Time is your enemy in an exam. The Cambridge ESOL and IELTS reading papers
both require candidates to complete many lengthy tasks in a severely limited
time-period. How can we make the most of
our precious time?
A top-down approach is one technique that can be used to
increase your ability to gist-read
(reading for general understanding) as it allows you to make use of your
pre-existing knowledge of a topic.
Let’s look at a newspaper article. Newspapers are wonderful sources of authentic
content and should be read regularly to help increase vocabulary. Before we even open the newspaper, we can
make some assumptions about the story we are going to read:
· * it will have a clear headline
· * it will probably have a sub-heading
· * the opening paragraph will probably be an
overview of what the story is going to be about
· * there might be a picture it may be written entirely in the passive voice
Opening a newspaper, we may read a headline like:
Computer Firm’s Share Price Drops
As we read the headline, our mind is automatically
associating the words we have previously absorbed on the subject. It happens instantaneously.
Now that we have an idea of what the story could
be about, we read the opening paragraph.
This should affirm our prediction and allow us to read the whole story
relatively quickly as we combine the words on the page with the knowledge we
have activated.
This means that if you have an idea where the story came
from, it can help you predict something about the content. This in turn allows you to train your mind
into linking contexts with your own knowledge.
The message is clear and simple. Before you start reading,
take a moment to make predictions about the text and allow your brain to start
making connections. The time it saves you could be invaluable.
Contact us to see how we can help.
info@elacademy.co.uk +44 (0)131 226 6182
