• Course Code: CSS 2351

• Sem III
 Course Code: CSS2351
READING AND COMPREHENSION
Semester 3
Credit Unit: 01

To facilitate development of good

reading & comprehension skills by
Course Objective:
deepening vocabulary and refining
academic language proficiency.

Course Contents:
Module I: Effective Reading Module II: Technical Language Development

• Reading Comprehension, Process Reading Manuals, instructions, warnings etc.

• Types of reading : Academic, Professional, Difference between Literary and Technical reading
Technical, Critical, and Literary Reading
• Tips for improving reading skills
• Note taking and Note Making
• Assignment Writing
Module III: Summarization Module IV: Activities
Summarization of reading passages, reports, chapters and books News reading
Graphic organizers for summaries: Picture reading
Mind maps, flow charts, tree diagrams, pyramids Review of a book/journal
Paraphrasing
Examination Scheme: Text & References:
• Business Communication, Raman –Prakash, Oxford
Components Written CAF V/P GD/Extempore A
Test • Creative English for Communication, Krishnaswamy N,
Macmillan
Weightage (%) 40 25 20 10 5 • Business Vocabulary in Use: Advanced Mascull,
Cambridge
CAF- Communication Assessment File,
• Effective Technical Communication, M. Ashraf Rizvi.
V/P- Viva/Presentation, GD- Group Discussion, A- Attendance • Anjanee Sethi& BhavanaAdhikari, Business
Communication, Tata McGraw Hill
‘No matter how busy you may think you ‘Reading without reflecting is like eating
are, you must find time for reading, or without digesting.’
surrender yourself to self-chosen –Edmund Burke
ignorance. ‘
–Confucius
 MODULE 1
EFFECTIVE READING
 Outcomes
Outline

• Process and types of reading Learners will be able to :

• Learn reading as cognitive process
• Tips for improving reading skills
• Purposes of reading at university level
• Reading Comprehension • Types of reading
• Apply strategies of effective reading
• Note Taking and Note Making
• Master the reading skills
Reading
➢Reading is the process of interpreting and understanding a written text consisting
of written words or symbols that help make sense of what is being read.
➢Complex Communicative process of receiving and interpreting the written word.
➢Concerned with four factors decoding, comprehending text analysis and response.
➢Requires ability to comprehend the message in varying context.
➢Influenced by our social, cultural, educational, professional and intellectual frames
of reference.
Reading comprehension
• Defined as “the process of simultaneously extracting and constructing
meaning through interaction and involvement with written language”
• To comprehend a text, a reader must be equipped with a host of
abilities (e.g., attention, memory, inferencing), motivation (e.g.,
reading goals, interest) and knowledge (e.g., domain knowledge,
linguistic knowledge), all of which are influenced by the specific texts
used and the activity the reader is engaging in (Snow, 2002).
• Although each of these elements is important for reading
comprehension, in this article, we emphasize reading processes,
components, and individual differences.
READING IS AN INTERACTIVE, PROBLEM-SOLVING
PROCESS OF MAKING MEANING FROM TEXTS.”

• Reading is a complex interaction between the text, the

reader and the purposes for reading, which are shaped
by the reader’s prior knowledge and experiences, the
reader’s knowledge about reading and writing language
and the reader’s language community which is
culturally and socially situated.
 What is reading comprehension?

• The ability to comprehend or understand, what you

are reading.
• An intentional and active part of reading and takes
place before, during and after you read something.
• By being able to comprehend what you are reading,
you can extract meaning from the text and better
realize what the author is trying to convey.
• Two components of reading comprehension: text
comprehension and vocabulary knowledge.
• Vocabulary knowledge is the ability to understand
the language being used, while text comprehension
is using this language to develop an awareness of
what the meaning is behind the text.
 Why are reading comprehension skills important?

Being able to effectively

Knowing how to understand To understand, analyze
read can improve both
a text can help boost your and respond to Improves your ability to
your personal and
knowledge in certain areas documents and written write clearly and
professional life and can
and help you learn new skills communication in the effectively.
increase your overall
and information faster. workplace.
enjoyment of reading.

The ability to
comprehend and engage Increased ability to focus
Better enjoyment of and
in current events that are on reading for an
motivation to read
in written form such as extended period
newspapers
Competitive and International Exams
• TOEFL & IELTS: The TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)
and IELTS (International English Language Testing System) are two
of the most widely-accepted tests to certify your English
proficiency.
Stands for - Graduate Record Stands for - Graduate Management
• GRE & GMAT: Examinations Admission Test

• SAT & ACT: Stands for - Scholastic Aptitude Test Stands for - American College Testing
 Reasons to read at university
• What you read at university
You may be expected to read a wide range of texts that include the course reading
pack, lecture slides, books, journal articles, internet articles, newspapers, research
reports, literature reviews, case studies and strategic plans.

• Why you read at university

You may read to: prepare for lectures and tutorials, review information addressed
in lectures and tutorials, conduct research for assignments, or revise for exams.

• What reading abilities you need

Beyond being able to simply understand texts, you will need to critique them,
evaluate them, compare and contrast them, and apply the information you find
useful from them.
Example
• Inrtetsneig fcat!
• Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn’t
mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny
iprmoetnt tihng is that the frist and lsat ltteer is at the rghit
pclae. The rset can be a total mses and you can sitll raed
it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey
lteter by it slef but the wrod as a wlohe.
Reading Process
 Academic

Professional

Critical TYPES OF
READING

Literary

Technical
Academic Reading
• Reading with a specifically academic and educational purposes.
• It involves reading traditional books, dictionaries, encyclopedias, journals, articles etc.
• Demands your purposeful and intellectual engagement in the text.
• You need to interact with the text by taking notes, making connections between the text
and what you already know or have experienced, and asking critical questions about the
material you are reading.
• Demands your purposeful and intellectual engagement in the text.
• Read to build content knowledge because this knowledge is crucial to building an
argument
• For instance, Students read prescribed textbooks or references for acquiring information
at the schools or college.
In a survey of academics from UK universities on the purpose of academic
reading for students, one participant put it bluntly: ‘If they don’t read, they don’t
think and learn’ (Miller and Merdian, 2020).
‘Most powerful way second language Learning through reading.’
Benefits of Academic Reading
• To learn new information, determine the author's viewpoint, and process new ideas.
• It helps students to interact with and make connections and judgements between
texts, question contributions, and challenge inherent biases and arguments.
• Development of critical thinking skills.
• Develop their own views and abilities to interact and engage with their texts.
• Language development as it improves your vocabulary and sentence structures and
provides with better word acquisition.
• Enable students to gain information and insights.
• Skills :Clarity, precision, accuracy, relevance, depth, breadth, logicalness,
significance, and fairness.
Explore more…

Need to be able to grasp the main ideas, theories, key themes and
arguments
You may be reading to discover:
• Background information or context
• Previous or most recent research on a defined area
• Theories or methods to underpin your work
• A range of perspectives to gain a balanced view before you start writing
There are three different styles of reading academic texts: skimming,
scanning, and in-depth reading. Each is used for a specific purpose.
It has three phases are pre-reading, while-reading and after-reading
phases.
 Academic Reading Strategies
• Before reading • During reading • After reading
• Establish your purpose for reading • Annotate and mark (sparingly) • Summarize the text in your own
• Speculate about the author’s purpose sections of the text to easily recall words (note what you learned,
for writing important or interesting ideas impressions, and reactions) in an
• Review what you already know and • Check your predictions and find outline, concept map, or matrix (for
want to learn about the topic (see the answers to posed questions several texts)
guides below) • Use headings and transition words to • Talk to someone about the author’s
• Preview the text to get an overview of identify relationships in the text ideas to check your comprehension
its structure, looking at headings, • Create a vocabulary list of other • Identify and reread difficult parts of
figures, tables, glossary, etc. unfamiliar words to define later the text
• Predict the contents of the text and • Try to infer unfamiliar words’ • Define words on your vocabulary
pose questions about it. If the meanings by identifying their list (try a learner’s dictionary) and
authors have provided discussion relationship to the main idea practice using them
questions, read them and write them • Connect the text to what you already • Sample graphic organizers –
on a note-taking sheet. know about the topic Concept map
• Note any discussion questions that • Take breaks (split the text into
have been provided (sometimes at segments if necessary)
the end of the text) • Sample annotated texts
 SQ3R (or SQRRR) Technique
SQ3R stands for: suvey, question, read, retrieve, review and involves the following steps:

• Survey: skim the text to get an outline/overview and develop a sense of which parts or sections
might be useful. Note any headings and subheadings, along with things like figures, tables and
summaries.
• Question: now that you have a sense of what content the text covers, what questions do you have to
help lead you to do a deeper understanding? Your question could be “what does that particular term
mean?” or “how might I use that information?”
• Read: now you have specific questions in mind, you will be able to read actively in order to find the
answers.
• Retrieve: begin processing and understanding the material by recalling the main points as if you were
explaining them to someone else. You could do this verbally or in writing
• Review: review the material by repeating the key points back to yourself in your own words.
• Useful for:
• Keeping on track: by prompting you to formulate specific questions you’d like your reading to
address, this strategy encourages you to read strategically and actively, and can help you stay focused.
• Processing your learning: putting what you’ve read into your own words is a good way of
developing and checking your understanding. This can help you move away from mere recall towards
a deeper conceptual understanding.
Professional Reading
Refers to the reading that helps you develop professional skills and understanding of
your field or industry.
• Practiced by all professionals
• Helps them to understand tactics and strategies that they can apply in the future.
• Develops interest and language proficiency
• Promotes to writing precisely and accurately
• Reading professional journals and newsletters in the fields of interest
• Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact
man.
PROFESSIONAL READING STRATEGIES
Literary Reading
• In literary reading, readers engage with the text to become involved in events,
settings, actions, consequences, characters, atmosphere, feelings, and ideas, and to
enjoy language itself.

• Why is reading literary works important?

we can free our minds, have a better understanding of history, and to improve
our communication skills.
• Literature make us more sensitive to other’s feelings and situations.
However, literature involves critical thinking, clustering of ideas and art
appreciation.
Aware about culture ,languages, traditions, ideology, religions, beliefs, faith
Benefits of Literary Reading
• Great literature exercises the imagination.
• Reading literature transports us out of our current context and into other ages and
places.
• Develops language and analytical thinking
• Enables to see the world through the eyes of others.
• Great works of literature have played a fundamental role in shaping society.
• Fosters contemplation and reflection and improves our facility with language and
vocabulary.
• Finally, reading literature helps us to know ourselves.
Literary Reading Strategies
• Previewing the text: a strategy that readers use to recall prior
knowledge and set a purpose for reading.
• Highlighting the text that strike you.
• Annotate the text; Making marginal notes on book’s pages
• Summarization
• Reflection
 Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
BY ROBERT FROST

Whose woods these are I think I know.

He gives his harness bells a shake
His house is in the village though;
To ask if there is some mistake.
He will not see me stopping here
The only other sound’s the sweep
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,

My little horse must think it queer
But I have promises to keep,
To stop without a farmhouse near
And miles to go before I sleep,
Between the woods and frozen lake
And miles to go before I sleep.
The darkest evening of the year.
Technical Reading
• A strategy you can use to obtain a great amount of information in a short
time from textbooks, professional journals, and other technical materials.
• In using technical reading, you ask yourself the questions the author is
trying to ask, and then read to answer them.
• Technical Text Examples
• Cookbooks, correspondence, emails, and user manuals are all examples of
technical texts.
• Technical texts also include the product descriptions, web content, and
reviews which are essential to e-commerce and the online presence of many
businesses.
Steps for Technical Reading
• Pre-read: Goal is to understand the scope of what you are supposed to learn

• Clarify Vocabulary: Goal is to learn what words mean so they do not get in the way of you
understanding what you read

• Read for Understanding: Goal is to understand the meaning of a section in and of itself

• Connect to Prior Concepts: Goal is to understand a section as part of the bigger picture

• Summarize: Goal is to store the information in a shorter form that will help jog your memory at a later date
Critical Reading
• ACTIVE way of reading.
• It is a deeper and more complex engagement with a text.
• Critical reading is a process of analyzing, interpreting and, sometimes, evaluating. When we read
critically, we use our critical thinking skills to QUESTION both the text and our own reading of it.
• Means that a reader applies certain processes, models, questions, and theories that result in
enhanced clarity and comprehension.
• There is more involved, both in effort and understanding, in a critical reading than in a mere
"skimming" of the text.
• Reading for academic purposes requires reading for information and main ideas and, more
importantly, reading to respond to and evaluate the ideas in a text, as you actively consider what
you’re reading. This process is most often called critical reading.
• Develops critical thinking skills analysis, interpretation, inference, explanation, self-regulation,
open-mindedness, and problem-solving.
• Poem analysis : context, structure, language, metrical pattern, theme, and poetic devises
Critical Reading Strategies
• Annotating
• Contextualizing • Looking for patterns of
• Reflecting on challenges to your opposition.
beliefs and values. • Evaluating the logic of an
• Paraphrasing. argument.
• Recognizing emotional
• Outlining.
manipulation.
• Summarizing. • Judging the writer’s credibility.
• Exploring the figurative language. • Analyzing the writing in other
disciplines.
Note-taking and Note Making
• Refers to the It is the process of writing down quickly, briefly, and clearly the
important points of a lecture, speech, presentation, or any structured verbal
message
• Note-making refers to the process of reviewing, combining and synthesizing ideas
you hear or read.(to combine separate elements to form a whole)
• Note-taking usually happens while we are listening, but we usually make notes
while reading.
• Note-taking is faster than note-making.
• Involves more of the original speaker’s language, while note-taking often involves
our own language.
• Compared to notes we make, the information we note down is easily forgotten.
Why does note taking matters?
• Improves in listening and concentration
• Great importance in exams or in academic writing
• Reduces study time
• Enables to take revision of the topic
• Future reference
• Recollecting and recalling the past events
• Understand what you are learning and clarify your thinking
• Comparison between main points and its details
• Summarizing information from lectures or books
Methods of Note Taking
• The Cornell Method.
• The Outlining Method.
• The Mapping Method.
• The Charting Method.
• The Sentence Method.
Cornell Note-taking Method

• Invented by Professor Walter Pauk of Cornell University in the 1950s.

• A popular note-taking method for taking, organizing, and summarizing notes.
• Typically results in better overall comprehension.
• Based on an easy-to-remember mnemonic, the Cornell Notes system hinges on
five key points: record, reduce, recite, reflect, and review.
• How to Take Cornell Notes
It requires very little preparation which makes it ideal for note-taking in class. The
page is divided into 4 — or sometimes only 3 — different sections:
1.One block at the top of the page
2.Two columns
3.One block at the bottom of the page
Mnemonic : a device such as a pattern of letters, ideas, or associations that assists in remembering something,
 The Outlining Method
Organizes the information in a highly
structured, logical manner, forming a skeleton
of the textbook chapter or lecture subject that
serves as an excellent study guide when
preparing for tests.
• Most common and natural methods
• Used in traditional lecture sessions
• One of the best note-taking
methods by researchers and students
worldwide
• Students organize their lecture
information in a structured and logical
manner, creating a comprehensive
profile of the lecture subject.
Characteristics of outline method

• The main topics are recorded on the left side of the document;
• The subtopics are added with an indent to the right of the main topics;
• Any supporting thoughts or facts are added with another indent to the
right of the subtopics;
• All further details are added with more indentation.
How to take outline notes

• To take notes with the outline method, follow these six steps:
1.Gather note-taking materials
2.Outline the main topics
3.Outline the subtopics
4.Insert supporting thoughts and facts
5.Add further details and examples
6.Review and recite your notes
The Charting Method
• Also known as the “matrix method,”
• Uses charts to condense and organize notes.
• It involves splitting a document into several columns and rows, which are
then filled with summaries of information.
• This results in a note format that enables efficient comparison of different
topics and ideas.
• Using a table to make notes.
• Separate columns for main points, questions, details etc. Classifying
information easily.
• A powerful note-taking method for organizing information that can be
divided into clear categories.
 The Mapping Method
• Uses a graphical representation to map out
information, ideas, facts, and concepts in a
comprehensive and cohesive manner.
• Maximizes active participation, affords immediate
knowledge as to its understanding, and emphasizes
critical thinking.
• The format involves writing the main topic into the
center of the document and connecting related
subtopics, ideas, and concepts through branches,
images, and colors.
• Requires strong concentration skills,
• Intra- and inter-relationships between facts and
concepts are easily visible
• Analyzing and reviewing mapped notes is efficient
• Mapped notes are easy to edit by adding further
branches
• Pictures and colors facilitate memory and appeal to
visual learning styles
How to take meeting notes with the mapping
method
• Write the main idea in the center box
• Write each agenda item in the circles
• Draw lines pointing to sub-thoughts, ideas, facts, and figures
• Draw pictures and interlink items
 The Sentence Method

• Involves using sentences to summaries and organize your thoughts.

• You write each topic and the supporting details in sentences using your own words. Each new
topic begins on a new line with a number in the margin.
• Full sentence is often clearer to understand than a few linking words.
• Promotes you to be fully engaged in class and to critically think about what to write and how
to write it concisely.
• Very easy to learn and use and easily usable during live lectures.
• Time-consuming and inefficient.
• Does not show the internal connections between topics and subtopics
• Requires very quick handwriting or typing skills.
 SCANNING

Visuals
SKIMMING

READING
SQ3R/SQRRR STRATEGIES
INTENSIVE

Prediction
Vocabulary
Techniques
 Scanning
• When one reads an entire text/document quickly
while looking for specific information, it is
called scanning.
• The readers quickly look for specific information
such as dates, years, names, places, among others
• Natural and distinct strategy to save time
• Focus on key words, highlighted or italicized
For example:
• Going through an entire newspaper and looking for
specific news related to Olympic Games Tokyo 2020
 PURPOSES OF
SCANNING
• To search for a word in a dictionary or
index
• To find a phone number or an address in a
directory
• To check the time schedule of a program
in an agenda
• To check the price of a specific item in a
catalog
• To know a particular information from a
text
 Suggestions to improve proficiency at scanning

1 2 3 4 5
Know what you want Note info Use the index Know the Concentrate while
to find arrangements by /heading to have organization of the scanning and move
preview thorough knowledge material and use hand /fingers
of content inferences
SKIMMING

• Refers to looking only for the general or main ideas and works best with non-
fiction (or factual) material.
• What you read is more important than what you leave out
• Read only the first sentence of each paragraph/topic sentence.
• Looking for important pieces of information, such as names, dates, or events.
• A fast speed with less-than-normal comprehension
• locate the information quickly and wisely
 To see what is in the To look through a text
news on a website or to decide whether you
on a paper want to read it or not

Purposes of
To look through the
Skimming television
guide/program
To see through a
catalog to choose an
schedule to plan your offer
evening

To go through the
options after searching And many more
something on Google
Explore More…

• The reader mainly reads the introduction,

summary, bold/italic words, bulleted points,
names, heading and subheadings, dates, figures,
etc.
• More effective when the reader is able to grasp
the main information correctly and clearly.
• Used while reading newspaper, mails and
messages.
• To take the overview of the chapter while revising
for an exam or to take an overview of a book to
decide if it is read-worthy or not
 Skimming should answer the
following questions about a text.

1. What is the overall purpose of the text?

2. What is the central idea or theme?
3. What is the logical organisation? (general to specific,
specific to general, chronological, more
important to less important, less important to more
important, and so on.)
4. What does the author intend to do? (describe, instruct,
report, narrate, explain, argue, persuade, illustrate,
and so on.)
5. What are the main points of the text?
 • title
• subheadings
• words in that are in bold, in italics or underlined
• diagrams
• a report’s abstract, introduction or conclusion
Skimming: Steps to Follow
• chapter questions
• the first sentence of every paragraph
• chapter objectives
• chapter summaries
 • To get a deeper
3. Intensive • To read with full
understanding of what’s
written, assess the purpose
Reading concentration and complete
focus
and evaluate the results to
make sense of it.
• Reading in detail with
specific learning aims and • Reading intensively will
tasks help you tackle complex
• Develop to get a better texts.
understanding of
information. • You’ll be able to strengthen
your reading
comprehension, vocabulary
and language skills.
Example
• "The woods are lovely, dark and deep
But I have promises to keep
And miles to go before I sleep
And miles to go before I sleep"
• Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost
• To answer a question like, ‘what is the meaning of woods’ in
the poem, one will adopt the intensive reading technique.
Intensive reading is very crucial for language learners as they
pick up vocabulary, focus on structure and syntax while doing
intensive reading.
Requires text analysis for critical and evaluative understanding of a text.
Text analysis is the process of identifying relationships among different units within the
text in order to distinguish between..

• relevant and irrelevant information,

• facts and opinions,
• explicit and implicit information,
• examples and ideas, and
• draw inferences and conclusions.
• We need the following micro-skills of reading for intensive reading of a technical text:
(a)Understanding major and minor details
(b)Distinguishing between factual and non-factual information
(c)Understanding the characteristics of a writer's use of language
(d)Understanding and interpreting graphic information
(e)Identifying and evaluating a writer's attitude
Explore More…

• Understanding the author's intention

• Responding to more than the plain sense of
the words include distinguishing
• (h) Distinguishing between explicit and implicit
information opinions, and drawing
• Drawing inferences and conclusions .
• Thus, in order to develop intensive reading
skills, thorough reading practice
• It also demands that an appropriate reading
method be used
• Moreover, the reader should develop his/her
critical reading and inferential skills as well as
his/her ability to receive and interpret graphic
information.
Ways to
develop the • Take notes

habit • Break the reading process , pre, during and after

• Apply what you learnt
of intensive
reading
Examples of Intensive Reading

Articles or editorials in
magazines like The Outlook
and Political Weekly

Blog posts on various topics

ranging from science and
technology to art and culture

Short stories or poetry with

layers of meaning

Business reports packed with

important information,
numbers and data

Analyzing statistical data like

diagrams, images and tables
These strategies may help you in achieving the following purposes.

• To enhance understanding of the content in a text

• To improve understanding of how information is organized in a text
• To improve attention and concentration while reading
• To make reading a more active process
• To increase personal involvement in the reading material
• To promote critical thinking and evaluation of reading material
• To enhance registration and recall of text information in one’s memory
How to develop good
comprehension skills
• Eliminate distractions from your environment
• Read a variety of materials.
• Make links to the text
• Try to guess what will happen next, use
prediction & SQRRR techniques
• Visualize
• Circle unknown or unfamiliar words as you
read.
• Ask questions
• Keep track of the meaning
• Summarize
References

• Communication Skills; Meenakshi Raman &

Sangeeta Sharma; Oxford Publications,2013
• Effective Technical Communication; Ashraf
Rizvi; McGraw Hill publication;2017
• https://universitycollege.okstate.edu/lasso/site_
files/documents/outlining.pdf
• https://www.learngrammar.net/a/scanning-
skimming-two-useful-reading-strategies
• https://e-student.org/sentence-note-taking-
method