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Reluctant readers
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Wed, 04/01/2009 - 15:58
Hi everyone
Carel's session yesterday about reluctant teenage readers was really interesting because it combined motivational and laso feedback aspects related to reading li in ELT, especiallu because his own students are preparing to be English language teachers.
It brought to my mind the work we have been doing to promote the reading of short stories among teachers.
looking forward to some of yur ideas to motivate reluctant students (and teachers) to read outside the classroom :)
Cheers _ Chris
Fri, 04/03/2009 - 15:04
#2
Indeed Christien and I think this happens for a number of different reasons, depending where teachers live and work, depending of their reading culture and also accessibility to books.
I really would like to listen from our online members what you think are the main reasons for teachers not reading much fiction themselves.
Cheers - chris
Sat, 04/04/2009 - 17:21
#3
Hi Chris,
One reason why teachers don't read is that they give much if not their whole time to their kids. I like some foreign people travelling and meanwhile reading. At the bus station and the airport taking a book / an intimate book that never let them worry about the distance. I got a second book entitled New Moon by Stephenie Meyer yesterday and my problem is that i can hardly find the time for reading the first book Twilight.
Rachid
Wed, 04/08/2009 - 18:40
#4
Hi Chris and all,
Your question on why some teachers do not really read fiction is that they are not educated on it. Reading is an education, a style of life. I may say that the technological progress has inhibited a huge mass of teachers to read, but reading fiction is to be held as a human necessity.
Personally speaking, I think that reading should start from an early age inorder for you to be a normal reader. There are some who read as amateur; rather, reading is an act that enhances the building up of personalities.
My 2 children who are 9 and 7 are already used to reading short stories every night before they sleep after they were used to listening to my storytelling when they were younger.
cheers
Thu, 04/09/2009 - 15:24
#5
Hi Rachid, Mostafa & All
I agree with you - there is something I called a *culture of reading* and it's something that comes in the way societies are constructed. People who come form heavily oral cultures may not have such habits, but on the other hand the habit of reading aloud to kids do foster later reading as we can all personally attest. I starting reading stories to my son soon after he was born and he is now a good reader.
Reading and having access to books is also something intrinsically political and how societies provide their citizens access and motivation to read also has huge social implications.
Interesting that you say that reading is a human necessity and it reminded me of Maryanne Wolf's first sentence in her book saying that humans were not born to read. Philip Prowse also mentioned that in his presentation.
http://iatefl.britishcouncil.org/2009/sessions/63/extensive-reading-life...
But we do read and reading may be one of the facts that makes us human.
Cheers - Chris
I also find that a lot of colleagues do not read all that much,,;-)