How do you choose what you are going to read? Do you think a lot before making your choice, or do you simply pick up a book or magazine by chance? In this section, we look at how thinking about what you are going to read before you begin can make the process of reading easier.
The programme The Reading Group discusses how you can get the most out of any novel, story or play you read. In the following extract, Gillian Lazar, a language and literature expert, gives advice on how best to prepare for reading.
Before you read the extract Look at a novel or short story which you haven’t yet read.You might borrow one from a friend or browse in a bookshop or in a library. How much can you predict about the story before you open the book?
Reading a novel is like being a detective. Like a detective, the reader gathers clues – only the clues the reader looks for are words to help him understand a story. And readers, just like detectives, are shaped by the culture or society in which they live. So how can we read books from other cultures more effectively? One way is to prepare ourselves a little before we start reading.We might ask ourselves, for example, who the writer is or in what circumstances the text was written.The style of the cover can often give clues to the type of text inside. For classic novels, literary encyclopaedias may provide some helpful background. For more modern novels, newspaper reviews can provide us with clues. And don’t forget the ‘blurb’ – that is the information on the back of the book itself, which gives clues to the content of the novel. From this background information, we can begin to make predictions about the book so we can actively engage in interpreting its cultural meanings while we read.
The programme The Reading Group discusses how you can get the most out of any novel, story or play you read. In the following extract, Gillian Lazar, a language and literature expert, gives advice on how best to prepare for reading.
Before you read the extract Look at a novel or short story which you haven’t yet read.You might borrow one from a friend or browse in a bookshop or in a library. How much can you predict about the story before you open the book?
Reading a novel is like being a detective. Like a detective, the reader gathers clues – only the clues the reader looks for are words to help him understand a story. And readers, just like detectives, are shaped by the culture or society in which they live. So how can we read books from other cultures more effectively? One way is to prepare ourselves a little before we start reading.We might ask ourselves, for example, who the writer is or in what circumstances the text was written.The style of the cover can often give clues to the type of text inside. For classic novels, literary encyclopaedias may provide some helpful background. For more modern novels, newspaper reviews can provide us with clues. And don’t forget the ‘blurb’ – that is the information on the back of the book itself, which gives clues to the content of the novel. From this background information, we can begin to make predictions about the book so we can actively engage in interpreting its cultural meanings while we read.
- According to Gillian, why are readers like detectives?
- Gillian gives 4 ways to find clues about the content of a novel or story.What are they?
Answer
- Readers and detectives both look for clues to help solve mysteries.The reader looks for clues to help him find out as much as possible about the story he is reading.
- Find out something about the writer.
Find out when, where and why the novel or story was written.
Read encyclopaedias or reviews to find out about the writer or the story.
Read the book cover to find out as much as possible about the story.
So how can you best prepare yourself to read a novel or story written in English? Here are some tips to help you.
Look at the title and the blurb What kind of story is it? Based on the title and the blurb, think about the type of vocabulary you expect to find in the story. By predicting vocabulary before you start to read, you can make the process of reading easier.
What do you know about the author? Have you read anything by this author before? What type of writing is she or he best known for? Knowing something about the author can also help you make predictions about the content of the novel or story. For example, Agatha Christie is a famous British author who wrote detective stories set in England in the 1920s and 1930s.Therefore, we can expect the stories to a) be mysterious and b) present a picture of English life at that time. Before you start the book, think:‘What do I know about English life in the 1920s and 1930s?’
What have you heard about the book? Have you read a review or a summary? Do you have a friend who has read it? Finding out someone else’s opinion about the novel or story will help you decide if you want to read it – and to work out why you want to read it.
TASK You can choose to do this either as a reading task or as a listening task.
Reading Select a book which you think looks interesting. Read the blurb and predict what you expect the story to be about. Remember to think about the following headings:
Look at the title and the blurb What kind of story is it? Based on the title and the blurb, think about the type of vocabulary you expect to find in the story. By predicting vocabulary before you start to read, you can make the process of reading easier.
What do you know about the author? Have you read anything by this author before? What type of writing is she or he best known for? Knowing something about the author can also help you make predictions about the content of the novel or story. For example, Agatha Christie is a famous British author who wrote detective stories set in England in the 1920s and 1930s.Therefore, we can expect the stories to a) be mysterious and b) present a picture of English life at that time. Before you start the book, think:‘What do I know about English life in the 1920s and 1930s?’
What have you heard about the book? Have you read a review or a summary? Do you have a friend who has read it? Finding out someone else’s opinion about the novel or story will help you decide if you want to read it – and to work out why you want to read it.
TASK You can choose to do this either as a reading task or as a listening task.
Reading Select a book which you think looks interesting. Read the blurb and predict what you expect the story to be about. Remember to think about the following headings:
- Author
- Time and place
- Type of story
- Vocabulary I expect to find
Make some notes about your predictions before you start reading.
Listening Look at your BBC World Service programme schedule to find a series in which stories or novels are read on air. If possible, record the programme and listen to the introduction. How much can you predict about the story from the information given by the presenter at the beginning of the programme?
Listening Look at your BBC World Service programme schedule to find a series in which stories or novels are read on air. If possible, record the programme and listen to the introduction. How much can you predict about the story from the information given by the presenter at the beginning of the programme?
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