at the level of a passive receiver but becomes a
contributor to the text itself, by forming his own meaning. It can thus be
concluded that reading is an exhausting activity and whoever enjoys it must
have the patience, interest and will to absorb the text within understanding. To
improve, instead of reading a hundred texts, one must try to read one text a
hundred times. With this, he will be able to cultivate new meaning every time
out of the same text.
Soft Skills Unit 2
The strategies of reading are:
(i) Skimming
(ii) Scanning
(iii) Intensive reading, and
(iv) Extensive reading
Skimming helps the reader get a general and superficial idea of a text. It gives a
global or universal idea. The reader is expected to quickly run his eyes over the
text to get a gist or rough Idea of it.
Scanning on the other hand, helps the reader get a specific piece of information
quickly going through a text.
Extensive reading constitutes reading of longer texts for the reader’s own
pleasure and / or profit.
Intensive reading helps one to extract specific information, an in-depth, hidden
and/or symbolic meanings from a text. It requires slow and concentrated effort.
Intensive reading can be termed as an accuracy activity that calls for reading for
details. A good reader varies his speed of reading depending upon the purpose
of his reading. A slow reader naturally has a greater level of comprehension
compared to an average or fast reader.
Common Obstacles while reading

Here is some of the more common problems readers face. For each difficulty,
Losing your place
You can lose your place two different ways: you can lose track of what word
you are on at any point, or you can lose track of what line you are on when
moving from one line to the next. Losing your place wastes time and can inhibit
your comprehension.
Solutions:
 Take breaks
 Trace your place
Losing your focus
How many times have you been reading a passage, and realized halfway
through that you have no idea what you have just read? Instead of paying
attention to the text, you are thinking about what you are going to do later, what
some friend said, or why you have to take the stupid SAT. This wastes time and
energy, and makes comprehension impossible.
Soft Skills Unit 2
Solutions:
 Take breaks
 Read aloud
 Take notes
Not getting the point
Even though the words and sentences may make sense, you may not be able to
put them together to get the meaning of the passage.
Solutions:
 Take breaks
 Take notes
Forgetting what you have read
Just because you don't have to memorize all of the facts does not mean that you
can completely forget everything that you have read. You still need to recall the
main ideas of the passages. If you come to the end of the passage and cannot
recall what it was about, you need to improve your retention.
Solutions:
 Take breaks
 Read aloud
 Take notes
Solutions to common reading problems
There are certain steps you can take to alleviate the damage done by some of the
previously mentioned reading problems. Just knowing about these techniques is
not enough; be sure to use and practice them as you read the sample passages.
Take breaks
Remember, cognitive fatigue can lead to all of the aforementioned problems,

and to other problems as well. If you do not rest your mind, you will likely get
fatigued and it will cost you points.
Trace your place

Soft Skills Unit 2
You can mark your place either by pointing to each word as you read it, or by
placing a sheet of paper underneath the line you are reading. Pointing to each
word with a pencil or your finger can help your eye see where it should be
reading. Placing a piece of paper under the line you are reading can help you to
move smoothly from one line to the next.
Read aloud
If you are in your own room, you can actually say each word aloud. If you must
remain silent, mumble the words to yourself, or at least mouth the words, and
say them in your head. It is important that you actually hear the sounds, even if
you only hear them in your imagination. This multisensory approach to reading
allows you to see, hear, and feel (with your mouth) what you are reading.
Reading aloud should help you stay focused, understand better, and remember
what you are reading.
Take Notes
If you are thinking about what is important enough to write down, you will pay
more attention to the reading. This will keep your mind from wandering, help
you process the main point of the passage, and improve the likelihood you will
remember things. In addition, the notes you take are a record of the passage that
you can refer back to if you do forget elements.
Here are some things you should note:
 The subject and thesis of the passage

 A summary of each paragraph
 Anything important that happens with regard to the subject of the passage
 Anything that is discussed for more than a few sentences in long passages
Reading Comprehension
Reading comprehension is the ability to read text, process it,
and understand its meaning. Although this definition may seem simple, it is not
necessarily simple to teach, learn or practice
An individual's ability to comprehend text is influenced by their traits and skills,

one of which is the ability to make inferences. If word recognition is difficult,
students use too much of their processing capacity to read individual words,
Soft Skills Unit 2
which interferes with their ability to comprehend what is read. There are a
number of approaches to improve reading comprehension, including improving
one's vocabulary and reading strategies. According to a study by Madhumathi
Pasupathi and Arijit Ghosh, the students with higher level of reading
proficiency frequently used reading strategies to comprehend academic texts
Reading comprehension is as the level of understanding of a text/message. This

understanding comes from the interaction between the words that are written,
and how they trigger knowledge outside the text/message. Comprehension is a
"creative, multifaceted process" dependent upon four language
skills: phonology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. Proficient reading
depends on the ability to recognize words quickly and effortlessly. It is also
determined by an individual's cognitive development, which is "the construction
of thought processes". Some people learn through education or instruction and
others through direct experiences.

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Soft Skills Unit 2

Introduction of Reading Skills

Art of Effective Listening

Reading with Interest

Reading a text is different, but reading in a manner to be able to reflect upon it

Common Obstacles while reading

Losing your place

Losing your focus

Not getting the point

Forgetting what you have read

Solutions to common reading problems

Remember, cognitive fatigue can lead to all of the aforementioned problems,

Trace your place

 The subject and thesis of the passage

An individual's ability to comprehend text is influenced by their traits and skills,

Reading comprehension is as the level of understanding of a text/message. This

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