Is it easy to teach your students reading? To answer the question stated above we conducted a survey among 52 teachers of English both rural and urban areas (32 rural, 20-urban). The results were predictable – 98 per cent of teachers consider motivating students into reading difficult due to the following reasons:

1.     Wrong time management at the lesson;

2.     Absence of intrinsic positive motivation to read in English;

3.     “Patchwork type” of the lesson and minimizing attention to reading at the lesson;

4.     Vague control over the process of reading and orientation to the result of it.

This question stimulates teachers to search for other useful activities and methods motivating student into reading both at or out of the lesson.

One of the useful and effective methods is the method of predictive reading based on the works of Aho A.V., Ullman J.D. «Theory of syntactical analysis» as well as the theory of predicting while reading  (Many and Erik de Liu) «How to learn skimming» [1]. 

This research is based on the human ability of prediction and foreseeing the plot of the text, its possible development. Information gap that exists between the reader and the text itself is fulfilled step by step guided by the teacher. 

Consequently, this article is an attempt to present the stages of the lesson aimed at teaching predictive reading. Being based on psychological mechanisms of predictive analysis, the lesson shows that knowing this phenomenon can help students understand new vocabulary and text message through using root analysis and prior experiences.  The aim of the lesson is to develop critical thinking through participative approach and rapport on the base of predictive reading.

 The stages of the lesson include: warming-up activity for engagement; pre-reading activity based on group discussion and word study; while-reading activity based on predictive analysis, critical thinking and linguistic guess; and post-reading stage that is connected with creation and activation of studied material applied to practice. The text to be analyzed is based on the English story “With the help of a dog” [2].

Lesson plan

Note:T – teacher; S – student; S-S – student to student interaction (pair work); Ss- group work (students); T-S-S – frontal work; (S) – individual work.

Stage 1 – warm-up activity

The aim of this stage is to establish friendly atmosphere in a classroom. Students can be offered an activity connected with personal identification – Example: Aigerim – Active,  Bolat – brave.

Stage 2 – engage

The stated stage is aimed at involving the students into the theme of choosing presents. Procedure of the stage: the students are divided into 3 groups – A,B,C. the set of questions are to be discussed by them (see Pic.1). this stage activates student’s prior knowledge on the topic of making presents and wishes.

Pic.1 – Power Point slide (stage 2- engage)

Stage 3 – Study

This is the main stage of the lesson. The students are given a list of words on three languages (English – column A, Kazakh and Russian – Column B). This matching activity is aimed at developing polilingual attitude to culture and root analyzing at the same time. 

Pragmatic aspect of the lesson is achieved by the video concerning the ways of choosing perfume supplied by personalized questions like “How do you choose perfume?” or “What is your favourite scent?” [3]

Predictive reading itself is based on three main types of the contexts: literary context, biographical context, historical context (see Pic.2).

Pic. 2 – slide illustrating predictive reading

Stage 4 –Activate

The following stage is aimed at activating the knowledge of the text previously read by students. The Big Board Game is a variation of the board game. Instruction – 2 teams choose the necessary category to be answered. Categories include True/False tasks, Polyglot activity, Explain it!, Answer the question, Creation! The main purpose the stage is to consolidate the vocabulary, check the comprehension of the text on the level of general comprehension and detailed analysis (see Pic. 3)

Pic. 3 – Big Board Game

Stage 5 – Engage

The aim of the stage is to make a conclusion, giving home assignment and sharing emotions on the lesson.  All the skills are used in the lesson, dominating type of the reading is detailed reading. But scanning and skimming can take place in the lesson if the students are given the text in a paper-based form afterwards.

To sum up, predictive reading based on root analysis and complex text interpretation enables the readers perceive the meaning while group discussion [4]. Predictive reading is the great stimulus for developing positive intrinsic motivation based on inquisition, interest and the situation of success.

Further linguistic and stylistic analysis can be applied to sequence of exercises based on the works of Kukharenko V., Galperin I., Kireichuk E, Vasilieva T. and others [5, 6, 7].   

1. Aho A.V., Ullman J.D. «Theory of syntactical analysis» (2008)
2. With the help of the dog (English wisdom). Enjoy reading: KSPI, 2009, 101p.
3. URL – for YouTube Video “Choosing the right perfume” https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=XRoug7Ugkhc
4. Иванова В.Е. Английские рассказы: чтение для развлечения и обучения: учеб. пособие. – М: ТК Велби, изд-во Проспект, 2006.- 185 с.
5. Кухаренко В.А. Практикум по интерпретации текста. – М., Просвещение,1987. – 176 с.
6. Гальперин И.Р. Текст как объект лингвистического исследования. Изд. 4-е, стереотипное. — М.: КомКнига, 2006. — 144 с. — (Лингвистическое наследие XX века)
7. КирейчукЕ.Ю., ВасильеваТ.Г. Reading and Appreciation of the Short Story. – Мн., 2003. – 180 с.