The General Concept of Reading

the reader‟s goal, it is to get the information or the pleasure. Meanwhile, reading to write and reading to critique texts is the ability to build and critique information from text, and they represent common academic tasks that call upon the reading abilities needed to integrate information. Second, as a pleasurable; thus people read magazines or spend hours buried in the Sunday paper. 33 Its assumption is in line with Francoise who also stated that, “there are two main reasons of reading: reading for pleasure and reading for information in order to find out something or in order to do something with information you got”. 34 Meanwhile Larry A. Harris figured out the purposes of reading as follows: Just as the reader must adapt his reading to meet various purposes, he must also adjust his reading rate. The answer to a specific question concerning supporting detail will require the reader to skim for the right section and then read that section carefully for the correct answer. Following directions calls for slow, careful reading, as does reading an account of a scientific experiment. Recreational reading and newspaper reading often call for a rapid rate, but usually not as fast as skimming. 35 Based on that, it is a common reading that usually held by the reader, they usually use scanning technique in reading to search for simple information such as looking for the time, name, place, etc. Not only scanning, but also skimming is used to search the information for instance, getting the writ er‟s purpose of the passage. Shortly, people read for many purposes. Some of them read for pleasure and some read for getting information in which different purposes gain different technique used. In addition, it is essential that reading for general comprehension is the main goal of reading where most of the reader read the text to get general comprehension of it. They do not need to analyze the structure or to know the exact meaning of the words only get what the message of the writer. Moreover, the different purposes of reading are also mentioned by William Grabe and Federicka L. Stoller divided into seven purposes those are: reading to 33 Ibid. p. 201.33 34 Francoise Grellet, Developing Reading Skill: A Practical Guide to Reading Comprehension Exercise, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996, p. 4. 35 Larry A. Harris, Reading Instruction; Diagnostic Teaching in the Classroom, New York: Richard C. Owen Publishers, 1990, p. 251. search for simple information, reading to learn from texts, reading to integrate information, write and critique texts, and reading for general comprehension. 36 In conclusion, related to the purposes stated by many experts in language above the conclusion the purposes of reading are as the essential purpose is to get new information. Again, it has a purpose that reading is for enjoyment. Such as someone reads the magazine, novel, newspaper and so on. Generally, reading purposes as mentioned above is to comprehend and understand the printed material, either getting information or pleasure. For instance, when the reader reads the passage for pleasure they do not need to know the exact meaning of certain word in order to get the message from the text.

3. The Kinds of Reading

There are some explanations about kinds of reading. According to Huebener, he classified reading into intensive or extensive, it may be a classroom activity or a supplementary exercise, and it may be done aloud or silently. Then he adds that Intensive reading, whether silent or oral, is a controlled activity, carried on under the guidance of the teacher. It involves focusing upon new words and expressions, so that comprehension of the content may be facilitated. Extensive reading, on the other hand, is not concerned with the detailed study of words and structures. 37 Moreover, another linguist Christine Nuttal divided reading into two kinds: intensive reading and extensive reading: 38

a. Intensive Reading

Intensive reading involves approaching in text under the close guidance of teacher or under the guidance of a task, which forces the students to pay great attention to the text. 39 Hence, it is used to gain a deep understanding of a text, which is important for readers. “The aim of intensive reading is to arrive at a profound and detailed understanding of the text: not only of what it means, but 36 As quoted by Michael Grabe and Federicka L. Stoller in Nida Husna, Step by Step to Reading Skill Step 1, Jakarta: Englsih Department, 2000, pp.9 —10. 37 Theodore Huebener, How to Teach Foreign Languages Effectively, NY: New York University Press, 1999 p. 49. 38 Christine Nuttal, Teaching Reading Skill in a Foreign Language, 1998 p.38. 39 Ibid. p.38. also how the meaning is produced.” 40 For this kind of purpose it is better to teach the students from a shorten text and develop step by step to a longer one. This called also reading for accuracy.

b. Extensive Reading

“An extensive reading is suitable for reading to have a general idea of a text. The skimming process takes a prominent role.” 41 Usually skimming relates to longer text, where there are words that need special attention. It is appropriate in reading a novel, magazine, or another text, which does not need full attention to a word or a sentence. Intensive reading and extensive reading are complementary and both are necessary, as well as other strategies, which perhaps fit into neither category. The labels indicate a difference in classroom procedures as well as a difference purpose. 42 Thus, in mastering the kind of reading including intensive reading and extensive reading the reader should exercise their reading more and more. In order to exercise their reading they should know the technique in reading. These techniques help them to get better comprehension of the passage. Meanwhile, A.H. Urquhart and C.J Weir distinguish reading became five kinds. They are Search reading, Skimming, Scanning, Careful reading at the global level and Browsing. 43 1. Search reading. 2. Skimming. 3. Scanning. 4. Careful reading. 5. Browsing. In the following, the writer would like to explain concerning the five reading differences above; First, is search reading. It is used to locate information 40 Ibid. p.38. 41 Ibid. p.38. 42 Ibid. p.23. 43 A.H Urquhart and C.J Weir, Reading in a Second Language: Process, Product and Practice, London: Addison Wesley Longman Limited, 1998 pp. 101 —103.