Is Reading Aloud a Sign of Stupidity
- 1 of the many interesting sculptures at Zanka Pioneer Campsite, near Lake Balaton
I gave a talk called 'X things I remember I know about teaching and learning' at IATEFL Republic of hungary in the former pioneer camp at Zánka a while ago. It was the offset time I'd given the talk, which I likewise plan to requite at TESOL France next month and wherever I get the take chances in 2011.
It was my first fourth dimension in Hungary since 2005, and it was great to exist back. Betwixt 1992 and 2005, I call back I made about 30 working visits to this fabled land, including ten summer courses chosen Drama Plus which my married woman Dede and I did in the centre of nowhere on the Hungarian Obviously.
My IATEFL-H 'Ten things' talk went downwards reasonably well, and I call back I can say that with nine of the items, I was pushing confronting an open door. In other words, I was maxim things that most of the teachers in the room, non-NESTs working in land instruction, agreed with.
The one exception was item 5 – Reading aloud in class is a consummate waste of fourth dimension.
Let me explain kickoff that the reading aloud I'chiliad talking nearly is when students are asked to read a text in a coursebook line by line. There are lots of types of reading aloud in form that work – reading instructions that other students accept to carry out (cooking recipes, for example). I'grand non going to talk almost these – but if you want to mention activities like this that work, please exercise so in the comments.
At IATEFL Zánka, several teachers, including the ane pictured below who bravely took me on in a vehement argument in the bar in the evening, told me that reading aloud was a vital ingredient in their teaching method.
Here are some of the arguments that they used:
1 Students love reading aloud
2 Reading aloud brings the text to life
3 I take 35 students in my class. If they didn't read aloud, they wouldn't get whatever speaking practise at all
4 Information technology's skillful for their pronunciation
v If they don't read aloud, the class goes very serenity when we're doing a reading text
And then why am I opposed to information technology?
I go to observe a lot of classes when I'm researching a new book, and I reiterate my absolute adoration for the courage teachers show in assuasive a native speaker 'proficient' like me to come and watch them at work. Specially non-NEST teachers.
When I'one thousand observing a course, I unremarkably sit at the dorsum, and hope that the students volition forget that I'yard there. And herein lies the first problem…
In state schools all over the world, whether in Beijing, Bratislava or Buenos Aires, the students sit down in rows facing the instructor. Anybody apart from the students on the front end row are facing the back of other people's heads. This is a classroom reality which is fundamental to the following remarks.
Reading texts are often the near dominant features of well-nigh coursebook textile. And the about mutual matter teachers seem to practise when they reach a reading text is ask their students to read it aloud.
The instructor asks a student near the front end to read the first sentence. The pupil reads it, the teacher thanks her and asks another student to read the second sentence. And so on, and then on…
From the back, it sounds like this.
Instructor: Will you read the start sentence, please?
Pupil: Mount Everest is … mmmmmmm…Himalayaaa…. mmmmm
Teacher: Thank you. Will you lot read the next judgement, please?
Student: It'southward more 8 thous …….. mmmmmm.
At the back, and usually without a volume, I struggle to hear what is beingness said. The students in front of me are not suffering in the aforementioned way. Because they aren't listening. They have their noses in their book and they are reading the text. Or they're 24-hour interval-dreaming.
Based on numerous experiences like the one I described, hither's my response to the v primary arguments used.
1 I take never seen any prove that students bask this part of the lesson. In fact, if a instructor says 'My students really enjoy X', you tin can usually interpret this equally 'I like X, and I enquire my students to do information technology a lot'. Which CAN be a good thing. Only not with reading aloud.
2 Reading aloud, in the fashion described above, does not bring the text to life. In fact, it has completely the opposite effect, every bit it usually sends nigh students to slumber.
3 The idea that this kind of reading aloud is skillful speaking practice is patently absurd. Information technology isn't real speaking at all, it's reading aloud, a sub-skill that very few people have in their own linguistic communication, let alone in one that they are learning.
4 Good for their pronunciation? Non in my experience. In fact, when I've had to the chance to talk to students afterwards, I discovered that their speaking was markedly better than I might take imagined if I had only heard them struggling through the text.
5 The class goes tranquility if they aren't reading aloud, eh? Well, in that location'southward a surprise. They're reading – it makes SENSE that it goes serenity.
The most obvious alter that would brand things improve would exist for the desks to be taken away, and for the students to sit in a circumvolve, or peradventure two circles if there are more than 20 students in the grade. Simply when I've suggested this, teachers mostly say that they are not allowed to practise it. Interestingly, teachers in private schools usually ARE allowed to practise it.
Only that still wouldn't solve the problem that nada is really happening in a classroom event where dissimilar students are struggling to read a dense text on the folio in front of them.
All right then, say the teachers who, like the one photographed, are brave enough to challenge me nigh this: what are we supposed to do with a course book reading text?
Here are a couple of ideas. And they're easy to organise.
1 Cull a book where the reading texts are recorded. Play the tape as the students read. Maybe turn the volume up and down so the class have to discover where they are in the text when they get-go hearing it again.
2 Read the text aloud to the form yourself. And make a few mistakes. Occasionally alter a word in the text, or add an actress word. Tell the students to make a note when they hear something dissimilar.
3 Inquire the best reader in the grade to stand up up and face up the class and read the text to the balance of the grade. Tell the rest of the students to close their books and listen. If yous like, divide the reading betwixt your three best students. Encourage the students who are listening to ask for repetition of whatever words or phrases they didn't hear or understand. Build upwardly an atmosphere of trust and understanding, and so none of the students – readers or listeners – feel stressed about what happens.
When I advise this concluding idea, teachers debate that this turns it into a LISTENING activity, not a reading activity. To which I answer, well, yep it does, but YOU were the one who wanted to read it aloud!
Hither'due south some other idea that takes a bit of organising, only increases student responsibility and engagement. And, if you've read my blogs before, you lot'll know that I believe implicitly that these things are strong motivating factors.
Split up the grade into groups of three if you accept 24+ students, or pairs if y'all have fewer. Permit's say this gives y'all ten groups or pairs. Cull ten reading texts in the volume and assign ane to each grouping/pair.
The group is now responsible for the presentation of that text. Tell them that they will have fifteen minutes to present when yous get to that page in the volume (which of course could exist months from now).
They can, if they wish, simply read the text to the form (books closed). They tin talk nigh the topic of the text and/or about whatsoever new words that they have establish. If y'all have the correct technology in the classroom, they tin make a powerpoint or other kind of presentation for the form. Bring dorsum testify and tell!
Teachers should promise that they will be bachelor to them for any grooming work they may demand. It doesn't mean extra work. You lot can build in a few minutes at the end of each lesson when you can do this.
Your students may become quite nervous, even stressed, as the 24-hour interval approaches when they have to present the text. Just the feel volition be memorable and exciting for them, and may even better their English. Ever a nice side-effect.
If you have admission to a re-create of the November 2009 consequence of English language Teaching Professional person (Outcome 65), you may want to read Jeremy Harmer's article Is Reading Aloud Immune? Jeremy offers some highly-seasoned arguments, some of which are quite contrary to mine.
PLEASE comment if you agree or disagree. The debate starts here.
everetthersentooped.blogspot.com
Source: https://kenwilsonelt.wordpress.com/2010/10/14/reading-aloud-in-class-is-a-complete-waste-of-time-discuss/
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