Reading and listening skills
Introduction
Introduction
Reading and listening skills are essential if you want to get ahead whilst studying at college. If you are in class, studying independently, or revising at home chances are you will be reading or listening to the information you are learning about.
Reading and listening skills are essential if you want to get ahead whilst studying at college. If you are in class, studying independently, or revising at home chances are you will be reading or listening to the information you are learning about.
Improving your reading and listening skills will allow you to get more from the information you are presented with during your studies, which in turn will boost your chances of success. Below are some really simple hints and tips to help you improve these basic study skills.
Improving your reading and listening skills will allow you to get more from the information you are presented with during your studies, which in turn will boost your chances of success. Below are some really simple hints and tips to help you improve these basic study skills.
Reading and listening skills self assessment
Reading and listening skills self assessment
Reading skills
Reading skills
Primarily there are three forms of reading skills that will aid you in your studies. These are know as Skimming, Scanning and Reading for detail. For each of these there are key points that need picking out of the information you are looking through:
Primarily there are three forms of reading skills that will aid you in your studies. These are know as Skimming, Scanning and Reading for detail. For each of these there are key points that need picking out of the information you are looking through:
1. Skimming
1. Skimming
Quick reading for the gist of information.
Quick reading for the gist of information.
When skimming, look for key points/words and visual cues such as:
When skimming, look for key points/words and visual cues such as:
- Subheadings
- Subheadings
- Images
- Images
- Use of italics
- Use of italics
- Bullet points
- Bullet points
2. Scanning
2. Scanning
Quickly find what you are looking for in a lot of text such as adverts, web pages and timetables.
Quickly find what you are looking for in a lot of text such as adverts, web pages and timetables.
When scanning, look for key points or visual clues such as:
When scanning, look for key points or visual clues such as:
- Highlighted words
- Highlighted words
- Dates
- Dates
- Diagrams
- Diagrams
- Statistics
- Statistics
3. Reading for detail
3. Reading for detail
This is close reading, allowing you to understand the full text. Sentences need to be read completely, possibly re-read and key points should be highlighted.
This is close reading, allowing you to understand the full text. Sentences need to be read completely, possibly re-read and key points should be highlighted.
You need to read for detail when you are:
You need to read for detail when you are:
- Learning new topics
- Learning new topics
- Background reading for arguments
- Background reading for arguments
- Conducting data analysis
- Conducting data analysis
Listening skills
Listening skills
The key to improving your listening skills, on a basic level, is to ensure your physical demeanour or body language are engaged with the task in hand. This is known as Active Listening.
The key to improving your listening skills, on a basic level, is to ensure your physical demeanour or body language are engaged with the task in hand. This is known as Active Listening.
In order to actively listen you should:
In order to actively listen you should:
- Sit up
- Sit up
- Look interested
- Look interested
- Lean forward
- Lean forward
- Follow the speaker with your eyes
- Follow the speaker with your eyes
It may sound like a simple fix but ensuring you are are physically engaged with the act of listening to your teacher gives you a better opportunity to pick out the key information they are attempting to impart.
It may sound like a simple fix but ensuring you are are physically engaged with the act of listening to your teacher gives you a better opportunity to pick out the key information they are attempting to impart.
Final reading and listening skills self assessment
Final reading and listening skills self assessment