Emerging Perspectives on Advanced ESL Reading Instruction / Ilona Leki.

Although many English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) teachers know that reading and writing have an effect on each other, research on reading and writing have developed independently and have not greatly influenced each other or reading/writing pedagogy. Teachers must determine the best way to encourage more effective learning in which the reciprocal effects of reading and writing on each other are utilized. Five topics are addressed that should be considered for using readings in an ESL writing classroom: selection of readings (short texts and topic variety); expected accomplishments; how texts are used in the classroom and the purposes for which students read them; reading instruction strategies similar to strategies used in process oriented writing classes; and the social nature of reading and writing. It is suggested that the inclination to divide language into separate skills may be a mistake and that reading and writing classrooms should be reintegrated. By focusing less on teaching generic reading skills and more on helping students understand specific texts that they want to understand, teachers can help students experience ease and pleasure in reading and writing in English. Contains 28 references. (LB)

Teachers. ericd

Practitioners. ericd

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