CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH DELTA

MODULE 2

ASSIGNMENT : Receptive Skills

ASSIGNMENT TITLE :Helping Intermediate Students with

Inferencing When Reading

PART I: BACKGROUND ESSAY

CANDIDATE NAME : Hu Am Ai

CANDIDATE NUMBER : 000

CENTRE NAME : ITI Istanbul

CENTRE NUMBER : TR054

DATE : 00.00.00

WORD COUNT : 2437

1 Hu Am Ai – Helping Intermediate Students With Inferencing When Reading

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section Page No

1. Introduction …………………………………………………………………….3

2. Analysis

a. Purposes for Inferencing …………………………………..….......3

b. Processes in Inferencing …………………………………………..4

3. Issues…………… …………………………………………………………...…5

3.1. Lack of Strategies for Inferencing

3.2. Too Much Reliance on Bottom-Up Processing

3.3. Lack of Systemic Knowledge

3.4. Lack of Schematic Knowledge

3.5. Lack of L1 Reading Strategy

4. Suggestions for Teaching ……………………………………………………8

5. Bibliography …………………………………………………………………..12

6. Appendices ………………………………………………………………….....14

2 Hu Am Ai – Helping Intermediate Students With Inferencing When Reading

 1. Introduction

In our everyday lives as we read we intuitively make a wide variety of inferences. Reading in

L2 however, is more demanding on part of the learner, which makes this sub-skill more

challenging. In this paper, I will analyze the processes of reading by focusing on the sub-skill

of inferencing and the strategies L2 learners of intermediate level can use. If readers fail to

use this sub-skill effectively, “the writer may be understood wrongly or even, communication

may break down completely” (Riazi & Babaei, 2008: 186). Also, in my institution, reading for

inferencing is an important skill to master since students are required to read various texts and

answer different types of inferential questions starting from intermediate level. As students

learn English for academic purposes they will be required to read various texts in their

departments. My students come from pre-intermediate level where they learned how to

“understand text literally” and now they will learn how to “infer meanings from text”

(Alderson: 2000). Since most of the students at intermediate level are newly introduced to this

sub-skill, it is important for teachers to know how to help students master this sub-skill in the

most effective way.

2. Analysis

a. Purposes for Inferencing

Readers use different strategies and techniques for reading according to the purposes.

In other words, “purpose determines how people read” (Aebersold & Field, 2002:15) and

there are different purposes for different types of inferencing. First of all, readers can practice

lexical inferencing to make “informed guesses about the meaning of unknown words based on

the available linguistic and nonlinguistic cues in the text” (Haastrup, 1991, p. 40). As for

semantic or global inferencing, which is “the process whereby writers suggest information to
3 Hu Am Ai – Helping Intermediate Students With Inferencing When Reading
readers without actually stating it” (Neville-Lynch, 2005:52), one can read the text to

understand what is meant by the writer ‘between-the-lines’ or to get the implied meaning. It is

important to note that as Alderson states, inferencing is a sub-skill which is only gained after

learning how to understand texts literally and one must first “understand the lines in order to

read between them” (2000:25). Therefore, processes in different types of inferencing should

be carefully analyzed.

b. Processes in Inferencing

First of all, as Nassaji mentions, “lexical inferencing is a meaning construction process

that is influenced by the richness of learners’ preexisting semantic system” (2006: 387).

Indeed, readers’ pre-existing linguistic, strategic and world knowledge bases influence one’s

success in lexical inferencing (Nassaji, 2006: 388). Thus, while forming lexical inferencing

readers rely on top-down processing - “the application of prior knowledge to working on the

meaning of a text” (Hedge, 2008:89). Readers also resort to “contextual, intralingual and

interlingual” sources of knowledge (Riazi & Babaei, 2008:186). Hence, they find clues in the

text and rely on their knowledge of vocabulary as well as their mother tongue. These indicate

that readers do not solely rely on top-down but also bottom-up processing which mainly

prioritizes linguistic knowledge.

Secondly, as Gabrielatos states, discourse rarely provides us with fully explicit

explanations and the meaning of lexis is not always a clear indicator of the intended message

of writers (1999: 15). Therefore, we often need to fill in the missing information by

constructing global inferences. When forming global inferences as McEwan states, we put

together three different sources of information: “(1) what is written in the text, (2) what is

unwritten in the text and (3) what is already known by the reader” (2007:17). Reading for

inferencing involves both “decoding and interpretation skills” (Anderson, 1999:12).

4 Hu Am Ai – Helping Intermediate Students With Inferencing When Reading

Therefore, readers successfully infer meaning by combining both their systemic and

schematic knowledge. Hence, by combining top-down and bottom-up processes, readers use

interactive models which are also named as the “metaphorical models of reading” (Grabe &

Stoller, 2002:31).

It can be said that readers use different strategies for different purposes of inferencing.

For instance, strategies for lexical inferencing include looking at the words surrounding the

unfamiliar word, considering the overall meaning of the paragraph and passage, paying

attention to root words, prefixes and suffixes (Neville-Lynch, 2005:35). Similarly, while

drawing semantic inferences, readers need to analyze the structure of the text, use their world

knowledge and also use contextual clues (Gabrielatos, 1999: 16). As research conducted by

Nassaji suggests, “the depth of inferencing strategy use contributes to a reader’s inferential

success” (2006: 395). As Wallace also claims, if readers have little competence in the

language system, it may be hard for them to infer meaning just by looking at linguistic clues

(1992:42). All in all, it can be concluded that the interactive model which argues that “both

top-down and bottom-up processes are occurring, either alternatively or at the same time”

(Aebersold & Field, 2002:17), can be a useful model for different types of inferencing.

3. Issues

As previously mentioned, in my institution, students at intermediate level are newly

introduced to inferencing and “its complexity and sophistication as well as its heavy

dependence on background knowledge and vocabulary, often make it a challenge” for

students (McEwan, 2007: 18). Hence, the following learner problems may arise when

working on inferencing at intermediate level.

5 Hu Am Ai – Helping Intermediate Students With Inferencing When Reading

 3.1. Lack of Strategies for Different Types of Inferencing

When learners lack strategic knowledge, this may affect the way they answer inferential

questions. I have also seen in my own classes that students mainly have problems answering

questions related to lexical and semantic inferencing since they can not apply top-down and

bottom-up processes for different types of inferential questions. Therefore, there is a need to

cover different sets of strategies. As Thi Thu Nga states, research into reading has found that

effective readers are aware of the strategies they use and that they use strategies flexibly and

efficiently (3). Therefore, as my students are practicing inferencing for the first time, it is

essential that they become aware of the use of different strategies so that they can become

good readers and use the strategies intuitively.

3.2. Too Much Reliance on Bottom-up Processing

If students pay too much attention to the single words or phrases used in the readings,

this causes them to underestimate the role of meaning. I have seen students in my class who

check the meaning of unknown words from their dictionaries as soon as they start reading.

Therefore, they cannot develop a skill set for guessing the meaning of unknown words. These

students have told me that they indeed did not understand the text very well as they constantly

stopped reading whenever a new word came up. This proves Grellet’s point that not seeing

the text as a whole but as separate units of words and phrases hinders understanding (1981:6).

3.3. Lack of Systemic Knowledge:

Lacking competence in the linguistic features of the language may be another obstacle for

learners’ inferencing abilities. For instance, if learners do not know various discourse

markers, linking words and phrases which are important for coherence and the linking of

ideas in the text, they may not fully understand the details provided. I have also observed that

6 Hu Am Ai – Helping Intermediate Students With Inferencing When Reading

my own students have difficulty in understanding texts that include too many new words or

some linking phrases that are above their level of comprehension.

3.4. Lack of Schematic Knowledge:

As Anderson states, “meaning does not rest solely in the printed word but the reader

brings certain knowledge to the reading that influences comprehension” (1999). Therefore,

students’ lack of background knowledge may lead to misinterpretation of the cues given. For

instance, as Anderson mentions, if students have misconceptions about how AIDS is

contracted and they start reading a text about this topic with their wrong perceptions, this may

interfere with reading (1999). I have also observed this with my own intermediate level

students when they had to read a text on microlending which is a concept students are not

familiar with in Turkey. If I had not activated students’ schemata by showing them a video

about it, I think they would not have been successful at answering inferential questions.

3.5. Lack of L1 Reading Strategy

As Aebersold & Field argue, “the level of reading proficiency that a reader has in the L1

appears to be a factor in the development of L2/FL reading skills (2002:25). An L2 reader

may not be competent in inferencing if s/he lacks strategies in L1. Along the same lines, it is

also argued that “successful L2 reading requires the transfer of old skills, rather than the

learning of new ones” (Ulijn & Salager-Meyer, 1998:82). As I have also observed, students

are rarely engaged in extensive reading and they often do not read any books for pleasure.

Therefore, they lack reading competence and find it hard to comprehend texts and get the

implied meaning.

4. Suggestions for Teaching

7 Hu Am Ai – Helping Intermediate Students With Inferencing When Reading

 Taking into account the above mentioned problems students experience regarding

lexical and global inferencing, the following methods and activities can be used.

Activity 1:
Aim: To introduce intermediate level students to the sub-skill of inferencing.

Procedure: After showing students pictures (App.1), I ask questions about the

characteristic features of the persons in the pictures, who/where they are and ask them to tell

me the clues in the pictures and information from their background knowledge that helped

them to infer these pieces of information. After they do that, I show students a short text and

ask them to tell me what the implied message is (App.5).

Evaluation: Learners of intermediate level lack practice in inferencing in L2.

Therefore, it is essential to raise awareness of learners before moving specifically to the types

of inferencing and the strategies. The use of pictures is an effective aid in that it helps students

to visualize the concept. I have seen in my own class that the use of pictures was very

effective since in the following lessons, when answering inferential questions, students

always referred back to the pictures to justify the strategies they used. Also, the use of short

texts is effective since it introduces students to inferencing in reading. As McEwan states,

explicit instruction and modeling regarding what constitutes an inference will help

intermediate learners become far more inferential (2007:19).

Activity 2:
Aim: To introduce students to different types of inferences and strategies used for
them.
Procedure: I give students lexical inferencing questions (App.4) and ask them to tell

me how they found the answers. As they tell me the strategies they use, we come up with a

list of strategies which is later used as a check-list for lexical inferencing in the following

8 Hu Am Ai – Helping Intermediate Students With Inferencing When Reading

lessons. As for semantic inferencing, I give students an intermediate level text with semantic

inferencing questions and ask students to tell me how they answered the questions. In each

lesson, we add new strategies to our two check-lists for lexical and global inferencing.

Evaluation: As Winograd and Hare define, strategies are ‘deliberate actions that

learners select and control to achieve desired goals and objectives’ (qtd in Anderson, 1999:

70). Therefore, by referring to their own processes and by choosing appropriate strategies to

focus on for different types of inferencing, students can be active participants in their own

learning. Therefore, with the use of checklists (App. 2), students can evaluate their own

learning and differentiate between the different types of inferencing questions which is

important at intermediate level.

Activity 3:

Aim: Helping students to stop relying too much on bottom-up processes and to help

them with their lack of systemic knowledge.

Activity: To have students further practice the sub-skill, I pay attention to choosing

texts that are at the right level for intermediate students not to discourage them. Hence, I

choose texts considering their “readability, suitability of content and exploitability” (Nuttall,

C., 1987:25). Hence, after initial strategy training, I use intermediate level texts and activities

to have them further practice this skill. (App.3). Another method I use in my classes is

focusing on the same theme throughout the week. The course books we use at school, often

allow us to do listening, reading or speaking activities on the same subject. Hence, throughout

the week, students get exposed to the same theme and the related vocabulary.

Evaluation: Since intermediate students may lack systemic knowledge of language,

using appropriate texts helps students to stop relying too much on bottom-up processes while

9 Hu Am Ai – Helping Intermediate Students With Inferencing When Reading

reading. As looking up each and every new word from the dictionary is a problem that hinders

understanding, appropriate texts will help students to practice inferencing by using effective

strategies and hence will motivate them more to learn. The results of the research done on

intermediate students by Riazi and Babaei reveal that “the greater the contextual support, the

more likely that the guesses made were correct or acceptable substitutes in lexical inferencing

“(2008:188). Also following a theme based approach is useful for students in that they can

become familiar with the vocabulary of the theme and while practicing inferencing, this may

help them use their background knowledge and linguistic knowledge about the topic which

will enable them to see the value of meaning in inferencing.

Activity 4:
Aim: To help students with their lack of schematic knowledge

Activity: As the ACTIVE Model suggests, I try to activate students’ prior knowledge

before practicing inferencing by showing them pictures or film clips. Another method I use is

having 3-phase lessons through which I help students “tune in to the content of the text”

(Hedge, 2008:210)

Evaluation: As the schema-theoretic view of reading presented by Anderson and

Pearson (1984) suggests, knowledge already stored in memory plays a great role in text

comprehension. (Hudson, 2007:47). That is, while reading, one uses background knowledge

to fill in the missing information in the text and to understand the deeper meaning implied by

the writer. Therefore, the use of these activities is helpful for intermediate learners to establish

background knowledge for successful lexical and semantic inferencing.

Activity 5:
Aim: To help students who lack L1 strategies in inferencing

10 Hu Am Ai – Helping Intermediate Students With Inferencing When Reading

 Activity: I show students a short text in Turkish and follow the Think Aloud

Protocol to show them the mental processes they normally go through while reading. The

teacher can also bring a Turkish newspaper article to class, read it aloud while students

follow. Then she can do the same with an English newspaper on the same topic. Students can

do the same in pairs, groups to practice it.

Evaluation: This activity can help students to understand how they can infer meaning

from the texts both in their L1 and L2. As McEwan states, using examples from students’

daily lives to teach inferencing can help them to know how skilled they are at inferential

thinking (2007:18). Also, this activity is effective because once intermediate level students

realize the strategies they use in L1, they can apply them in their L2 and become successful

readers.

11 Hu Am Ai – Helping Intermediate Students With Inferencing When Reading

5. Bibliography

Aebersold, J.A. & Field, M. L. (2002). From Reader to Reading Teacher: Issues and
Strategies for Second Language Classrooms. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Alderson, J. C. (2000). Assessing Reading. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Anderson, N. (1999). Exploring Second Language Reading: Issues and Strategies. Boston:
Heinle and Heinle.

Gabrielatos, C. (2000). Inference: Procedures & implications for ELT. Retrieved from
<www.gabrielatos.com/inference.htm>

Grabe, W. & Stoller, F. L. (2002). Teaching and Researching Reading. USA: Pearson
Education.

Grellet, F. (1981) Developing Reading Skills: A Practical Guide to Reading Comprehension

Exercises. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Haastrup, K. (1991). Lexical inferencing procedures or talking about words: Receptive
procedures in foreign language learning with special reference to English. Tubingen,
Germany: Gunter Narr.
Hedge, T. (2000). Teaching and Learning in the Language Classroom. Oxford: Oxford
University Press.

Hudson, T. (2007). Teaching Second Language Reading. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

McEwan, E. K. (2007). 40 Ways to Support Struggling Readers in Content Classrooms,

Grades 6-12. London: Sage Publications.

Nassaji, H. (2006). The Relationship between Depth of Vocabulary Knowledge and L2

Learners' Lexical Inferencing Strategy Use and Success.The Modern Language Journal
Volume 90/3. Retrieved from <http://www.jstor.org/stable/3876835>

Neville-Lynch. (2005). Reading Between the Lines: A Balanced Approach to Literacy. New
York: Peter Lang.
Nuttall, C. (1982). Teaching Reading Skills in a Foreign Language. Oxford: Heinamann

Riazi, A. & Babaei, N. (2008). Iranian EFL Female Students’ Lexical Inferencing and its
Relationship to their L2 Proficiency and Reading Skill. The Reading Matrix Volume 8/1.
ISSN: 1533-242X

12 Hu Am Ai – Helping Intermediate Students With Inferencing When Reading

Thi Thu Nga, N. (2009). Teachers’ Beliefs about Teaching Reading Strategies and their
Classroom Practices: A Case Study of Viet Ba High School. Asian EFL Journal.
Retrieved from <http://www.asian-efl-journal.com/Thesis-N-Nga.pdf>

Ulijn, J. M. & Salager-Meyer, F. (1998). The professional reader and the text: insights from
L2 research. Journal of Research in Reading, ISSN 0141-0423.Volume 21, Issue 2. pp
79-95

Wallace, C. (1992). Reading. Oxford: OUP.

13 Hu Am Ai – Helping Intermediate Students With Inferencing When Reading

 APPENDICES

14 Hu Am Ai – Helping Intermediate Students With Inferencing When Reading

 Appendix 1

Pictures That Can Be Used to Introduce Students to Inferencing

Picture 1: Teacher asks

students: “Look at this
character. Do you think he
is someone nice or
dangerous? How do we
know he is dangerous?”.

Picture 2: Teacher asks

students which word they
would use to label the
attitude of the grandfather
toward his grandchild:

a. loving

b. anxious

c. encouraging

d. neutral

Activity adapted from <http://www.speechlanguage-resources.com/teaching-inferencing.html>

Picture 2 taken from <www.gettyimages.com/detail/3701-002688/Photonica>

15 Hu Am Ai – Helping Intermediate Students With Inferencing When Reading

 Appendix 2

CHECKLISTS FOR INFERENCING STRATEGIES

Strategy Check-lists for Inferencing

STRATEGIES I USED FOR LEXICAL INFERENCING Question

1 2

a. I read the words / sentences before and after this word to find
clues.

b. I looked at the root of the word to help me

c. I used my own experiences and background knowledge about

the subject

d. I paid attention to the punctuation marks

e. I decided if this word is a verb/noun/adjective/adverb to help me

f. I thought about how my answer is related to the general ideas in

the text

STRATEGIES I USED FOR SEMANTIC INFERENCING Question

3 4 5 6 7

a. I analyzed the structure of the text (is it a paragraph/essay,

newspaper article, poem, story…)

b. I used my own experiences and background knowledge about

the subject

c. I looked for clues in the text that would help me answer the
question

d. I didn’t mix the author’s facts with my own feelings while

answering the questions

e. I paid attention to the words the writer used – did the writer
use positive or negative words etc.

f. I remembered that the answers may not be directly stated in

the text.

g. I thought about how my answer is related to the general ideas

in the text

Prepared by Hu Am Ai

16 Hu Am Ai – Helping Intermediate Students With Inferencing When Reading

 Appendix 3 You are in: World: Americas

Sunday, 19 December, 1999, 04:56 GMT

News Front E-mail this to a friend Printable

TWO versionIN A TREE
YEARS
Page

On December 10, 1997, Julia Hill climbed a tree. She stayed for three years. She climbed 55 meters up into
the branches of a California Redwood. 55 meters - that is as high as an 18-storey building. Julia Hill wanted to protect
1 a tree. She named the tree Luna or Moon. This tree, and many other redwoods, is on private land. The owner of the
Africa land, the Pacific Lumber Company, planned to cut down those ancient trees and use the lumber to make furniture. Julia
wanted to stop them. She thought that no one would cut down a tree with a person in it. So up she climbed. She was 23
Americas years old at that time.

Asia-Pacific Julia Hill is an environmentalist. She loves all things in nature. She was particularly sad about those
2 redwoods. They are among the largest trees on Earth. They are very old. These trees were old growth – no one had
Europe ever cut the trees there. Redwoods are magnificent. They commonly grow up to 275 feet (84 meters ). They grow only
in northern California, near the ocean. They grow well in the foggy climate there. Many redwoods are protected in
Middle East
national parks. However, the tree that Julia wanted to protect was not.
South Asia
In her tree, Julia got a lot of attention. People wanted to know why she was there. Famous people
UK 3 came to visit her. They talked to her to understand her reasons.“My feet will not touch the ground”, she said, “until
there is a signature on paper saying that they’ve protected the area”. In other words, Julia and her friends hoped to save
Business these redwoods.
Health
4 From her tree, Julia could see the ocean. She could also see where a mudslide had destroyed seven
homes in the town of Stafford. Environmentalists believe that the cutting of the trees is the only reason for the
Science &
mudslides. The roots of trees hold the soil in place. Without the trees, the soil can slide off the hills. Mudslides cause a
Environment
great deal of damage. Unfortunately, they are common in California.
Technology 5
Julia lived a simple life in Luna. Her house was a flat piece of wood, about two meters square.
Entertainment Everything she did happened right there on that piece of wood. In her tree home, Julia heated water on a little stove for
sponge baths. She was cold through two winters. The fog and mists would pass through all the clothes, even three pairs
Also in the of pants and three coats!
news
6
In that tree, Julia listened to her radio and answered about 300 letters a week. She wrote a book about
-----------------
Luna too. She also talked to people on her cell-phone. Her friends brought her water, food, batteries for the radio and
Video and Audio phone, and letter paper. They took her letters to the post office for her. She kept in touch with the outside world.
7
----------------- Many people disagreed with Julia and her friends. They believe that cutting trees is good. A forest
will grow again. Julia is, they say, an eco-terrorist - she is a person who is using a threat to win a war. In any case,
talks between the lumber company and the environmentalists continued. Julia Hill and her supporters agreed to pay
Languages 8 $50.000 to the company. The company gave the money to a local university for the study of forests. In return, Luna
and the trees within 200 feet are safe.
ARABİC
ESPAN On December 18, 1999, Pacific Lumber signed the agreement. Luna was safe at last. Then, Julia Hill
OL came down from the tree. Her arms were strong as she climbed down. Her feet touched the earth. She smiled at the
RUSSİ reporters. However, Julia had a problem. She had difficulty walking. She was 25 years old. She had not walked in 2
AN years.

Text adapted from Zukowski/Faust, J. (2002) Out of the Ordinary: Refining Academic Reading Skills. Unit 10. Boston: Heinle &
Heinle Webpage design and news adapted from “Victory for Tree-top Protester”
“http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/571473.stm”

17 Hu Am Ai – Helping Intermediate Students With Inferencing When Reading

Let’s Make Some Inferences

A. Look at the given lines in the text. Read the sentences to guess the forms and meanings of the words
written below using some contextual clues.

1.

Line numbers The word What is it’s form? What is it’s

meaning?

Par.5,line 3 stove

2.

Line numbers The word What is it’s form? What is it’s

meaning?

Par.7, line 2 eco-terrorist

B. Answer the following questions.

3. What do environmentalists believe causes mudslides?

A. the ocean and the fog.

B. only rain and mud on the hills.
C. wet earth and cutting down trees.
D. lumber companies on the land.

4. In the winters, Julia always felt cold because of....

A. cold temperatures C. the snow

B. the fog and mist D. the branches on the trees

5. “In that tree, Julia listened to her radio and answered about 300 letters a week”. Who brought these letters
to her? How do you know?

_______________________________________________.

6. What is the tone of the writer? How do you know?

A. optimistic C. objective
B. critical D. subjective

7. What is the writer’s purpose? How do you know?

A. to inform the general public C. to criticise environmentalists’ actions

B. to entertain the readers D. to share his ideas with the readers

(Questions adapted by Hu Am Ai from Zukowski/Faust, J. (2002) Out of the Ordinary: Refining Academic Reading Skills. Unit 10. Boston:
Heinle & Heinle)

18 Hu Am Ai – Helping Intermediate Students With Inferencing When Reading

 WAYSTATION

The Wildlife Waystation is a 160-acre ranch in a canyon outside Los Angeles. There are many
animals there, well over 1.000. Waystation is home to all kinds of animals. There are lions, tigers,
bears, wolves and alligators. There are all kinds of exotic birds and small animals too. There are, for
instance around 20 puppies. These little dogs are taken care of by the animal keepers. All these
animals have one thing in common. They were not wanted. Many of them would have been killed.
For one reason or another, each of them was in danger. Some of them were sick when they arrived.
They get the care of a doctor if they need it. Some of the animals go back to the wild. Others live
their lives in peace at the Waystation.

The reason for the Waystation is Martine Colette. This woman has a way with animals. She
seems to be able to communicate with them. Other people who work with animals think that this is a
special gift. One person noted, “There can be 10 people trying to move an animal. Martine will go in
and talk to the animal. The animal will respond. Somehow, she communicates with them.” In
addition, the animals seem to know that they are safe with them.

Waystation belongs to Martine. She used to work in the entertainment industry as a costume
designer. She earned enough money while working and she bought the ranch. However, she always
loved animals. She took the pets that the other people did not want. Then, Lowell needed a home.
Then, other animals needed her help. Slowly her designing work became less important than the
animals. She gave it up to run the Waystation. Other people could design costumes. She felt special
as she had a gift.

Waystation is a refuge. It is a place of safety for animals that need help. For years Martine
Colette paid for everything herself. But the costs were raising fast. For example, one tiger cub eats 10
pounds of meat a day. With so many animals to care for, she needed more money. She opened the
doors for tours. Many people came to see her with the animals. She plays with the tigers. It was not
easy for people to believe this.

Waystation is not-for-profit. There is a paid staff of 22 people. There are 35 volunteers who
work there full time as well. Most of the $ 2 million in the budget comes from donations. People give
her money simply because they want to help. Martine spends her time taking care of animals and
picking up new ones. Many movie stars help her too. They tell other about Waystation. Now, when
there is an usual animal in danger, someone usually calls her. For example, a young bear at
Yellowstone Park was in trouble. The bear liked to play with campers’ tents. The bear had not hurt
anyone, but park officials were concerned. Someone called Martine Colette. She came with her
special van and took the bear away to safety.

Martin truly loves the animals. She enjoys hiking and often takes along a big cat on a leash. Other
hikers are not so sure that they like to walk around with a lion or tiger. But for Martine, it’s easy. She
is completely comfortable with wild animals. They seem to become tame around her. She would
prefer to deal with 25 lions rather than one upset human being. “Dealing with people is the most
stressful thing I do”, she says.

Text and questions adapted from Zukowski/Faust, J. (2002) Out of the Ordinary: Refining Academic Reading
Skills. Unit 10. Boston: Heinle & Heinle

19 Hu Am Ai – Helping Intermediate Students With Inferencing When Reading

 Let’s Make Some Inferences

A. Look at the given lines in the text. Read the sentences to guess the forms and meanings of the
words written below using some contextual clues.

1.
Line numbers The word What is it’s form? What is it’s The strategies I used are...
meaning?
Par.1, line 4 puppy

2.
Line numbers The word What is it’s form? What is it’s The strategies I used are...
meaning?
Par.5, line 2 donation

B. Answer the following questions.

3. Martine Colette’s ranch is in a good place because....

A. It’s in a warm climate.
B. It’s near the center of the entertainment industry.
C. It’s near Los Angeles.
D. It’s far from other people and cities.

4. Why does Martine Colette need a van?

A. Because she goes to get animals that are in trouble.
B. Because she has a lot of paid staff and workers.
C. Because she needs to pick up animals that are in troubl.
D. Because every person needs a vehicle.

5. What is the tone of the writer? How do you know?

A. optimistic C. objective
B. critical D. subjective

6. What is the writer’s purpose? How do you know?

A. to inform the general public C. to criticise people hurting animals.

B. to entertain the readers D. to share his ideas with the readers

Prepared by Hu Am Ai

20 Hu Am Ai – Helping Intermediate Students With Inferencing When Reading

Appendix 4

1. Brea and Elizabeth are having a dispute 2. It’s a wonder to me how anyone can still be
over which radio station to play at work. It undecided about this election. These two
would be so much simpler if they both liked candidates are certainly distinct. Each would
the same kind of music. lead our nation in opposite directions.

A dispute is a __________. What does “distinct” mean?

a. musical instrument a. needing a bath

b. choice of music b. dishonest
c. discovery c. clearly different
d. disagreement d. about the same age

3. Mr. Huge was very proud of his auto 4. Friendship is a priceless thing. If Chris put a
superstore. “We have such an extensive price, or conditions, on her friendship, it’s no
selection of cars,” he said, “so everyone longer priceless. In fact, it’s not real friendship
should find a vehicle that he or she will love!” at all!

The word “extensive” means __________. If something is priceless, __________.

a. costing a lot of money a. it has a missing tag

b. large amount b. it has no value
c. having no color c. it has great value
d. not enough d. it is made out of rice

21 Hu Am Ai – Helping Intermediate Students With Inferencing When Reading

5. When Beth and Donna were fighting over 6. 10. We have rather lofty expectations for you,
a boy who didn’t like either one of them, son. You will attend college. You will become rich
Shana stepped in as a mediator. She sat and famous. You will be elected president of the
them both in a corner and kept them talking United States before you turn forty.
to each other. Finally, Shana’s efforts
resulted in her two friends making up. 4. Which word is a synonym of “lofty”?

a. troublemaker a. high
b. peacemaker b. little
c. witness c. small
d. competitor d. lowly

Adapted from the website

http://www.mandygregory.com/Inferencing_mini_lessons.htm

22 Hu Am Ai – Helping Intermediate Students With Inferencing When Reading

Appendix 5

“The tall plane tree was covered with shiny, green leaves and little

white flowers. On the tree, there were little birds happily singing and

hopping from one branch to another.”

Students read the text and then I ask them which season the author is describing. Students find

the key words in the text (shiny, green leaves, flowers, little birds) and by using their

background information infer that the season described is Spring.

(Prepared by Hu Am Ai)

23 Hu Am Ai – Helping Intermediate Students With Inferencing When Reading