COMMUBICATIVE ENGLISH

DUE 10012
COMMUNICATIVE ENGLISH 1

2.0 READING SKILLS

2.1 Demonstrate understanding of current
issues / Topics of interest

2.1.1 Skim and scan texts
2.1.2 Comprehend a variety of texts based on current
issues, including those with green elements or topics of
interest
▪ Language item(s): cohesive devices, affixes, modals,

tenses (as found in the text)

2.1.1 Skimming and scanning…

o … are very rapid reading methods in which you glance
at a passage to find specific information.

o These reading methods make it easier for you to grasp
large amounts of material, especially when you're
previewing.

o They are also useful when you don't need to know
every word.

o Skimming and scanning are especially valuable when
there is only one item of information that you need
to find from a particular passage.

2.1 CURRENT ISSUES/ TOPICS OF INTEREST

2.1.1 Skim and scan texts

• Speed reading techniques
• Can cover vast amount of materials
• Techniques are similar in process

but different in purpose

SKIMMING SCANNING

❖ look only for the general or ❖ look only for a specific fact or
main ideas.
piece of information without
❖ read only what is important
to your purpose reading everything.
❖ Read for details
Example
Example
Materials Purpose
Materials Purpose
Newspaper Get the general news of the
day Channel guides Your favourite show
Telephone book
Magazines To quickly identify which Your friend’s phone
article to read number

SKIMMING

• Skimming refers to the process of reading only main
ideas within a passage to get an overall impression of
the content of a reading selection.

• Skimming is a reading technique that can help you to:
• read more quickly
• decide if the text is interesting and whether you
should read it in more detail

• Skimming is a fast reading technique. Use it to obtain
the gist of a piece of text (i.e. to quickly identify the
main ideas in the text).

How is 'skimming'
different to 'scanning'?

o The term skimming is often confused with scanning.
o Skimming is used to obtain the gist (the overall sense) of a

piece of text. For example, you can use skimming to get the gist
of a page of a textbook to decide whether it is useful and should
therefore be read more slowly and in more detail.
o Scanning is used to obtain specific information from a piece of
text. For example, you can use scanning to find a particular
number in a telephone directory.
o Sometimes you can use both reading methods. After you have
skimmed a piece of text to decide whether the text is of
interest, you may wish to use scanning techniques to locate
specific information.

How to Skim:

• Read the title.
• Read the introduction or the first paragraph.
• Read the first sentence of every other paragraph.
• Read any headings and sub-headings.
• Notice any pictures, charts, or graphs.
• Notice any italicized or boldface words or phrases.
• Read the summary or last paragraph.



Skimming for Main Ideas

What’s in a paragraph?

A paragraph usually contains one fully
developed main idea. It appears often in one
sentence, which tells the topic and the main
idea of the paragraph; this is referred as the
topic sentence. The topic sentence sums up the
ideas of the other sentences, which give details
about the main idea.

Example:

Ismail Khan is a Malaysian youth whose family migrated to Canada
two years ago. After undergoing 6 years in the Malaysian school
system, he entered a Canadian High School. He worked very hard and
at the end of the term, he was one of the best students in his grade. He
said that he had the best possible education. In Malaysian school, he
was trained to memorize basic information and self discipline. Then, in
the Canadian school, he learned to form his own ideas and opinions.
The merger of the Eastern and Western systems is the best possible
kind of education.

(Note: “The merger of the eastern and western systems is the best possible kind of
education” is the topic sentence. The topic of discussion is two education systems. The
main idea is that both systems have their advantages.)

HINTS AND TIPS
FOR BETTER SKIMMING

▪ Don't read the whole text word-for-word. Use as many clues as possible to give you
some background information. There might be pictures or images related to the
topic, or an eye-catching title. Let your eyes skim over the surface of the text and,
whilst thinking about any clues you have found about the subject, look out for key
words.

1. Read the title, subtitles and subheading to find out what the text is about.

2. Look at the illustrations to give you further information about the topic.

3. Read the first and last sentence of each paragraph.

4. Don't read every word or every sentence. Let you eyes skim over the text, taking in
key words.

5. Continue to think about the meaning of the text.



SCANNING

• Scanning is a fast reading technique. It's a way of reading to look for
specific information in a text. In scanning you have a question in your
mind and you read a passage only to find the answer, ignoring
unrelated information.

• Scanning can be used to look up a phone number, read through the
small ads in a newspaper, or for browsing TV schedules, timetables,
lists, catalogues or web pages for information. For these tasks you
don't need to read or understand every word.

• Scanning is also useful when studying or looking to find specific
information from a book or article quickly as there is not always time
to read every word.

How to Scan:

o State the specific information you are looking for.

o Try to anticipate how the answer will appear and what clues you
might use to help you locate the answer. For example, if you were
looking for a certain date, you would quickly read the paragraph
looking only for numbers.

o Use headings and any other aids that will help you identify which
sections might contain the information you are looking for.

o Selectively read and skip through sections of the passage.

(From College Reading and Study Skills and Academic Reading and Study Skills for International Students)

HINTS AND TIPS FOR
BETTER SCANNING

1. Don't try to read every word. Instead let your eyes move quickly across the
page until you find what you are looking for.
2. Use clues on the page, such as headings and titles, to help you.
3. In a dictionary or phone book, use the 'header' words to help you scan.You
can find these in bold type at the top of each page.
4. If you are reading for study, start by thinking up or writing down some
questions that you want to answer. Doing this can focus your mind and help you
find the facts or information that you need more easily.
5. Many texts use A-Z order. These include everyday materials such as the
phone book and indexes to books and catalogues.
6. There are many ways to practise scanning skills. Try looking up a favourite
recipe in the index of a cookbook, search for a plumber in your localYellow
Pages, or scan web pages on the Internet to find specific information.

This factsheet is BBC Copyright.



Skimming ….
What do you understand ?

Main idea

2/6/2014 – Hungary , Hungary has managed to set a new world record by building the highest Lego
tower ever. Construction of the 36-metre Lego tower began on Wednesday, with several school
children taking part. The aim was to break the current US record of 34.43 meters. Officials from the
Guinness World Record company arrived in Budapest on Saturday to verify the record. The Mayor of
the city’s fifth district, Antal Rogan, said that he hoped the record would promote Budapest to the
world. “This is a modern obelisk behind us and it shows that, with lots of minute engineering
knowledge and diligence, how we call attention to the fact that this is one of the most beautiful
squares in Budapest and I hope we will be able to achieve a new world record. And if this happens,
we will be able to draw even more tourists to Budapest.” After Rogan placed the last piece on top of
the tower, the official measurement showed that, indeed, a new record was set. The tower will be
disassembled on Monday.

Supporting idea Supporting idea Supporting idea

Scanning… Scan the poster then answer
the questions below.

1) What is the issue highlighted in
this poster?

2) What are the signs and
symptoms of the infection?

3) How does the infection spread?

4) List 1 rare way a person can be
infected by the virus?

5) List 2 examples of close personal
contact?



2.1.2 Comprehend a variety of texts based on
current issues, including those with green
elements or topics of interest.

Hydroelectric Power What is the main idea of the
text?
Hydroelectricity is electricity produced by the
movement of water. Huge dams are built to block What are the advantages of
rivers and collect water. This water is then released and hydroelectricity?
forced through shafts that lead to a turbine. As the
water turns this turbine, electricity is made. What are the disadvantages
Hydroelectricity is much friendlier to the environment of hydroelectricity?
than fossil fuels like coal or oil, and is very easy to
produce quickly. The way the water can be ‘let go’
means that the electricity can be made in a short space
of time. Despite the advantages of hydroelectric power,
the building of these huge dams can cause damage to
the environment. Because the natural flow of water is
stopped, large areas can be flooded, affecting the
people and wildlife that live there.



REFERENCES:

▪ http://specialed.about.com/od/readingliteracy/a/Reading-
Comprehension-Skills-Making-Predictions.htm

▪ http://www.scholastic.com/browse/quiz.jsp?id=42835
▪ http://en.islcollective.com/
▪ http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/green-great
▪ Google Images
▪ Youtube

“Without hard work, nothing grows but weeds."

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Content Prepared by : Pn. TengYee Ling Susan (JPA PPD)

PowerPoint Slides prepared by : Thinish A/L Rajah (JP)