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provided above, you would first try to under- our existing ideas and thoughts that are gen-
stand the meaning of the words and then the erated by the reading and experience demand.
underlying message. The simple questions pro-
vided above are tools to aid you in understand- Reading a poem is an act that does not
ing the basic content of the text. By acquiring demand deep intellectual effort. But to read
proficiency in the language, you will be able it in a way that we comprehend the intended
to go further than basic comprehension. Then, meaning in its entirety is a more complicated
you will be able to understand the more coded process. This would require the reader to
message that the text contains. For example, understand the nuances and cultural context
there are further questions that can be asked imbued into the text by the author. If the reader
about the poem and the story we just read. In cannot decode the language, some meanings
the poem, what does snow symbolise? What cannot be understood.
is the message emphasised by the repetition of Reading is a skill which needs to be taught
the line “And miles to go before I sleep”? In and nurtured over time. It is a visual process
the story, what is the political message that is which happens also in our mind. Our capabil-
embedded in the ending? What does it mean to ity as a reader can be judged by the following
say “It was a democracy, up to a point?” factors.
The written text provides you with struc- The efficiency of the reading depends upon
tured meaning and, from this, you could under- the linguistic proficiency, and background
stand the socio-cultural meaning as well. The knowledge. An efficient reader the one who
contextual meaning is acquired through your has a purpose to read, comprehends what he
previous knowledge or based on the socio-cul- is reading and remembers what he has read. A
tural background. good vocabulary will help to read faster and
We can say that reading is an interaction comprehend easily.
between language and thought. Our reading Reading depends upon the following fac-
would be only complete only when we read the tors.
text and integrate its structural meaning with

Fig 1.3.6 Factors for effective reading

SGOU - FYUGP - SLM - English for Communication 31