Sample interview questions: How do you support English language learners in developing their academic reading skills?
Sample answer:
To support English language learners in developing their academic reading skills, it is crucial to employ a comprehensive and student-centered approach. Here are some strategies and techniques that can be effective in assisting English language learners in improving their academic reading abilities:
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Pre-teaching Vocabulary: Introduce key vocabulary words or concepts before reading a text. This can be achieved through visual aids, real-life examples, or simplified definitions. By familiarizing students with essential vocabulary, they will be better equipped to comprehend the text.
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Activating Prior Knowledge: Help students make connections between what they already know and the text they are about to read. Engage in pre-reading discussions or activities that relate to the topic of the text. This will activate their prior knowledge, build background information, and enhance comprehension.
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Scaffolded Instruction: Provide support and guidance during the reading process. Break down complex texts into smaller, manageable sections, and guide students through each part. Model effective reading strategies such as predicting, questioning, and summarizing to help them navigate the text effectively.
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Graphic Organizers: Implement visual aids like graphic organizers to help students organize their thoughts and visually represent the main ideas, supporting details, and relationships within a text. This will promote active engagement and comprehension.
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Close Reading: Encourage students to read the text multiple times to deepen their understanding. Focus on key details, central ideas, and author’s purpose. Engage them in close reading activities, such as underlining or highlighting important information, asking and answering text-dependent questions, and analyzing the text in-depth.
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Explicit Instruction: Teach specific reading strategies explicitly, such as skimming, scanning, … Read full answer