Category: English Communication

"If you don't like to read, you haven't found the right book," says J.K Rowling, a British author. Many of us are under the idea that reading is boring and there are no reasons to read or reading is only for intelligent people. Well, let me tell you, you're wrong! [ihc-hide-content ihc_mb_type="show" ihc_mb_who="4" ihc_mb_template="3"] Reading may seem like a sad and long thing to do, and we often choose many other things to do over a task. Let's say that it is the most basic way to learn. It is like the first step before you begin to do many other things that are a part of life. For example, you cannot write until you read, and why? When you began school, you first learned to read before you even knew what writing is! Also, it would help if you had ideas to write, which do not come till you read. Another thing we mostly tell ourselves is that reading is for the grand people who like words and sentences and all of that, but no, you're mistaken again. And this reason seems to be a prevalent reason people don't even try reading. But let's look at what reading is and what it can do, and how you can start with small steps and then check again if you would like to start reading. Reading is simply understanding words and sentences put together and their meaning. It's no formula, no longer answer or theory, and the best part is with reading, you learn to understand better, know better. Yes, it has many ways and types but let's not forget what it is. What happens when you see posters or invitations or cards and things like that? In these small things, reading is helpful, as all that is written on these things is not always easy to understand. Sometimes we need to put words together to see what the person is trying to say. Let's look at books and magazines. What do you do when you want to hear a story? Or did someone ask you to tell one? And everyone wants to know what is happening in the world, so we need to learn how to read newspapers. So, let's see what we get out of reading and why more than 80% of people in the world read: To learn – Right from words, languages, sentences, and more, there is a lot to learn while reading. To understand – You cannot do much anywhere without understanding, and reading helps you know the meanings of words and other things, so you are not lost. To get better at speaking – This is an excellent reason to read. While you don't even know, you are also getting better with how you say the words you use while reading. Knowledge – Everyone wants to KNOW. And reading helps you do that too. Reading is the way to learn the right things from learning about the world, yourself, and many other things. For the mind! – There is a kind of magic in reading that makes you want to think about what you're reading; while you're thinking, a lot more comes to your mind and helps you grow. You learn to think differently, and many new ideas come to mind with reading. There is a high emphasis on reading in the US, UK, Canada and other countries. English is a global language and connects people from different parts of the world through language. If you can speak your native language fluently, it also means that you can learn a language like English and become fluent in it only if you persist in learning. Let's look at some standards/scales that determine the proficiency or fluency levels of the English language used in the west to get an idea of how important it is to understand your level of fluency and how to progress each story by thoroughly learning the language.Like with any other language learning, English learning is a step by step process, and you must be diligent at it. In America, they use Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) scale, and the ILR scale includes six levels: 1 - No proficiency- This means that knowledge of the language is nonexistent or limited to a few words. 2 - Elementary proficiency- Demonstrating this level of fluency means you know how to structure basic sentences, which may include common questions and answers typically used by tourists. 3 - Limited working proficiency- Level two means you can have limited social conversations and understand basic commands. 4 - Professional working proficiency- Level three means you understand the language well enough to contribute significantly in the workplace, though you may exhibit a pronounced accent and need help with advanced terminology. 5 - Full professional proficiency- Most employers want to see level four skills on the ILR scale on a resume. It means that you can have conversations at an advanced level and understand the language, though you may have some misunderstandings or occasional mistakes. 6 - Primary fluency / bilingual proficiency- Level five means you are entirely fluent in a language. You were raised speaking the language or have spoken it long enough to become proficient. Your accent is either nonexistent or barely recognizable. CEFR(Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) Here is how a CEFR(Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) framework is used for reference language proficiency levels. This reference will help you add the right proficiency level to your resume. Proficiency Level Beginner- A1 : You can use simple phrases for basic needs and have fundamental interactions provided the other person speaks clearly. Pre-Intermediate - A2 : You can use English for everyday tasks and activities. You can also understand common phrases related to your personal information or your employment. Intermediate-B1: You can have simple conversations about familiar topics. At the B1 level, you can slowly describe some of your experiences and deal with most situations while travelling. Upper-Intermediate - B2 : You can communicate confidently about many topics. Most conversations are held at the B2 level so that you can speak with natives without difficulty and spontaneity. You can also understand the main ideas of texts about topics you are familiar with. Advanced - C1: You can express yourself fluently in almost any situation without searching for expressions. You can perform complex tasks in English related to work and study. You can also produce explicit, detailed texts on challenging subjects. Mastery - C2 : You use the English language with complete mastery. You can read, speak and write about any subject, emotion, or opinion. Even in more complex situations, you can differentiate more delicate shades of meaning from the language Lexile codes to measure reading abilities Lexile codes are used in the US that measure a person's reading ability so the schools or educational institutions can match the right book for them to read and further their skills. All schools use the Lexile code as a metric that serves as a starting point for children as early as pre-school. This level of measurement helps the child or any student excel in their career as they grow. Lexile codes are broadly classified as below. It is essential for each individual first to gauge where they stand on the level of proficiency and then work their way up. A clear understanding will also help add their proficiency levels to their resumes and find the right job, which will benefit both the employee and the employer. The Lexile codes are: AD: Adult Directed: Better when read aloud to a student rather than having the student read independently. NC: Non-Conforming: Good for high-ability readers who still need age-appropriate content. HL: High-Low: Content to engage older students who need less complex materials and at a lower reading level. IG: Illustrated Guide: Nonfiction materials are often used for reference. GN: Graphic Novel: Graphic novels or comic books. BR: Beginning Reader: Appropriate for emerging readers with a Lexile reader measure below 0L. NP: Non-Prose: Poems, plays, songs, recipes and text with non-standard or absent punctuation. While other scales of measurements are used and even at a deeper level, a basic understanding of where you stand in terms of your reading speed, understanding level, vocabulary, sentence formation, writing, and speaking abilities is exceptionally crucial to your success in learning the language further. In layman's terms, the reading levels can be broadly understood as below: Elementary reading or Beginner level :This is a basic form of reading. You can read a few sentences with little difficulty. Just like everything starts with a basic level, pick books that are essential (primary grade level- picture books with a few paragraphs) even though you are an adult. Don't go by your age. Just pick books for your reading level, and it's guaranteed to improve your reading fluency which in turn develops your comprehension and writing skills. Pick a 20-minute window, read before bed or in the morning, but read consistently for 20 minutes a day. I prefer books written by American authors that are labelled as level1 reading. Typically, Americans create books for different levels, so it's easier to find those books that match your reading level. Recommended books at this proficiency level are: All Dr Seuss books and some more are given below. You can pick any book at this reading level. Go, Dog. Go! Ten Apples Up On Top! Max Finds an Egg Berenstain Bears: We Like Kites Llama Llama Loves to Read A Piglet Named Mercy Inspectional reading level or Intermediate level: This is the next level that follows after Basic reading. It is being able to read faster, better, and also be able to understand differences in a few types of reading. We can say we work on our tone, the way we express our words, our speed of reading, understanding of what is good reading, etc. For example, You can read a comic book and describe the main character. This is no big task as this is just the next step with practice. The more you read and work on your basics in the first level, the sooner you reach this reading level. It's just like how you keep practising writing with your pen or pencil after learning to hold it to get better at your handwriting and speed. We can also say in this level of reading, we know new words, get more knowledge, and learn more forms of reading like skimming, which is going through what you would like to read in a quick way to be able to get an idea of what is written. Recommended books at this proficiency level are: Mieko and the Fifth Treasure – Eleanor Coerr The Outsiders – S.E. Hinton The House On Mango Street – Sandra Cisneros Thirteen Reasons Why – Jay Asher Peter Pan – J.M. Barrie Analytical Reading We can say this is a higher level of understanding of reading. It goes into more detail and find different meanings, ideas, and messages by reading. You can read complex sentences and grasp the content relatively more straightforwardly.In-depth reading is complete reading where you read each part very carefully and, in a way, try to study what you're reading from different angles. It's not simply reading but taking in all the information and retaining it. At this level, you can read a complex topic, comprehend it, retain the information, connect different parts, and form an opinion of your own.Examples of some books for reference at this level are All favourite novel series from all genres that are at least 1000 pages long each, and you can complete the entire series, understand the main plot, characters, scenes, structure, vocabulary, flow and be able to narrate it to a friend or write a book summary. Or take a complex social topic, research the statistics, data, metrics, facts, figures, supporting information and create an essay or a presentation. Synoptical Reading : Synoptical reading allows you to take a holistic view of the entire topic. This is the final stage of the reading level and is the most complex level. This is taking topics/information from various sources and texts and comparing it with your area of learning and then using it to form ideas and opinions of your own.Examples are writing a thesis or research paper or an academic article on a complex topic. Most Ph.D(Doctor of Philosophy) students must submit reports to major journals as part of their completed project. Synoptic reading is reading a variety of texts to either compare them or combine all of their meanings to frame one crucial message. It needs a lot of attention, knowledge, speed and a higher level of understanding that comes only from regular and lots of reading. That does seem like a lot to take in, but if you take the start, you know that reading is no rocket science. You learn to read by learning to love reading. As you go on, there would be different kinds of reading that you would like to learn, and all would have their styles and ways, but the central part is initially to start reading and learning. You don't need great things and big brains, just a little help and a book to start! Citations : [citationic styles="apa,mla,chicago,harvard,vancouver,ieee"] Power Words : Comprehend Exhibit Explicit Retain Prevalent Occasional Excel Proficiency Spontaneity Gauge Diligent Complex Exceptionally Critical thinking challenge question : List the names of the books you have read or want to read, explaining why? [quiz-cat id="11093"] Are you ready to solve the puzzle? Start Puzzle [/ihc-hide-content] Hashtags : #GPSforLifeAndCareer #ConsciousIntelligence #Kidswiki #MindInTheMaking #RelevanceInEducation #MeaningfulLearning #RealWorldSkills #SafeContent #360DegreeDevelopment #Skillioma #BeyondCurriculum #SkillsBeyondSchool

Category: English Communication

Understanding your reading fluency level

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