Reading aloud

Reading aloud is quite often neglected by teachers. However, it plays an essential role in teaching English

Every teacher should integrate reading aloud into their lessons. It may be hard to do, but it is crucial if we want our learners to know English, to be able to read and to speak. 

So, why is reading aloud so important? 

• Every person in their life had a situation when they needed to read something aloud. It can be a story to a friend/child; some interesting fact in the Internet; a receipt etc. Such situations are inevitable and our learners should be able to cope with them;
• Reading aloud helps learners to practise their English intonation; 
• Sounds can be trained too;
• The speed as well;
• If your learners read a text aloud in class this is a good opportunity to teach them to read in public;
• For some children it is difficult to concentrate on one thing for a longer period of time. That's why reading aloud is beneficial. A teacher makes sure that the child is really reading and that he is not distracted; 

Research suggests that reading aloud is very beneficial to learners’ development in reading and writing.

If learners see their teacher integrating this strategy in the classroom, it can motivate them to become autonomous readers.

While you are reading, learners can notice patterns in language, especially if you help them by using exaggeration or tone of voice. Reading aloud in class can also increase learners’ opportunities to hear vocabulary, and help the accuracy and fluency of their writing.

However, reading aloud has its disadvantages as well, and a teacher should be well aware of them in order to plan the lesson better. 

• When you read aloud, you are less focused on the meaning. Instead, we are concentrated on what we are say and how we are doing this. So, if we chose a text to extract meaning, this should be done as a silent activity;

• Reading aloud can be highly demotivating and stressful for those who have difficulties in reading. It is difficult for them to read silently and the teacher asks them to read aloud. That's discouraging; 

Links:

1. http://www.cambridgeenglishteacher.org/courses/details/19104/motivating-teenage-learners
2. http://www.cambridgeenglishteacher.org/courses/details/18777/teaching-primary-learners-communicatively
3. Article "Getting Young Learners to Read" by Herbert Puchta - Find it here