The Design of a Theme-Based and Genre-Oriented Strategic Reading Course to Improve Students’ Reading Comprehension Skills at a Public School in Colombia

Main Article Content

Fabián Padilla De La Cerda

Abstract

This paper reports the process of designing and partially implementing and evaluating a content-based and genre-oriented syllabus with a group of ninth graders at a public school in Barranquilla, Colombia. The syllabus sought to promote reading strategies in order to improve learners’ comprehension of natural science texts. The results of this intervention show that the use of academic texts with low achievers, who in turn can develop a good comprehension of different kind of texts, is possible if these students are aware of the structure of the texts they are reading and if they are provided with reading strategies that are appropriate for each genre.

Article Details

How to Cite
Padilla De La Cerda, F. (2016). The Design of a Theme-Based and Genre-Oriented Strategic Reading Course to Improve Students’ Reading Comprehension Skills at a Public School in Colombia. HOW, 23(1), 49–67. https://doi.org/10.19183/how.23.1.143
Section
Research Reports
Author Biography

Fabián Padilla De La Cerda, Universidad del Norte

Fabián Padilla De La Cerda is an English teacher at a public school and at the languages department of Universidad del Norte in Barranquilla, Colombia. He has twelve years of experience in education and holds a BA in Foreign Languages from Universidad del Atlántico (Colombia) and an MA in the teaching of English from Universidad del Norte.

References

Alderson, J. C. (2000). Assessing reading. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511732935.

Bakhtin, M. M. (1973). Problems of Dostoevsky’s poetics (R. W. Rotsel, Trans.). Ann Arbor, MI: Ardis.

Brinton, D. M., Snow, M. A., & Wesche, M. (1989). Content-based second language instruction. Boston, MA: Heinle & Heinle Publishers.

Chamot, A. U. (1987). The learning strategies of ESL students. In A. Wenden & J. Rubin (Eds.), Learner strategies in language learning (pp. 71-83). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice/Hall International.

Derewianka, B. (1991). Exploring how texts work. Newtown, AU: Primary English teaching association.

Dueñas, M. (2004). The whats, whys, hows, and whos of content-based instruction in second/foreign language education. International journals of English studies, 4(1), 73-96.

Hyland, K. (2007). Genre pedagogy: Language, literacy and L2 writing instruction. Journal of second language writing, 16(3), 148-164. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2007.07.005.

Johnson, M. (2003). A philosophy of second language acquisition. Binghamton, NY: YaleUniversity Press.

Lee, P. Y. (2010). The content-based reading approaches (COBRA) model in the ELL and LD classroom. Retrieved from ERIC database. (ED512529)

Lewis, C. (1982). Using the “thinking aloud” method in cognitive interface design. Yorktown Heights, NY: IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center.

Lunzer, E., Gardner, K., Davies, F., & Greene, T. (1984). Learning from the written word. Liverpool, UK: Oliver and Boyd.

Oxford, R. L. (1989). Language learning strategies: What every teacher should know. Boston, MA: Newbury House.

Preszler, J. (2005). On target: Reading strategies to guide learning. San Diego, CA: Black Hills Special Services Cooperative.

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Wallace, C. (1992). Reading. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.