IMPROVING READING COMPREHENSION.

Reading comprehension is defined as the level of understanding of a text, this understanding comes from the interaction between the words that are written. Proficient reading depends on the ability to recognize words quickly and effortlessly. If word recognition is difficult, students use too much of their processing capacity to read individual words, which interferes with their ability to comprehend what is read It is well known that in second or foreign language teaching situation, reading receives a special focus. There are a number of reasons for this. First, many students often have reading as one of their most important goals because they want or need read for information for specific study purposes or because at the end of any English evaluation they will be evaluated with a reading comprehension. In communication vocabulary is one of the biggest components of any language and it often is more important than grammar. Sometimes it is frustrating for learners when they discover they cannot communicate effectively because they do not know many words. Words are more complex than they seem. Learners in a classroom often have to do a special effort to memorize words that they seldom use in communication. For this reason teachers need to consider what vocabulary introduces in each lesson and how to activate previously introducing vocabulary. Vocabulary learning in real life is a dynamic process involving metacognitive choices and cognitive implementation. During my observations and when I analyzed the result of the exam I found that some students have little trouble in the comprehension of text and compared to the skillful students, weak pupils tended to focus on the problem word and ignore the context, their knowledge was more restricted, they had difficulty integrating knowledge from different resources like text and their own writings and they had difficulty generalizing form word they had already learned.

The reason I choose this topic is because I realize that one of the most persistent findings in reading is that the extent of students vocabulary knowledge relates strongly to their reading comprehension and overall academic success or it harms the comprehension. On the other hand the majority of the students to third grade are able to infer the main idea or the message of a specific text however at the end of the first evaluation I realized that there are some students who have some problems to catch the readings message and when I asked them about what are the main problems they have during the reading they said that they didnt understand as a consequence of the lack of vocabulary. Nevertheless I would like to emphasize learning of vocabulary through incidental learning acquisition in which students will acquire new vocabulary reading a variety of texts gains in their vocabulary without direct instruction. Besides, students may also realize some incidental vocabulary gains through independent reading. Moreover, some students with very low vocabularies don't enjoy reading at all. It's more of a chore for them than a pleasure because they don't understand many of the words and there is no point in trying to read something they simply are not able to understand or are not interested in. The important idea is to find things to read they can enjoy, and to read as often and as much as possible with the idea of learning new words always in mind.

PURPOSES Reading is an activity with a purpose. A person may read in order to gain information or verify existing knowledge, or in order to critique a writer's ideas or writing style. A person may also read for enjoyment, or to enhance knowledge of the language being read As Steve mentioned, comprehension is the only reason for reading. Without comprehension, reading is a frustrating, pointless exercise in word calling. It is no exaggeration to say that how well students develop the ability to comprehend what they read has a profound effect on their entire lives.

Research on vocabulary in recent years has done a great deal to clarify the level of vocabulary learning. Nowadays learners are evaluating thought standardized tests in which one of the mean goal is that they read and analyze readings in order they understand what they are reading and they be able to read both simplified and unsimplified materials. Without an extensive vocabulary and strategies for acquiring new vocabulary, learners often achieve less than their potential. One way to see the overall task of vocabulary learning is through the distinction between knowing a word and using a word One of the main reasons to focus on vocabulary learning is to try to establish how different vocabulary strategies were related to language learning outcomes.

WHAT IS KNOWN ABOUT THE TOPIC Janzen attempts to shed light on the practical issues of translating findings in reading strategy research into the classroom. Focus in two questions: how do we go about teaching reading strategies? and How do we incorporate reading strategies in an ongoing classroom reading program?. In order to answer those questions Janzen suggests that a sound approach to strategy should have the following characteristics: The teaching of strategies in contextualized. Strategies are taught explicit though direct explanation, modeling and feedback. There is a constant recycling of strategies over new texts and tasks. Strategies are taught over a long period of time. Renandya and Jacob argue strongly for including extensive reading in the second language curriculum. There is evidence that extensive reading can have an significant impact on learners second language development. When learners first encounter a new word, they might guess its meaning and usage from available clues. Some learners will repeat the new word a number of times until they are comfortable with it. Each task stage demand metacognitive judgment choice of cognitive strategies for vocabulary learning. Vocabulary acquisition research in the linguistic tradition has largely concentrated on vocabulary (target: what is to be learned or product: what is learned). Much of the emphasis in incidental vocabulary learning has centered on how useful incidental learning is and how much can be learned intentionally during reading with help of a range of strategies like guessing, dictionary use, note- taking, activation, as well as intentional repetition. The students are able to acquire vocabulary through extensive reading which can benefit language curricula and learners at all levels (Woodinsk, 1988).

QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWER What roles does reading play in first and second language acquisition? What is your approach to teach reading? What are the arguments for incorporate reading strategies? What role does the vocabulary play in fluent reading? What role does the dictionary can play in assisting vocabulary? Does guessing lead to incidental vocabulary learning in a second language? How many words should a list contain?

METHODOLOGY I will use qualitative methodology because it is a social study and the tools I will use are journal, observation, participation and intervention

Hunt and Beglar discuss three approaches to vocabulary teaching and learning
Incidental learning (learning vocabulary as a product of doing other things

such as reading or listening). It requires that teacher provide opportunities for extensive reading.
Independent strategy development (out of class). It involves practicing

guessing from context and training learners to use dictionaries.

Explicit instructions (depends on identifying specific vocabulary acquisition

targets for learners). It involves diagnosing the words learners need to know words.

CALENDAR
ACTIVITY Selection of the Topic of Study Selection of the Group of Study Diagnostic of the Group of Study Theoretical support gathering Profile of the Group of Study Design of the Methodology of the Study Design of the strategies of intervention Application of the strategies intervention Track of the impact of the strategies of intervention Analysis of results Conclusions
OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL

MAY

2 *

3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

FINAL PAPER OUTLINE

COVER SHEET EPIGRAPH ACKNOWLEDGMENTS CONTENTS INTRODUCTION PART I THE TOPIC OF STUDY 1. The geographical location The community The school Teachers Resources and facilities 2. The beginning of the academic year Updating course Commissions My role as a teacher Interaction with teachers and students during the first classes The work with the tutor Planning Assessment and evaluation 3. My teaching intervention strategy Purposes
10

 Questions to be answered Methodology of study PART II THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TOPIC

1. The group of study Students profiles Learning track of the group of study Theoretical background 2. Teaching intervention strategies

Teaching Intervention Strategy 1 Teaching Intervention Strategy 2 Teaching Intervention Strategy 3 Teaching Intervention Strategy 4 Teaching Intervention Strategy 5 Teaching Intervention Strategy 6 Teaching Intervention Strategy 7 Teaching Intervention Strategy 8 Teaching Intervention Strategy 9 Teaching Intervention Strategy 10

3. Analysis and impact of the teaching intervention proposal

PART III CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGGESTIONS

11

Conclusions

Suggestions

References

Appendixes

REFERENCES Hindmarsh.R. (1980).Cambridge English lexicon. Cambrige:Cambrige University Press. Lewins, M. (1997). L2 vocabulary acquisition though extensive reading. In J. Coady and T. Huckin (Eds), second language acquisition (pp.225-270). Cambrige: Cambrige University Press. Luppescu, S., and Day, R.(1994).Reading, dictionary for Young Learning. Language Learning, 43, 263-267.

12

13