The Nature of Reading

the target culture. The third one is by giving pre-reading tasks which challenge conventional outcomes. Such tasks will encourage learners to discuss and draw some opinions in accordance with the content of reading materials. 2 While-reading activities While-reading activities include offering learners alternative readings of a text, identifying parallel discourses, and analyzing linguistic choices. Offering learners alternative readings of a text means learners are offered more than one way of reading a text. It will be dealing with reading techniques. Next, a text may have more than one discourse. Therefore, it will be interesting to compare those discourses in parallel way for it helps learners to get mental image and understanding. Identifying parallel discourse will not be completely successful without knowing linguistic choices made by the writer. The linguistic choices determine the discourses which unfold in text. To understand linguistic choices written in text, readers should analyze them to avoid misinterpretation. 3 Post-reading activities After while-reading activities, post-reading activities should be conducted to achieve a purpose that is heightening readers’ awareness of the topic being learnt. The activities may be giving tasks that follow the reading or providing other texts which have the same topic but different discourse. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

d. Reading Techniques

Learners are encouraged to employ reading techniques in order to have effective and efficient reading which requires certain kinds of comprehension skill. The techniques are offering a range of reading activities instead of requiring the learners to master them. According to Cushenbery 1985: 87-91, there are four general reading techniques: 1 Detailed Reading This technique requires readers to “examine each word and try to remember minute facts in order to solve a problem or conduct an experiment” Cushenbery, 1985: 87. It is usually used when the learners are assigned to make summary; to remember a sequence of events; to read maps, graphs, or charts; to locate and comprehend important details; and to compare or evaluate the relevancy of the materials. 2 Average Rate This requires readers to pay attention to key words and important phrases, the nature of subtopics presented, and the summary or topic sentences written at the beginning or end of the texts. The technique is used to grasp the significance of the writer’s point of view which is written on the texts, to find the answer to a specific questions, etc. 3 Skimming Skimming is “the quick type of reading that is done to get the general gist of the material” Cushenbery, 1985: 88. It involves fast reading since it is only intended to get the essence of the text. This technique does not consume