Page 101 - DENG102_COMMUNICATION_SKILLS_II

Communication Skills-II

notes
Example: Your purpose in seeking a number in the telephone book is specific and clear,
and once you find the number, you stop ‘reading’.
Such ‘reading’ is very rapid indeed, perhaps 100,000 words a minute! Perhaps it should be called
by its proper name, “scanning”, but when it suits your purpose, it is fast and efficient. This
principle, of first establishing your purpose, whether to get the focus or theme, or main ideas, or
main facts or figures, or evidence, arguments and examples, or relations, or methods, can prompt
you to use a reading method that gets what you want in the minimum time.

6.5.2 survey-skim

Glance over the main features of the piece, that is, the title, the headings, the lead and summary,
paragraphs, to get an overview of the piece, to find out what ideas, problems and questions that
are being discussed. In doing this, you should find the focus of the piece, that is, the central theme
or subject, what it is all about; and perhaps the perspective, that is, the approach or manner in
which the author treats the theme. This survey should be carried out in not more than a minute
or two.

6.5.3 Question

Compose questions that you aim to answer:
1. What do I already know about this topic? – in other words, activate prior knowledge.
2. Turn the first heading into a question; to which you will be seeking the answer when you
read.

Example: “What were ‘the effects of the Hundred Years’ War’?” – And you might add
“on democracy, or on the economy”? Or “What is ‘the impact of unions on wages’?”

6.5.4 ‘5 rs’

read selectively

Read to find the answers to your question. By reading the first sentence of each paragraph you
may well get the answers. Sometimes the text will ‘list’ the answers by saying “The first point. ...
Secondly ....” and so on. And in some cases, you may have to read each paragraph carefully just
to understand the next one, and to find the focus or main idea buried in it. In general, look for the
ideas, information, evidence, etc., that will meet your purpose.

recite

Without looking at the book, recite the answers to the question, using your own words as much
as possible. If you cannot do it reasonably well, look over that section again.

reduce-record

Make a brief outline of the question and your answers. The answers should be in key words or
phrases, not long sentences. For example, “Effects of 100 Yrs’ War? – consolidate.” Or, “Unions
on Wages? – Uncertain, maybe 10-15%”.

96 lovely Professional university