Page 78 - SREENARAYANAGURU OPEN UNIVERSITY

overview of it is known as skimming. Before the content of the passage. We get to know that
reading the content, skimming through it gives the passage is going to be about the multiple
us a good idea of its essence. benefits of reading. A topic sentence can also
be found at the end of the paragraph, where the
Scanning is for specific detail, and skim- whole paragraph is concluded. This also helps
ming is for general understanding.We use the us identify the essence of the passage.
technique of skimming in order to get an over-
view of the written content. On the other hand, Now, how can we read anything more effi-
we go for scanning, in order to find a specific ciently? Let us discuss some of the reading
fact from the whole content. Both of these tech- techniques that will help us read better.
niques help us save time while reading. Skim-
ming and scanning help us read something in 1� Ask critical questions
a short period of time. At the same time, these Ask critical questions to help orient you to
techniques will not help us understand the con- a text. For example, what is it about? Why was
tent completely. When we are short on time, it written (the purpose)? Who was it written
these techniques can be used. Also, if we are for? etc. Asking such questions will help you
not very efficient readers, it might be diffi- know the text in detail. This will give you an
cult to skim or scan through the content. There idea about the topic of the text, the purpose
are chances that we might miss out on certain of it, the audience of it, etc. If the title of a
important points. Once we acquire the skill of text is given, it helps us understand the crux
reading, these techniques can be preferred to of the text. Similarly, asking questions makes
make reading easier. it easier to understand the text better.

Now go back to the reading exercise that 2� Identify reference words/phrases
you did at the beginning of this unit. Were
you able to answer the questions that followed In a text, when talking about an idea, refer-
the passage? How did you manage to find ence words are used in order to avoid repeating
out the answers? Did you use the technique the same word over and over. Reference words
of scanning and skimming? How do we scan and phrases refer back or forward to a word
and skim through a passage? Let us look at the or idea in a passage. For example, the words
given passage again. When we skim through ‘these’ and ‘such’ are used to avoid repetition.
the passage, we get the idea about the topic Once you identify such words or phrases, it
of the passage. In the given passage, we get will help you understand and arrange different
to know that the passage is about the benefits ideas or points discussed in the text.

of reading. This will help us give the passage 3� Identify main and supporting ideas
a proper title. When we scan through the pas-
sage, we find specific and important points in How do we identify the main and support-
it. Scanning helps us answer specific questions ing ideas? How are they different? Being able
on the benefits of reading. While scanning the to separate main ideas and supporting ideas is
passage, the first thing that we come across is a key reading skill. Every paragraph will have
the topic sentence. What is a topic sentence? parts that are more important than others. They
It is the sentence that introduces us to the pas- are the main ideas. They are supported by other
sage and gives us an idea about what follows. points and ideas. So, it is important for us to
In this passage, the first sentence is the topic identify the key words that are related to the
sentence that provides us with an idea about main theme of a text and subsequently identify

72 SGOU - FYUGP - SLM - English for Communication