The Linguist On Language

"correct" internalization of the text, analysis or other elements of "critical thinking" as a possible disturbance of the pleasures of discovery through reading. The definition of what is a superficial or deeper meaning is subjective.

Teaching critical thinking seems to be a fad amongst teachers of English as a foreign language. I am not aware of a similar interest among teachers of other languages. Do people who teach Spanish, Chinese, Russian or French as a foreign language also teach "critical thinking"?

Reading strategies

Mitch fol ows my blog and sent me an email about a new book by Nancie Atwell cal ed The Reading Zone. I have not read the book but from the reviews on Amazon it seems to say that teachers should not try to teach "reading strategies" to young readers. If young people are all owed to choose books of interest, and just all owed to read, they will , in many cases, do just that. Once the teacher jumps in with advice on how to plan reading, connect ideas, or whatever other "strategies" are in fashion, the chances are that the young reader will either ignore that advice or simply tune out of reading. The reading will cease to belong to the reader. It will belong to the teacher. As a result it will be spoiled.

I have seen language learning books, which are full of pre-listening or post-listening, or pre-reading and post-reading "task lists". To me these lists are, at best, a waste of time. In the worst case they destroy the pleasure of listening and reading in the new language.

When my son Eric was in grade 8 or 9, he wrote a 25-page essay comparing Japan to the USSR. It was well written. Eric had done a great deal of research. It was illustrated with maps.

Eric got 4 out of 25. I was so angry that I went to see the teacher. The teacher told me that Eric had not answered the specific question that the teacher had asked. I think (or I hope) that I told the teacher that he was an idiot.

The main role of a teacher is to encourage the learner to pursue learning. If the teacher thinks that the main job is to teach a lesson, according to latest fad in education, that teacher missing the point. If the teacher can instill a hunger for learning, for exploring, for reading, for expressing, then the job is well done.

It is like coaches of sports teams that think that they will make everyone do it the coach's way, and that then they will win. It is only when the coach can get everyone to work together and have a positive attitude that the team will do well, for the team and for the individuals.

Reading is more important than studying

Reading is more important than studying, more important than everything, make sure that your children get books into their hands - Ziraldo, famous Brazilian educator.

To some teachers, literacy is not just reading. It is much more complex. It relates to culture, to advocacy, to funding, to classroom teaching strategies, reading strategies and whatever else they can find to complicate the issue. To me literacy is just reading. The more you read, the better you will get at reading. If you get used to reading you will enjoy it and do more. If you can choose material of interest, and at your level, you will enjoy reading, develop the reading habit and progress, natural y. If you have trouble reading, you need to listen first, so that you can hear the language when you read. The less complicated the reading is, the better. No comprehension questions, no reading strategies, no teacher standing over the learner. Just the learner and the book he or she chose.

Yes there are some people with handicaps, or reading difficulties. I suspect that among all the people who do not read, or are discouraged from reading, the people with these reading handicaps is a small number. I suspect that, as the celebrated educator and author Nancie Atwel points out in The Reading Zone, the complications introduced by the well -intentioned reading teachers is a big part of the problem.

I suspect that Ziraldo, Nancie Atwel , and I are of the same view. Reading is about reading, and if possible, listening. Reading is the key to academic learning. Reading is the key to literacy.

Literacy can be as simple as finding the right book and reading it.

Where the learner is not motivated to do that, there is not much to be done. So let's not confuse the learner. Let's simplify the task and stay away from 15 different definitions of literacy.

Promoting literacy

Two popular activities that are used to promote literacy are national scale spelling bees, and the "one book" reading campaign. As usual I have a somewhat contrary point of view.