Pre-Final - Final Module - English Skills Proficiency
Pre-Final - Final Module - English Skills Proficiency
Pre-Final - Final Module - English Skills Proficiency
Overview:
The subject of English Skills Proficiency is structured into main subject areas with
competence aims. The main subject areas supplement each other and must be considered
together. The subject of English Skills Proficiency is a common core subject for all the upper
secondary education programmes.
Learning in this subject shall therefore be made as relevant as possible for pupils by
adapting each subject to the different education programmes. The main subject deals with
understanding and using the English language by listening, speaking, conversing, reading,
writing and applying suitable communication strategies. The main subject area involves
listening to, understand and using English in different situations where communication needs
to be done orally.
The first part of this module, on listening skills which includes comprehension of gist
and detailed information. Communication skills, which cover communication situations.
Reading, which involves study of instructional business-related texts of topical relevance.
Writing skills, which have a specific focus on Art of Condensation. This subject helps
students converse better in day-to-day situations.
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MODULE IN ENGLISH
Indicative Content:
• Reading
• Speed of Reading
• Differences between Efficient and Inefficient readers
• Overcoming Common Obstacles
• Types of Reading
• Methods of Reading
PRE-FINAL
UNIT III (Module 3)
The Art of Effective Reading
Reading- is the process of looking at a series of written symbols and getting meaning from
them. When we read, we use our eyes to receive written symbols (letters, punctuation marks
and spaces) and we use our brain to convert them into words, sentences and paragraphs that
communicate something to us.
Reading can be silent (in our head) or aloud (so that other people can hear).
Reading is a receptive skill through it we receive information. But the complex process of
reading also requires the skill of speaking, so that we can pronounce the words that we read.
In this sense, reading is also a productive skill in that we are both receiving information and
transmitting it (even if only to ourselves).
SPEED OF READING
An average college student reads between 150 and 250 words per minute. A “good” reading
speed is around 250-400 words per minute, but some people can read even 1000 words per
minute or more. However, research shows that there is difference in the rate of reading for
different purposes.
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TYPES OF READING
Scanning
This reading mode is aimed only at finding the necessary information in the text. It does not
mean a complete immersion in the text and a deep comprehension of the facts, analysis of
grammatical constructions. Often in this mode, the text is viewed for the presence of
unfamiliar words, so that after their translation it will be easier to read the text fully. This
type of reading is also called «diagonal reading».
Skimming
This reading mode is used to get to know and understand if this information is useful to you
(you are viewing a book in a store or a magazine on the shelf before buying it). In this case,
the text is also viewed quickly, but not as carefully as in the previous case. The goal is not to
search for specific facts, but to evaluate the text for complexity, interest and a general
storyline.
Extensive reading
The purpose of this type of reading is to get acquainted with new information. In this mode,
people read art or scientific literature, without being distracted by new, unfamiliar words, if
their meaning can be approximately understood from the context.
This type of reading implies the mastering of the general image and the receipt of new,
unfamiliar information. It will be necessary to form and express your opinion about what you
read or answer the questions.
Intensive reading
Typically, this type of reading is used in the study of English in order to intensively parse the
proposed short, teaching text. With this type of reading, grammatical constructions,
unfamiliar words and phrases are intensively examined.
Type Purpose
Scanning Used to find a particular piece of
information
Skimming Used to understand the gist or main idea
Extensive reading Used for pleasure and general understanding
Intensive reading Accurate reading for comprehensive
understanding
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METHODS OF READING
Sub-vocalized reading- is a very common habit among readers. It involves saying words in
your head while reading and it's one of the main reasons why people read slowly and have
trouble improving their reading speed.
Speed Reading- Also known as rapid reading is basically a process that allows a person to
read a text at an increased speed. This can be done by skimming or selectively reading certain
words or phrases that are relevant to the text.
Photoreading- In this method, you use speed reading techniques with an additional
technique of photoreading to increase your reading speed, comprehension, and retention.
Proofreading- It is kind of reading for detecting typographical errors in printed text. One can
learn to do it rapidly, and professional readers typically acquire the ability to do so at high
rates, faster some kinds of material than for others.
Structure-proposition-evaluation (SPE) method - Popularized by Mortimer Adler in How
to Read a Book, mainly for non-fiction treatise, in which one reads a writing in three passes:
(1) for the structure of the work, which might be represented by an outline; (2) for the logical
propositions made, organized into chains of inference; and (3) for evaluation of the merits of
the arguments and conclusions. This method involves suspended judgment of the work or its
arguments until they are fully understood.
Survey-question-read-recite-review (SQ3R) method- often taught in public schools, which
involves reading toward being able to teach what is read, and is appropriate for instructors
preparing to teach material without referring to notes.[citation needed]
Multiple intelligences-based method- Which draw on the reader's diverse ways of thinking
and knowing to enrich appreciation of the text. Reading is fundamentally a linguistic activity:
one can basically comprehend a text without resorting to other intelligences, such as the
visual (e.g., mentally "seeing" characters or events described), auditory (e.g., reading aloud or
mentally "hearing" sounds described), or even the logical intelligence (e.g., considering
"what if" scenarios or predicting how the text will unfold base on context clues). However,
most readers already use several kinds of intelligence while reading. Doing so in a more
disciplined manner—i.e., constantly, or after every paragraph—can result in a more vivid,
memorable experience.
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Name: Date:
Section: Score:
1. What do you mean by effective reading skills? Discuss the major benefits of artful reading.
3. ‘Everybody knows how to read. But not everybody knows how to read skilfully and
artfully.’ Illustrate the statement and point out the major hurdles in effective reading.
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ACTIVITY
Name: Date:
Section: Score:
Directions: Answer the following questions.
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Overview:
The subject of English Proficiency is structured into main subject areas with competence
aims. The main subject areas supplement each other and must be considered together. The
subject of English Proficiency is a common core subject for all the upper secondary education
programmes.
Learning in this subject shall therefore be made as relevant as possible for pupils by adapting
each subject to the different education programmes. The main subject deals with
understanding and using the English language by listening, speaking, conversing, reading,
writing and applying suitable communication strategies. The main subject area involves
listening to, understand and using English in different situations where communication needs
to be done orally.
The first part of this module, on listening skills which includes comprehension of gist and
detailed information. Communication skills, which cover communication situations. Reading,
which involves study of instructional business-related texts of topical relevance. Writing
skills, which have a specific focus on Art of Condensation. This subject helps students
converse better in day-to-day situations.
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MODULE IN ENGLISH
Indicative Content:
FINAL
UNIT IV (Module 4)
The Art of Condensation
Summarizing, condensation, or précis writing is an art. It aims at squeezing the meaning of a
text into the fewest words.
• Condensation means process of making a book shorter by taking out anything that is not
necessary. The process of condensation in creative writing is synonymous to précis writing.
• Précis
• Summary
• Abstract
• Synopsis
• Paraphrasing
PRECIS
Among all the major forms of Condensation, the précis is most commonly required 2to be
read and written, both by a student and a professional. It is a short and concise account of
some text, which gives all its important points but none of its details. Since the purpose of a
précis is to briefly restate the idea expressed in the original write-up, it does not include any
superfluous or illustrative material which may be a part of the original. A précis follows and
maintains the view of the author. It records in minimum words the central idea which has
been presented in detail in the original piece of wring. Since you will be required to write a
précis quite often in your career. It has been discussed at length later on in this chapter.
SUMMARY
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A summary is often written and included in the reports prepared by professionals summaries
are also written to briefly present the main findings of a study, a journalistic article, or a
geographical survey. Whatever may be the purpose, a summary is quite useful as it presents
the entire matter in a nutshell. While writing a summary, the author does not add, develop, or
delete arguments and conclusions of the original. More often than not, it follows the sequence
for the ideas as expressed in the original and detailed work.
ABSTRACT
Shorter than a summary, an abstract is written to highlight the purpose, scope, and
significance of a work. It is often preferred to a summary in technical and specialized forms
of communication. Therefore, you often come across an abstract published along with a
research article in journals and magazines. In order to understand the features of the abstract
and the summary and to figure out the differences between them in detail.
SYNOPSIS
A synopsis is a condensed and shortened version of an article, research paper, a chapter of the
book, a report, or a book itself. A synopsis highlights in brief all the essential features of the
original document. Normally, a synopsis is required to be submitted to universities when
research proposals, dissertations, and theses are proposed to be written by researchers. In a
synopsis, the researcher is required to highlight the purpose, scope, and significance of the
research. A synopsis also includes a reference to the methods adopted for data collection and
the research gap that determines the objective of the research. A synopsis also provides the
general plan of the entire work and tries to establish its importance in the relevant field.
PARAPHRASING
Although paraphrasing is not necessarily a condensed form of the original document, it is
often believed to be one. Therefore, it is advisable to understand the nature and purpose of a
paraphrased text. The purpose of a paraphrase is to reproduce the author’s ideas in your own
words. So, you may employ as many words as the author has chosen to express
himself/herself. Paraphrasing of write-ups is done in order to convey to the reader in simpler
terms an idea which, otherwise, appears to be ambiguous, arcane, philosophical, or poetic to
follow. Many a time, you come across a paraphrased text of a classic. It is meant to bring the
texts written in different times and languages to readers who can only follow a simpler and
familiar version of it.
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MODULE IN ENGLISH
Name: Date:
Section: Score:
1. Define a ‘précis’ and discuss its characteristics features.
b. Synopsis
3.’The Art of Condensation is an essential element in our writing skills.’ Discuss and
substantiate.
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MODULE IN ENGLISH
ACTIVITY
Name: Date:
Section: Score:
Directions: Condense each of the following small passages retaining the main idea and using
a minimum number of words.
1. We all know what we mean by a "good" man. The ideally good man does not drink or
smoke, avoids bad language, converses in the presence of men only exactly as he would if
there were ladies present, attends church regularly and holds the correct opinion on all
subjects. He has a wholesome horror of wrong-doing and realizes that it is our painful duty to
castigate sin. He has a still greater horror of wrong thinking, and considers it the business of
the authorities to safeguard the young against those who question the wisdom of the views
generally accepted by middle-aged successful citizens. Apart from his professional duties, at
which he is assiduous, he spends much time in good works: he may encourage patriotism and
military training; he may promote industry, sobriety and virtue among wage earners and their
children by seeing to it that failures in these respects receive due punishment; he may be a
trustee of a university and prevent an ill-judged respect for learning from allowing the
employment of professors with subversive ideas. Above all, of course, his "morals" in the
narrow sense must be irreproachable.
Answer:
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2. There is an enemy beneath our feet - an enemy more deadly for his complete impartiality.
He recognizes no national boundaries, no political parties. Everyone in the world is
threatened by him. The enemy is the earth itself. When an earthquake strikes, the world
trembles. The power of a quake is greater than anything man himself can produce. But today
scientists are directing a great deal of their effort into finding some way of combating
earthquakes, and it is possible that at some time in the near future mankind will have
discovered a means of protecting itself from earthquakes. An earthquake strikes without
warning. When it does, its power is immense. If it strikes a modern city, the damage it causes
is as great as if it has struck a primitive village. Gas mains burst, explosions are caused and
fires are started. Underground railways are wrecked. Buildings collapse, bridges fall, dams
burst, and gaping crevices appear in busy streets. If the quake strikes at sea, huge tidal waves
sweep inland. If it strikes in mountain regions, avalanches roar down into the valley.
Consider the terrifying statistics from the past 1755: Lisbon, capital of Portugal - the city
destroyed entirely and 450 killed. 1970: Peru: 50,000 killed. In 1968 an earthquake struck
Alaska. As this is a relatively underpopulated part, only a few people were killed. But it is
likely that this was one of the most powerful quakes ever to have hit the world. Geologists
estimate that during the tremors, the whole of the state moved over 80 feet farther west into
the Pacific Ocean. Imagine the power of something that can move an entire subcontinent!
This is the problem that the scientists face. They are dealing with forces so immense that man
cannot hope to resist them. All that can be done is to try to pinpoint just where the earthquake
will strike and work from there. At least some precautionary measures can then be taken to
save lives and some of the property.
Answer:
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REFERENCES:
• Communication Skills by Sanjay Kumar and Pushp Lata; 1st Edition published in
2011 by Oxford University Press
• https://www.howtolearn.com/2012/08/different-reading-techniques-and-when-to-use-
them/