The Teaching of Reading in Government high Schools in Addis Ababa: a Descriptive Study

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Date

1996-06

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Publisher

Addis Ababa Universiy

Abstract

The study aimed at providing information on how reading lessons are actually conducted in selected government high schools in Addis Ababa. The research procedure followed in the course of the study included observation o f sample reading lessons as well as adminstration of a questionnaire to teachers teaching English in Grade 11 in the sample schools. The study focused on the description of the selected teachers' perceived objectives of a reading lesson and the procedures they actually followed to realize their objectives. In an attempt to find out the relationship that exists between teachers' perceptions of how reading is best taught, on the one hand, and the c l assroom realization on the other, a questionnaire was administered to 30 teachers to elicit their views concerning reading instruction. Data obtained both from the obs e rvations of lessons and the q uestionnaire were analyzed. The results of the analysis may be summarized as follows: Reading lessons were mainly used to increase students' knowledge of the topics dealt within the respective passages via extensive vocabulary teaching. Reading aloud with the aim o f helping students learn how to sound out words correctly was another outstanding feature of the lessons. Silent reading was practised in only 30% of the lessons observed, and that was not properly done. There was no attempt made to give a purpose for reading the passages. In general, the reading lessons seemed to be informed by the principle of the bottom-up data driven approach to reading, if there was any principled approach to the teaching or theory behind it at all. On the basis of the findings, recommendations concerning familiarizing teachers with more appropriate methodologies for teaching reading are stated

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The Teaching of Reading in Government high Schools in Addis Ababa.

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