THE IMPORTANCE OF READING IN TEACHING ENGLISH

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

What is reading? Reading is an ability to understand written texts. It is a complex activity which involves perception, as well as thought. The ability to read opens a new world and offers new opportunities. During the ancient times, reading was limited to books and not everybody had access to them. Nowadays it has become an everyday activity for all of us and does not refer only to books. We also read newspapers, travel guides, bus schedules, or labels on the products that we buy. Although we used to read in our native language, and most people still do it, with the evolution of the globalization process and the integration of Romania in the EU, it has become necessary to read in other languages, too, and not only to read, but also to communicate. In order to be able to do this, you must first learn the language: vocabulary, grammar structures, and also a little bit about other peoples cultures. This paper intends to show the reasons why reading is such an important activity in teaching English as a foreign language. It will examine the teaching process and make the connection between reading and other skills to be developed during the teaching process. Chapter 1 is entitled Teaching Vocabulary and Grammar and it shows the importance of vocabulary in language teaching and how it can be improved through reading. In addition to this, pronunciation is also mentioned, as being essential in language teaching. The chapter also presents the role of grammar and how reading can be used as an extremely efficient activity when teaching it. Chapter 2, Improving Writing and Oral Communication, is intended to emphasize the major role of reading activities in the development of writing and communication skills and also how it can contribute to improving pronunciation and increasing students confidence to speak in public and engage in conversations. In Chapter 3, entitled Learning Easier by Reading, I have presented a case study, based on a grammar lessons taught during the practice period. The purpose of the case

study is to point out the fact that students are more oriented towards practice than towards theory and it appears that their ability to understand and learn grammar structures is higher when using reading as an activity to teach them. Chapter 4 contains the Conclusions of the paper, intended to emphasize the role of reading in the teaching process, as shown in the previous chapters. As a methodology of research, in addition to reading a few books on the subject of teaching techniques, I have also made a case study, based on two different grammar lessons taught to the same group of students, using different techniques. While preparing this paper, I have discovered new ways of improving my teaching but I have also come across an issue. I found it quite difficult to organize the chapters, as everything that I have included is so closely related that it is hard to draw a line and separate them. Pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, writing skills and speaking skills cannot be taught separately, and also reading is one of the elements that link them together as it is the basic tool to improve each of them. I believe that each of them should have been a separate chapter, but considering the reduced length of the paper, it was necessary to group them. The organization and the division of the information in chapters reflect my point of view.

Chapter 1 TEACHING VOCABULARY AND GRAMMAR

Communication is not possible when participants lack words. People can communicate when they are able to name objects, events, actions and feelings. In order to express all these things, they need words. But enumerating words is not enough for others to understand the message they are trying to send. They need to arrange the words in a certain way. This is where grammar comes in, to help. It is almost useless to speak words, unless we connect them to one another. Lewis said that without grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed (1993:115). Grammar includes structures and tenses to help learners structure their message and show the meaning of the words. It is just like a small factory: vocabulary is the raw material, while grammar uses this material in order to obtain the end product: a message. Both vocabulary (including pronunciation) and grammar are also connected to oral communication. Therefore, they will also be mentioned in the next chapter, although most part of the explanations will be written below.

1.2. Vocabulary
Vocabulary is essential in language teaching, not only for the English language, but for any language, whether it is foreign or native. Until not long ago, vocabulary was not very important for teachers. For many years, they have focused only on studying and teaching grammar, but recently, lexical elements have become very important in language teaching. If people do not know certain words or expressions, they will find it very difficult to express themselves, even if they know grammar rules perfectly. Researchers agree that wrong words break down communication, not wrong grammar, and we can see it ourselves. If people who are talking to us make grammar mistakes, we can still understand what they are trying to say, but if they lack vocabulary and cannot express themselves correctly, we have trouble understanding them. It was

Stephen Krashen who first stated the importance and the role of vocabulary in teaching:
Vocabulary is basic for communication. If acquirers do not recognize the meaning of key words used by those who address them they will be unable to participate in the conversation. If they wish to express some idea or ask for information they must be able to produce lexical items to convey their meaning. (1985:155)

Vocabulary enables people to name the world they live in, as names are essential for the construction of reality and without them it is difficult to accept the existence of an object, an event, a feeling (Taylor, 1990:1). Vocabulary is the basic tool of communication and by improving it, it is easier for people to express their thoughts and feelings and understand what others say. In addition, they will become more confident when engaging in conversation. It is also easier for them to write and read, and they will be more motivated to discover new things or to read more on the subjects they are interested in. All in all, a good vocabulary will increase students fluency and proficiency in all the other linguistic skills. So, vocabulary helps improving reading skills as well. But at the same time, vocabulary is improved through reading. It is a sort of circle; one cannot be improved without the other. It is useless to give the students a list of words and tell them to learn them by heart. They could use a dictionary for that; they do not need a teacher. It is not an attractive idea for them to learn some words out of any context and without knowing their usefulness. But reading a text, even a short one, can be more interesting, especially if the teacher chooses one on a subject they might be interested in. A short text can motivate them to read more. It is this way that they will come across new words and they will want to see what they mean. They might also directly understand them from the context, which is even better, as it will give them a feeling of achievement and confidence. Closely connected to vocabulary is pronunciation. Good pronunciation makes people willing to listen to you and enjoy it, as well as understand what you are saying. Pronunciation is the way that sounds are made in a language. Sometimes the sounds can be similar to the ones in the native language, but they are rarely the same.

The teacher must explain to students that an accent consists of three parts: intonation, liaisons and pronunciation. Each of these elements has specific rules. Intonation is the most important and also the most difficult to change and this is a general truth for any language, not just for English. Intonation is the rhythm of the language, or its music, as some people might say. The liaisons, also called linkages, are the means by which word and sentences are linked together in order to make sense and they can be very different from the ones in the native language. Pronunciation might not be the most important part of the accent, but it is the area where a learner can make the best progress. The theory is not very difficult to learn, but it is difficult to actually move your mouth and tongue to make the required sound. A lot of practice is needed to get to the desired level. Whoever said practice makes perfect was right and what is the best way to practice? It is reading, of course. More reading (especially if it is aloud) means more words to practice. The correct pronunciation of the sounds can be learned and the role of the teacher is to guide the pronunciation practice and correct the mistakes.

1.3. Grammar
Grammar is the study of words and how they work together. It helps students to link words into sentences. Every person who communicates in any language is consciously or unconsciously aware of grammar. The purpose of studying grammar is to be able to speak more clearly and be more effective in communication. Teaching grammar for communication means to give enough information to enable the student to understand that there is a pattern and what the pattern is. In the teaching process, traditional grammar lessons are boring for students and they will not give much attention to the teacher. They will always have something better to do than listening to the teacher while he explains grammar structures. And at the end of the lesson, there will be nothing more than a group of students who have not acquired anything (or just pieces of information, that are incomplete and useless) and a tired teacher who has done his best to explain everything. That is why, to get the attention of the students and make them participate actively in the teaching activities, the teacher should use texts and let students involve and discover structures and forms

themselves. This way, they will also develop a feeling of competition and it will motivate them to be more involved. It is a fact that they seek peer approval and always wish to be perceived by their peers as very intelligent. Of course, theoretical explanations should not be excluded, but they can come afterwards. Theory can be more easily fit in when students show interest and want to know what the new structure is and when it can be used. It is not enough to hear the teacher explaining the importance of learning grammar. Through reading, they can actually see for themselves why grammar is useful. And again, I point out that most young students do not enjoy being told what to do. They feel better when they decide alone. What the teacher has to do is to give them an interesting text that includes the grammar structure he wants to teach. The students will be more than willing to find out more about using that structure. Some of them might even think that it was them who decided on the subject of the lesson. Whenever they hear the word grammar, most students feel that they are going to take part in another boring lesson. And it is true. What can be interesting and attractive about theory? Since nowadays students are more and more distracted, the teacher has to find new ways to make them interested. What makes students be interested and involved? A friendly atmosphere, that makes the students feel more comfortable, as well as a variety of materials will motivate learners to participate actively in activities. Everybody knows that students are attracted by new things. So teachers should offer them new things, new activities and new materials to increase their curiosity and motivation. What the teacher actually does, is teaching students what they think is good for them, but in a manner which implies developing the skills and knowledge that the teacher knows they need. In other words, they are still teaching what they need to teach, but they apply it to what the learners wish.

Chapter 2 IMPROVING WRITING AND SPEAKING

Writing and speaking go hand in hand because they are both forms of communication. Communication is the most important element of the human society. And with the globalization of the world, nations are coming closer to each other, people are getting more familiar and nearer to each other, and they affect each other in all aspects of life. Language is one of them. It is a distinctive characteristic of humankind and rationality and sociability are related to it. Language is what actually makes us different from other species. Due to globalization English has become an international language, one that everybody uses everywhere. Some people say that it is the local language of the world. In order to communicate correctly people need to learn, first of all, the correct pronunciation, because it affects the understanding of the meaning of the words, and thus the messages they are trying to convey. Poor pronunciation leads to confusion and thus, to bad communication. Also, it can cause a negative first impression and people who cannot pronounce English properly are often thought of as less literate or intelligent. Vocabulary also plays an important role in communication. It offers the material for producing a discourse, in order to convey a message. Through reading, learners improve their vocabulary and also increase their fluency. Words will come more easily while speaking and they will be more confident to engage in conversation or even speak in front of a large public. In addition to pronunciation and vocabulary, a good knowledge of grammar also helps them. It is not enough to be able to speak; they have to speak correctly, so that the others can understand. As I have already mentioned in the previous chapter, pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar are improved through reading. Writing skills are also important, although many students think that they are not. Actually, they can help them get to a better university or get a better job, and it is a fact that more and more positions require good writing skills. Written communication is a

tool for people to express their ideas and also learn about those of others. Reading skills serve as a foundation for writing, because it uses vocabulary and grammar and they both improve through reading. However, they are not the only ones to help students improve their writing skills. It is also a matter of knowledge, vision, feelings, or opinions. How could someone express an opinion on a subject, if he/she has no idea what it is about? The more they read the more ideas they have. In order to express opinions on something, first they need to be well informed about that matter, see other peoples points of view. Again, we can see that reading is essential. What about other cultures? Is it important to learn about them? Culture defines people and their behavior.
Children growing up in a social group learn ways of doing things, ways of expressing themselves, ways of looking at things, what things they should value and what things they should despise or avoid, what is expected to them and what they may have expected of others. These attitudes, reactions, and unspoken assumptions become part of their way of life without their being conscious of them. Yet culturally determined features may be recognized in their actions, social relationships, moral convictions, attractions and revulsions; through the institutions their social group establishes and conserves; and in the art and literature which the members of the group produce and appreciate. (Rivers, 1981:316)

Brooks considered that two of the numerous definitions of culture apply to those who want to teach a language in context: culture as everything in human life and culture as the best in human life, while Goodenough (1997:675) defined culture as not a natural phenomenon because it does not consist of things, peoples behavior or emotions. He believed that culture is more a form of organization of these things: It is the form of things that people have in mind, their models of perceiving, relating and interpreting them. This means that culture is knowledge, shared and linked with other people. Culture refers to all aspects of the life they share in society. It is a set of rules and a pattern of behavior, that guide people from the same nation, and they perceive them as a model of life and of society. Language does not exist on its own, it is embedded in the culture of the people and reflects their beliefs and feelings.

10

Language is essentially rooted in the reality of culture, the tribal life and customs of the people, and [] it cannot be explained without constant reference to these broader concepts of verbal utterance. (Malinowski, 1946:44)

Every language has specific vocabulary elements and their concepts are completely different from those in other languages. Also, a word can have several different meanings, according to context. These meanings are the result of the use of the word in the cultural setting to which it belongs. Sometimes it is very difficult to translate them, because they do not have an exact equivalent in another language. Even if there is a correspondence in denotation, the words connotation may vary and also the emotional associations it may produce. Language and culture are deeply embedded and they cannot be broken off. It can be said even better: language is culture (Simone, 1987:37). That is why, when teaching a language, it is absolutely necessary to teach students about its culture as well. A language should always be taught in context. Only then we can communicate properly with those people, when we have learnt about their mentality, their way of thinking and behaving and only then we can perceive them as they really are. But how can we teach culture? How can students learn it? According to W. Rivers (1981), a very useful way to teach culture is through reading. Texts can provide students with knowledge about the foreign culture. All kinds of texts can be used: short stories, poems, plays, newspaper articles or magazine articles. The only thing to make sure of is to provide adequate texts that are representative for the contemporary attitudes and situations in modern language. The teacher and the students can discuss on the texts and compare their native culture with the new one. For students at an advanced level, the teacher can choose some literary works. It will offer the students an opportunity to experience the new culture through artistic means. Studying another culture can have a great impact on students motivation to learn a new language and also encourage them to develop a sense of tolerance towards other peoples points of view and behavior.

11

Chapter 3 LEARNING EASIER BY READING - CASE STUDY -

This chapter is a case study that is intended to prove that using reading activities in teaching grammar makes it easier and more accessible for the pupils in the 6th grade. The subject of the lesson was to teach the degrees of comparison for short adjectives and the objectives were to enable pupils to identify comparative forms of adjectives in a text, deduce the rule of their formation, with the help of the teacher, and then use the forms in other sentences. The target group consisted of 25 pupils, at the age of 12-13. Keeping in mind that they do not all have the same level of English and also that some of them have studied it only since the 5th grade, it was necessary to choose a shorter and an easier text, with only a few new words (not too many, as I did not want to discourage the pupils of lower level). The text is included in the Appendix 1. The lesson began as usual, by writing down who is absent and at the same time, engaging them in a short conversation about their activities that day and the day before, to warm them up for the lesson. In order to prepare them for the activities to come, I asked them about their favorite animal and a short description of it. A few pupils answered and said a few words about them, describing how they look like. After this oral activity, it was the best time to announce the subject of the lesson: The Comparative Form of Adjectives, which I put on the blackboard while the pupils write it down in their notebooks. The next step was to distribute to each pupil a sheet containing the text to be read. While they were examining the paper, I told them that we would read the text and then we would do some activities based on the text. The first activity was to let them read silently for one minute, to underline all unknown words, if there are any. The pupils then read the story loudly, in turns, and I would guide their reading and correct their pronunciation. After having read the story attentively, I would ask about

12

the unknown words and first let their peers explain if possible. After I provide the required explanation, I would ask them to work in pairs and identify all the adjectives that they can find in the text and write the list in their notebooks. I gave them a few minutes to do it and after that I started to verify their list. It chose an oral verification, picking a few pupils to read their list, but always giving their peers the opportunity to correct them when needed (if the word was not an adjective, or if they skipped adjectives). After clearing out and having a complete list of the adjectives, we could move on to the next activity. The pupils observed that the adjectives in their list have two different forms. Some of them are the adjectives they have already studied, while the others have a different ending, -er. Pointing to the title on the blackboard, I told them that the forms with a different ending are the comparative forms of adjectives. The next step of the lesson was to ask them if they can tell me what adjectives they come from by looking at the forms ending in -er. While writing them on the blackboard, I told them they are called the positive forms of the adjective. Next to them I wrote the comparative form and I invited them to tell me the rule of how they are formed. Most of them observed that the comparative is formed by adding -er to the positive form. I added than to each adjective ending in -er, explaining that it is also necessary, and told them to check in the text and see if indeed it was used. Once they have finished with the adjectives in the list, there were two columns on the blackboard, and we would complete their translation, in brackets, together. After the translation, of course, it was the time to make sure they understood the rule. I wrote a few other adjectives, in the positive form, and invited the pupils to write their comparative form. Most of them were able to do it. A scheme of how the blackboard looked like at the end of the lesson is also included in the Appendix 2. The last activity of the lesson was to write 3 sentences in their notebooks using comparative forms and then have some of the pupils read their examples. There were only few mistakes, and in most cases, they forgot to add than. Their homework was to describe their favorite animal in 10 lines and compare it to others, using as many adjectives as they can both in positive and comparative forms.

13

At the end of the lesson, I have observed that 90% of the pupils were able to form the comparative and use it in sentences. In addition to this, while verifying their homework during the following lesson, and evaluating them with a few exercises (fill in, multiple choice), I have concluded that it was a lot easier for them to learn the grammar through reading and also their vocabulary improved, from one lesson to another. What was even more important was that they gave me positive feedback, asking me if we could do the same kinds of activities during the next lessons, with texts about animals or sports, proving that they really enjoyed the activities and the technique I used to teach them something they would not have paid much attention if it was presented to them in the traditional way. As a recommendation, I would say that this method does not work only with pupils of 12-13 years old, but also with older students, and the variety of materials that can be used with them is even greater as well as the subjects. Of course, there will still be a few students that might not participate too much in the activities, but if 90% of them do, the lesson can be considered successful. Also, it is very important to use reading in English language teaching to encourage students to read more, as it seems that nowadays they are less interested in doing it.

14

CONCLUSIONS

Reading is an activity that helps us improve our knowledge, love literature, but mostly, it enables us to do all the things that are part of our everyday, modern life. When learning a new language, reading is the central activity, because everything we need to learn in that language is related to reading: vocabulary is improved; grammar is better understood, writing skills and communication skills become easier to use. All the persons who want to learn a new language are, first of all, receivers of information. First of all, they listen or read the message, and only afterwards they are able to produce language. They listen to their teacher saying Hello, they read short texts, they repeat them, sometimes mechanically, but once they start to understand the message, be it oral or written, and they become familiarized with it, they are able to learn it and use it. Step by step, they learn vocabulary and also develop skills that enable them to communicate and interact with others. Reading is, therefore, an essential function in learning language skills and in communication. It is important when learning pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar and in discourse organization. Also, let us not to forget its great cultural role. In order to communicate well with people from other countries and with different cultural backgrounds, it is important to know their culture and traditions. Of course, these things can be read in our native language, but would we be able to speak about them in their language, if we do not know and use the correct vocabulary? The best way to learn about others culture and understand their mentality and behavior is to read in their language. A language is learned through itself. Translations are not always accurate. The general purpose of reading a text is to understand its message and learn something from it and use it afterwards. The purpose is closely related to every persons motivation for reading. That is why, as teachers, we should always keep in mind the needs of our students when choosing the appropriate texts and teaching techniques. A good teacher will help students to learn to read and read to learn.

15

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1.

Brooks, H.F. (1968) Culture and Language Learning, New York Brace and

World Harcourt
2. Goodenough, D.R. (1997) The Role of Individual Differences in Field-

dependence as a Factor in Learning and Memory, Psychological Bulletin, 4/4

3. Krashen, S. & Terrel, T. (1985), The Natural Approach. Language Acquisition

in the Classroom, Hayward, CA: Allemany Press

4. Lewis, M. (1993) The Lexical Approach. The State of ELT and a Way Forward,

Hove: Language Teaching Publications.

5. Malinowsky, B. (1946) The Problem of Meaning in Primitive Languages, in

Odgen and Richerds, London: Trubner & Co.

6. Rivers, W.M. (1981) Teaching Foreign Language Skills, 2nd edition, Chicago:

University of Chicago Press

7. Simone, V. (1987) The Intercultural Implications of Teaching English in

China, English Teaching Forum, 26/1

8. Taylor, L. (1990) Teaching and Learning Vocabulary, New York, London:

Prentice Hall
9. http://www.asian-efl-journal.com/Article_8_June_mzx.pdf (accessed on May

29th)
10. http://www.eduplace.com/state/author/pik_temp.pdf (accessed on May 29th) 11. http://www.elt-china.org/pastversion/lw/pdf/zhangjiying.pdf (accessed on May

29th)
12. http://www.qsm.ac.il/mrakez/asdarat/jamiea/7/AbdAlkareemFinal.pdf

(accessed on May 29th)

16

APPENDIX 1
The following text was used in the lesson: African Wild Dogs What is the difference between African wild dogs and the dogs we know as pets? African wild dogs, which live in Africa, south of the Sahara desert, only have four toes, and the dogs we know and the wolves have five. They are truly wild animals. Some people think that wild dogs are somebody's dogs that ran away and didn't come back, but it is not true. They are Africa's wolf, and just like wolves, they cannot be pets. They need to live out hunting to find the food they need to survive and feed puppies. Their fur is not the same for all of them. It is very easy to recognize them. They live in savannas and wooded areas, hunting gazelles and antelopes, birds and rats. They can run faster than other animals. African wild dogs are smart and nice, like pet dogs, but bet dogs are nicer. They enjoy each others' company and live in packs of about 6 to 20 animals. They always take care of the dogs in their group that are younger than them and make sure they have food. They love puppies and they will even take care of orphans that dont belong to them. There is a big difference between pet dogs and wild dogs. There are millions of pet dogs living on the planet, but there are fewer than 6,000 African wild dogs left. Lions and hyenas can eat them, as they are stronger than them. Also, they are threatened by hunters or by farmers who poison them because they go after their cows and sheep.

17

APPENDIX 2
This is how the blackboard looks like at the end of the lesson: The Comparative of Adjectives Young => Few => Strong => Wild => Easy => Smart => Nice => younger than (mai tnr dect) fewer than (mai puini dect) stronger than (mai puternic dect) wilder than easier than smarter than nicer than

Other examples: Big => bigger than Small => smaller than Tall => taller than Old => older than Long => longer than Large => larger than Thin => thinner than

18