Relaxing in the afternoon on the porch?
Reading a book by your favorite author?
Enjoying a nice drink with a magazine?
READING
In every chapter of this reading course
you'll find what are called "Reading Strategies."
What is the idea behind these?
To answer this question, let's think about reading for a moment.
Imagine yourself reading in your native language. What picture comes to mind? Are you...
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Relaxing in the afternoon on the porch? Reading a book by your favorite author? Enjoying a nice drink with a magazine? |
Or are you...
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At the airport? At the arrival gate when you learn that your friend's flight has been changed at the last minute? Reading the timetable to find out where to go? Among a rush of people who bump into you with their baggage? |
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Quite
different reading experiences, wouldn't you say?
Nevertheless, both are reading activities.
Obviously,
there are different styles and skills of reading, in your native language as
well as in a foreign one.
You already know these skills and use them unconsciously.
That is, reading has already become a natural process for you.
Which
means that:
You can use your native reading skills to understand a German
text.
This'll be a great help.
Let's have a quick look at your four reading styles:
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Skimming
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When
you skim a text, you read fast. You want to find out the main
idea(s) of that text.
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You'd
typically skim an advertisement.
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Scanning
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When
scanning a text, you again read fast.
You're looking for specific information. |
You'd
usually scan a time table.
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Extensive
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Extensive
reading is slow reading. With this skill you're trying to obtain
a general understanding of the entire text, in most cases a long
one.
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Any
text you read for enjoyment you'd read extensively.
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Intensive
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Intensive
reading is also slow reading. You want to understand all information
precisely and in detail.
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You'd
read a textbook intensively, |
You
can use reading skills that you already have to learn comfortably and successfully.
We'll provide you with hints and advice in all of the "Strategy" sections
of this German reading course.
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return to the main course, please close this browser window.
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