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From those definitions of reading, it can be concluded that reading is a perceptual and cognitive process. In reading, the reader has a purpose of
perceiving a written text in order to interpret and understand its meaning. Besides, reading is a process of understanding what has been read including receiving and
interpreting information. So, reading is a complex process that would be undergone until one can interpret the idea of what he has read without changing
the meaning.
2. The Purposes of Reading
Grabe and Stoller 2002: 12-15 believe that there are several purposes of reading that can be classified under several main headings. The purposes of
reading are:
a. Reading to search for simple information
Reading to search for simple information is a common reading ability, though some researchers see it as relatively independent cognitive process. It is
used so often in reading tasks that it is probably best seen as a type of reading ability. The readers scan the text for a specific piece of information or a specific
word. As an example, people usually search through a telephone directory to find key information, either an address or a phone number. In prose texts, the reader
sometimes slow down to process the meaning of a sentence or two in search of clues that might indicate the right page, section, or chapter.
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b. Reading to skim quickly
Similarly, reading to skim i.e. sampling segments of the text for a general understanding is a common part of many reading tasks and a useful skill in its
own right. It involves a combination of strategies for guessing where important information might be in the text and then using basic reading comprehension
skills on those segments of the text until a general idea is formed.
c. Reading to learn from texts
It occurs in academic and professional contexts in which a person needs to learn a considerable amount of information from a text. It requires abilities to:
1 Remember main ideas as well as a number of details that elaborate the
main and supporting ideas in the text. 2
Recognize and build rhetorical frames that organize the information in the text.
3 Link the text to the reader’s knowledge base.
Reading to learn is usually carried out at a reading rate somewhat slower than general reading comprehension primarily due to rereading and reflection
strategies to help remember information. In addition, it makes stronger inferencing demands than general comprehension to connect text information with
background knowledge e.g. connecting a character, event or concept to other known characters, events or concepts; or connecting possible causes to known
events.
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d. Reading to integrate information
