Many people think of reading as a passive skill, but it is actually an activity that requires an active approach and appropriate use of reading strategies. The most important advice for a second language learner is to put the dictionary aside for a while, make predictions about the text by using one's knowledge of the world and genres, and read through the text a couple of times quickly while looking for some specific information or for the main ideas. Words that are unknown or difficult can often be understood by learning to identify cognates or by using the context. At this point in the process, it will also be clear which words carry the main meaning, enabling the learner to use the dictionary in a more targeted and effective way.
This type of top-down approach to reading is effective, and the research today is focused on how to categorize the learning strategies and how best to integrate them into language teaching. I like the list of reading strategies used in the Inventory Index in the publication Maximizing Study Abroad from the Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA), but there are also other lists of strategies online. See the links below.
- Language Strategy Use Inventory Index
(See p. 5 for reading / From Maximizing Study Abroad)
Keep in mind that learning to use appropriate reading strategies takes some time since it requires learners to approach the text in a flexible, non-linear way and to tolerate a large amount of ambiguity. Such an approach was the opposite of my natural learning style – I learned to read Norwegian word-by-word with a well-used dictionary in my hand – so I had to work at changing my habits when I took a reading course in German in graduate school. Even though it was obvious that it was more efficient and effective to use the new reading strategies, I had a hard time relinquishing my hold on the dictionary and my need to know everything right away. Eventually, it became easier however, and it helped me to be a more flexible learner, one who could both work hard and use effective strategies.
Online reading texts
- Klar tale (Newspaper with simplified text) /
Audio podcast with audio for some of the articles - Aftenposten (National newspaper)
- Dagbladet (National newspaper)
- VG (National newspaper)
- NRK (News from Norwegian Public Broadcasting)
- The Bible (Old and New Testaments)
Norsknett posts related to reading
- Norway's top 10 mountain hikes (Aftenposten article)
- Crown Prince Haakon is 35 today (NRK article)
- Premier of "Kurt blir grusom" (Aftenposten article)
- Dating in Norway (NRK article and reading exercise)
