Language Learning Strategies

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Questions and Answers

What is a useful activity when starting to learn a new language?

Reading only

Listening to the language being spoken (correct)

Writing essays in the new language

Speaking with a fluent speaker

Watching a movie with subtitles is a form of form-focused listening.

True

What do you need to prepare before watching a movie in a new language for better comprehension?

Read the script and study the vocabulary.

To follow most of the words in a movie, you need a vocabulary of at least _____ words.

3,000 Signup and view all the answers

What is a recommended way to practice listening skills as language ability develops?

Read the script, then watch the movie Signup and view all the answers

Learners tend to score higher in vocabulary learning when reading while listening.

True Signup and view all the answers

How many different word families are typically found in most movies?

Approximately 1,000 Signup and view all the answers

Match the following terms with their corresponding descriptions:

Form-focused listening = Listening to improve language structure Graded readers = Books designed for language learners with audio Vocabulary preparation = Studying words before exposure to content Silent reading while listening = Reading text while hearing it spoken Signup and view all the answers

What is the main purpose of graded readers?

To offer vocabulary tailored for language learners Signup and view all the answers

Graded readers are only available for the English language.

False Signup and view all the answers

What is the maximum number of words a learner can encounter in a graded reader's series?

3,000 words Signup and view all the answers

The Oxford Bookworms series is divided into levels, with level 1 containing ___ new words.

400 Signup and view all the answers

Match the following publishers with their corresponding graded reader series:

Oxford University Press = Oxford Bookworms Cambridge University Press = Cambridge English Readers Penguin = Penguin Readers Heinemann = Foundation Readers Signup and view all the answers

Where can mid-frequency readers be found?

On Paul Nation’s website Signup and view all the answers

Every word in graded readers is repeated multiple times for reinforcement.

False Signup and view all the answers

What is one benefit of reading graded readers for language learners?

Every word met is probably worth learning. Signup and view all the answers

Why is it beneficial to use books that native speakers use when learning a language?

They are written for learners with small vocabularies. Signup and view all the answers

Reading encyclopedias written for young children is not recommended for language learners.

False Signup and view all the answers

What feature of Kindle allows users to look up the meaning of a word?

Touching the word. Signup and view all the answers

Extensive reading ideally involves material containing no more than ___ unfamiliar words in every 100 running words.

two Signup and view all the answers

Match the following reading strategies with their benefits:

Using graded readers = Designed for learners with small vocabularies Reading electronic texts = Easy dictionary look-up feature Flash cards = Assists in deliberate learning Extensive reading = Involves enjoyable large quantities of reading Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of extensive reading in language learning?

To expose learners to a high volume of familiar vocabulary. Signup and view all the answers

The more proficient a language learner is, the less reading they need to do.

False Signup and view all the answers

What is the recommended amount of weekly reading time for extensive reading?

One to two hours Signup and view all the answers

What is one method suggested to accompany reading?

Using word cards or flash card programs. Signup and view all the answers

Extensive reading requires students to take comprehension tests after reading.

False Signup and view all the answers

What is narrow reading?

Staying within a single topic or subject area while reading. Signup and view all the answers

Reading across a range of different topics greatly increases the number of different words that you meet, especially if your vocabulary is over _____ words.

6000 Signup and view all the answers

What proportion of course time should be spent on extensive reading?

Just under a quarter Signup and view all the answers

List one benefit of extensive reading.

Vocabulary growth. Signup and view all the answers

Match the following reading strategies to their benefits:

Extensive Reading = Vocabulary growth and enjoyment Narrow Reading = Reduced word diversity and easier comprehension Wide Reading = Exposure to a larger range of vocabulary Reading for Fluency = Increased reading speed and comprehension Signup and view all the answers

Two thirds of the reading time should be spent on material containing a few _____ words.

unknown Signup and view all the answers

Why is it generally not a good idea to read a book that contains a large number of unknown words?

You may encounter an unknown word in every line. Signup and view all the answers

Re-reading a book is generally less time-consuming than reading a different book of the same length.

True Signup and view all the answers

List one condition that makes it worthwhile to struggle through a challenging book.

The book is a set text for your course. Signup and view all the answers

When you read a long text, it is often better to __________ the same book instead of reading a different one.

re-read Signup and view all the answers

Match the following reasons for re-reading a book with their explanations:

Easier understanding = More manageable compared to the first reading Vocabulary repetition = Helps to strengthen memory of learned words Reading fluency = Improvement in reading speed and comprehension Time efficiency = Takes less time than reading a new book of the same length Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following makes a book easier to read?

Using an electronic version with a dictionary. Signup and view all the answers

It is beneficial to read a book on a topic that you know little about.

False Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of different words in any text typically occur only once?

Around 50% Signup and view all the answers

A useful thing to do in the very early stages of learning another language is to listen to the way in which the language is __________.

spoken Signup and view all the answers

To prepare for watching a movie in a new language, reading the __________ is recommended.

script Signup and view all the answers

Learners tend to prefer listening while __________ because it enhances their comprehension.

reading Signup and view all the answers

To follow most of the words in a movie, you need to have a vocabulary of at least __________ words.

3000 Signup and view all the answers

Movies typically contain around __________ different word families.

1000 Signup and view all the answers

Graded readers come with an accompanying __________ that provides the spoken version of the text.

CD Signup and view all the answers

Preparing for a movie by studying vocabulary is a __________ task due to the limited number of different words.

manageable Signup and view all the answers

Extensive reading ideally involves material containing no more than __________ unfamiliar words in every 100 running words.

5 Signup and view all the answers

Graded readers are written for foreign language learners to match their level of _____ in the language.

proficiency Signup and view all the answers

In the Oxford Bookworms series, level 1 contains _____ new words.

400 Signup and view all the answers

Each graded reader book is written within a controlled _____ to help learners.

vocabulary Signup and view all the answers

For learners who know more than 3,000 words, they should read the _____ readers.

Mid-frequency Signup and view all the answers

The maximum number of words a learner can encounter in a graded reader's series is around _____ words.

3,000 Signup and view all the answers

The Oxford University Press offers a series called the Oxford _____ for language learners.

Bookworms Signup and view all the answers

Almost every major language teaching publisher has their own series of _____ readers.

graded Signup and view all the answers

The total number of words in level 5 of the Oxford Bookworms series is _____ words.

1,800 Signup and view all the answers

Elementary and intermediate learners should read books written within a controlled ______.

vocabulary Signup and view all the answers

The aim should be to read a book a week, spending at least an hour or two per week on ______.

reading Signup and view all the answers

Two thirds of the reading time should be spent on material containing a few unknown ______ .

words Signup and view all the answers

Staying within a single topic or subject area is sometimes called ______ reading.

narrow Signup and view all the answers

Having a lot of different topics results in a very diverse ______.

vocabulary Signup and view all the answers

Research has shown that through reading we learn vocabulary, word groups, and ______ features.

grammatical Signup and view all the answers

The more proficient a language learner is, the less extensive ______ they need to do.

reading Signup and view all the answers

Extensive reading requires students to read material that contains no more than ______ unfamiliar words in every 100 running words.

five Signup and view all the answers

Reading a book that contains a large number of unknown ______ may not be beneficial.

words Signup and view all the answers

It is worthwhile to struggle through a book if it is a set ______ for your course.

text Signup and view all the answers

Re-reading a book can help guarantee repetition of ______.

vocabulary Signup and view all the answers

Narrow reading of a variety of short texts on the same ______ can be a useful alternative to long texts.

topic Signup and view all the answers

For a book to be beneficial, it is recommended that the subject matter be very ______ to you.

familiar Signup and view all the answers

Using an electronic version of the text allows for easy dictionary ______.

look-up Signup and view all the answers

Rereading a book may help develop reading ______.

fluency Signup and view all the answers

Half of the different words in any text usually occur only ______.

once Signup and view all the answers

Learning a language other than English can benefit from books that native speakers use at _____

school Signup and view all the answers

Using a program like Kindle allows you to look up the meaning of a word just by _____ it.

touching Signup and view all the answers

Extensive reading ideally involves material that contains no more than two unfamiliar _____ in every 100 running words.

words Signup and view all the answers

For effective learning, reading should provide the important condition of _____ to encounter new vocabulary repeatedly.

repetition Signup and view all the answers

When attempting extensive reading, it's crucial to ensure that the material is at the _____ level for the reader.

right Signup and view all the answers

To manage what you read on Kindle, you must first find your special Kindle _____ address.

email Signup and view all the answers

Before engaging in extensive reading, it's recommended to read an _____ especially written for young children.

encyclopedia Signup and view all the answers

Ideally, extensive reading should be _____ to keep learners engaged and interested.

enjoyable Signup and view all the answers

A useful thing to do in the very early stages of learning another language is to listen to the way in which the language is __________.

spoken Signup and view all the answers

Movies typically contain around __________ different word families.

1,000 Signup and view all the answers

Graded readers come with an accompanying __________ that provides the spoken version of the text.

CD Signup and view all the answers

To follow most of the words in a movie, you need to have a vocabulary of at least __________ words.

3,000 Signup and view all the answers

Preparing for a movie by studying vocabulary is a __________ task due to the limited number of different words.

manageable Signup and view all the answers

An effective way to practice listening skills is to do __________ while listening to a recording.

reading Signup and view all the answers

Learners prefer listening while reading over listening by itself and tend to gain higher scores in __________ related scores.

comprehension Signup and view all the answers

To prepare for a movie in a new language, reading the __________ is recommended.

script Signup and view all the answers

Graded readers are specially written for foreign language learners to match their level of _____ in the language.

proficiency Signup and view all the answers

In the Oxford Bookworms series, level 1 contains _____ new words.

400 Signup and view all the answers

Every word met in a graded reader is probably worth _____, even if it is not repeated in the book.

learning Signup and view all the answers

Graded readers are written at various levels within a controlled _____ to aid language learners.

vocabulary Signup and view all the answers

The maximum number of words a learner can encounter in a graded reader's series is around _____ words.

3,000 Signup and view all the answers

Mid-frequency readers are written at the 4,000, 6,000, and _____ word levels.

8,000 Signup and view all the answers

Almost every major language teaching publisher has their own series of _____ readers.

graded Signup and view all the answers

If a learner knows only 400 words, they can read several books at level _____ of the Oxford Bookworms series.

1 Signup and view all the answers

The aim should be to read a book a week, spending at least one or two hours per week _____ reading.

reading Signup and view all the answers

A well-balanced language course should spend just under a quarter of the course time on _____.

extensive reading Signup and view all the answers

The strongest effect of narrow reading is to reduce the total number of different _____ that you meet.

words Signup and view all the answers

Research has shown that reading helps us learn vocabulary, word groups, and _____ features.

grammatical Signup and view all the answers

If you have a large vocabulary, it may be more useful to read _____ to encounter more unknown words.

widely Signup and view all the answers

Two thirds of the time spent on extensive reading should be focused on material containing a few unknown _____.

words Signup and view all the answers

Reading across a variety of topics greatly increases the number of different _____ encountered.

words Signup and view all the answers

It is useful to get hold of the books that native speakers use at school when they begin to learn to _____

read Signup and view all the answers

The research on extensive reading indicates that it leads to improvement in reading, vocabulary growth, and a wide range of language _____ and knowledge.

skills Signup and view all the answers

Reading helps language learning by providing the important learning condition of _____

repetition Signup and view all the answers

Extensive reading involves doing large quantities of reading using material which is at the right _____ for you.

level Signup and view all the answers

Ideally, extensive reading material should contain no more than two _____ words in every 100 running words.

unfamiliar Signup and view all the answers

To read electronic texts effectively, it is useful to use a program that has easy dictionary _____

look-up Signup and view all the answers

Reading an encyclopaedia especially written for young _____ can be a good source of material for language learners.

children Signup and view all the answers

Through reading, learners meet words, word groups and grammatical constructions several times and so have a good chance of _____ them.

learning Signup and view all the answers

Make sure you do plenty of reading, as the higher your level of _____, the more you will need to read.

proficiency Signup and view all the answers

A book that is not written in a controlled ______ may contain many unknown words.

vocabulary Signup and view all the answers

When reading a book, you might encounter an unknown word in every ______ of the text.

line Signup and view all the answers

Re-reading a book guarantees repetition of ______.

vocabulary Signup and view all the answers

If the subject matter of a book is __________ to you, it may be easier to understand the vocabulary.

familiar Signup and view all the answers

Using an electronic reader allows for easy ______ look-up.

dictionary Signup and view all the answers

The text may contain a large number of unknown words, possibly more than ______.

1000 Signup and view all the answers

The advantages of re-reading a book include increased reading ______.

fluency Signup and view all the answers

A useful alternative to reading a long text is to do ______ reading on the same topic.

narrow Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Learning Through Listening

Watching movies with subtitles can help learners get a feel for the language. E
To deepen understanding, watch movies with subtitles after studying the movie script,,.
Graded readers often come with accompanying CDs for spoken practice.
To follow a movie without preparation, a learner needs at least 3,000 words, preferably around 6,000.

Learning Through Reading

Graded readers are books written with controlled vocabulary, making them suitable for language learners at different proficiency levels.
Major language teaching publishers offer graded reader series, including Oxford Bookworms, Cambridge English Readers, Penguin Readers, Foundation Readers, and National Geographic Readers.
The number of new words introduced in a graded reader series increases with each level, starting from 400 words.
Mid-frequency readers, available for free online, are suitable for learners who know more than 3,000 words.
Reading encyclopaedias written for young children can also be helpful for language learners with small vocabularies.
Utilizing electronic texts with easy dictionary look-up can enhance language learning.

Extensive Reading

Extensive reading involves reading large amounts of text at the right level for the learner.
Extensive reading is enjoyable and aims to read one book per week, dedicating at least an hour or two per week.
In a balanced language course, around one-quarter of the course time should be dedicated to extensive reading.
Research shows that extensive reading improves reading, vocabulary, and a wide range of language skills and knowledge.

Narrow Reading

Narrow reading focuses on a single topic or subject area, reducing the number of different words encountered.
Narrow reading builds content knowledge within a specific field, making reading easier and improving guessing unknown words from context.
Learners with large vocabularies might benefit more from reading widely to encounter more words.

Reading Strategies

Reading a book from the beginning to the end, learning every new word, is generally not recommended for books outside controlled vocabulary or unfamiliar topics.
It is recommended to struggle through a book if it is a set text for a course, an important text in a field of study, a subject familiar to the learner, or a novel already read in the first language.
Re-reading a book can be more efficient than reading a different one, offering repetition, recall, and fluency development.

Learning through Listening

Watching movies with subtitles in the target language can help get a feel for the language even without understanding everything.
Watching movies with a downloaded script can help improve listening skills. Read the script, look up unknown words, and watch the movie with subtitles.
Graded readers with accompanying CDs offer listening practice opportunities. Reading before and while listening can improve comprehension.

Learning through Reading

Reading texts at the right level is crucial for language learning.
Graded readers offer controlled vocabulary texts for language learners at various proficiency levels.
Oxford Bookworms, Cambridge English Readers, Penguin Readers, and Heinemann Foundation Readers are popular graded reader series.
Each level in a series has a specific number of new words and total words, starting from level 1 and increasing to higher levels.
For learners who know more than 3,000 words, Mid-frequency readers written at 4,000, 6,000, and 8,000 word levels are available online.
Other reading sources include books used by native speakers at school for early reading, encyclopedias for young children, and electronic texts with easy dictionary look-up.

Extensive Reading

Extensive reading involves reading large amounts of material at the right level, ideally for enjoyment.
The goal is to read a book a week, spending at least an hour or two per week reading.
Extensive reading should be a part of a well-balanced language course, with two-thirds of the time spent on texts with a few unknown words, and one-third on very easy material for fluency.
Research shows that extensive reading improves reading, vocabulary, language skills, and knowledge.

Narrow Reading

Narrow reading focuses on staying within a single topic or subject area, reducing the number of different words encountered.
It builds up content knowledge, making reading easier and improving guessing from context.
Narrow reading can be done through reading in a specialist area of knowledge, following the same story or topic in newspapers, or doing Issue logs activities.
When vocabulary is over 6,000-7,000 words, reading widely across topics might be more beneficial to encounter more unknown words.

Considerations for Reading

It is generally not recommended to read a long book from beginning to end, learning all unfamiliar words, unless it is a set text, important academic text, a familiar subject with similar technical terms in the L1, or a novel already read in the first language.
Scanning texts to create an electronic version can make dictionary look-up easier.
Re-reading the same book has advantages: it's easier, reinforces vocabulary, provides recall opportunities, develops fluency, and takes less time.

Listening Skills

Watching movies with subtitles can help you get a feel for the language.
Downloading a movie script and reading it before watching can improve your listening skills.
Watch movies with subtitles multiple times for better comprehension.
Graded readers often come with accompanying CDs, which allow you to read and listen simultaneously.
To follow a movie without preparation, you should know at least 3,000 words and preferably around 6,000 words.

Reading Skills

Reading texts at the right level is crucial for effective language acquisition.
Graded readers are specifically designed for foreign language learners, offering controlled vocabulary at various levels.
Major language teaching publishers, such as Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, Penguin, Heinemann, and National Geographic, have their own series of graded readers.
Graded readers are beneficial because every word encountered is likely to be worth learning, even if it's not repeated in the book.
Mid-frequency readers, available at Paul Nation’s website, are suitable for those who know more than 3,000 words.
Extensive Reading Foundation provides information about various graded readers online, including those in Japanese and French.
Reading native-speaker textbooks for young children can be helpful for learners with limited vocabularies.
Encyclopedias written for young children offer another good reading source.

Reading Strategies

Combining reading with deliberate vocabulary learning from cards or flashcard programs enhances comprehension.
Electronic devices like Kindle and Kobo allow you to look up the meaning of words instantly while reading.
Extensive reading involves reading large quantities of texts at the right level, ideally for enjoyment.
For elementary and intermediate learners, extensive reading should focus on graded readers.
Aim to read one book per week, dedicating at least one to two hours to reading.
Extensive reading should occupy about a quarter of your language learning time.
Two-thirds of your reading time should focus on materials with a few unfamiliar words, and one-third should be spent on very easy material to develop fluency.

Benefits of Extensive Reading

Extensive reading has been shown to improve reading comprehension, vocabulary growth, overall language skills, and knowledge.
It provides a sense of accomplishment and can be enjoyable.

Narrow Reading

Narrow reading focuses on staying within a single topic or subject area.
It reduces the number of different words encountered, allowing you to build up knowledge in a specific field, making it easier to guess the meaning of unfamiliar words within that topic.

When to Read a Whole Book

While reading a whole book is not always an effective strategy for language learning, it can be beneficial in certain situations.
Reading a set text for your course, an important text in your academic field, a novel already read in your first language, or a book on a familiar topic with similar terminology can be useful.
Using electronic readers like Kindle or Kobo allows for easy dictionary look-up, making reading demanding texts easier.

Re-reading

Re-reading a book can offer advantages such as ease of comprehension, vocabulary repetition, recall of previously learned words, fluency development, and time efficiency.

Additional Resources

Extensive Reading Foundation website offers resources and information about graded readers.
Paul Nation’s website provides free access to Mid-frequency readers for advanced learners.

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Description

This quiz explores effective strategies for language learning through listening and reading. It discusses the use of movies with subtitles and graded readers to enhance vocabulary and comprehension skills. Ideal for learners seeking to improve their language proficiency efficiently.