Pyrrhic victory: a victory achieved at great cost.
Strategies for effective reading
Heard of muscle reading? Try it out, it could prove useful!
There are indeed further vistas to be explored in this vital segment of the learning process.
Let us try to know some of the interesting strategies to engage us in effective reading even when the progress seems to be tough. Suppose you come home after a tiresome day, and try to read something that has necessarily to be read and learnt. You may go through the motions of reading such as sitting under a lamp with the book wide open before you, and your eyes wandering over the printed pages. Perhaps your mind is also wandering. After a half hour of this exercise, if you try to recall what you have read, perhaps you may draw a blank.
You painfully realise that you learnt nothing during the period. A similar experience awaits you if you try to read something seriously after a tiff or noisy argument with a close friend. Your mind may be preoccupied. The real process of reading with the brain never takes place. Consequently, you never learn anything on such occasions. There are some methods to tide over such difficult situations, although the effort may not be as successful as when you read in a calm atmosphere with a clear mind. Substantial contribution to `muscle reading', a method that can help us in such difficult situations, has been made by the noted educationist Dave Ellis.
What essentially is the strategy involved? What are the steps to successful reading even when the ambience is not congenial for efficient reading? The atmosphere may not be friendly, not only because of the imbalance of your mind. It is possible that the lesson is too tough to be grasped through the normal course of reading and analysis. The idea may be complex. To borrow an Indian idiom, it may be in the nalikera pakam - the idea is difficult to reach as the sweet milk inside a coconut; you have to go through the hard processes of removing the layers of husk and shell. The real success in learning is converting the material to draksha pakam, which reminds us of sweet grapes that can be devoured straightaway. Your intention should be to reduce your effort and struggle, raise your energy level, neutralize your lack of concentration, and extract more out of your reading.
It has to be mentioned that muscle reading is not confined to reading under hostile circumstances. The style can be gainfully adopted for normal reading as well; but the steps may appear to be too unwieldy in normal situations.
You have to divide the process of reading into different stages. Some of these are `before reading', some others `while reading', and yet others `after reading'. This may appear to be cumbersome in the beginning, but with practice it will become a habit. Also some of the stages can be skipped if the passage is easy or the environment is not too hostile to permit easy reading for learning.
Before reading
Preview: You should not make a sudden jump into the text and start reading straightaway. A quick preview is essential. Some call it reconnaissance. If it is a new book, you can look at the blurb, chapter headings, and have a glance of some of the chapter summaries. Look at the pictures, charts, graphs, and diagrams, if any. Flip through the pages of the text. See whether there is something that arouses your curiosity, or something that would help you greatly now or later. Before you go into the body of the book, it is a nice idea to go through the preface or introduction. Think about what you gained from the preview.
Outline : Realise the structure of what you are going to read. If necessary, write out words indicating the significant areas, or make a mind map. Chapter headings and topic headings will help you in this endeavour.
Question : Ask what you try to derive from the book or passage? How will it help you? The preview must have led you to some questions. Raising questions will enliven your reading. It is some sort of a creative activity and not just passive gazing at the paper. You would be liberated from your mental fatigue when you find answers to the questions raised by you. In other words this exercise will make you more energetic.
While reading
Read: With the background of the preview and the outline, you feel more interested in reading than otherwise. Reflect on what you already know, so that you can easily link the new knowledge with what is in your mind. If the concentration wanes, you should ask your mind, "Come back!" Stay focused. Read aloud for a change, if you feel drowsy. Take small breaks if necessary.
Do not lie down or adopt a reclining posture while reading. Sit erect, firmly on the seat. Make mental pictures. If the material appears to be tough, try mock teaching - to an imaginary group of students seated in a classroom.
Make Markings: Underline the important points and make ticks or other marks, as required. Note down what is significant in the margin. These are all positive actions, different from reading that may otherwise degenerate into a totally passive motion. Read with a pen or pencil in hand.
Answer: Look for answers to the questions originally raised. Perhaps you can write them out, adding to the first outline / mind map you had created.
After Reading
Recite : Try to talk to yourself what you have already read. If there is another person who is interested in listening to you, speak to him on the topic. Talking to your own image in a mirror would be interesting. You may be prompted by your marking in the text.
Review: You have to review what you read and learnt, at least before the next day. You can look at your marking and noting, and go to the main text if necessary. Such review helps to convert what is in your short-term memory to your long-term memory. Real learning involves committing the lessons to your long-term memory.
Further Review: Your memory is short. What you learnt today may not come to your mind after a month. So it is essential that you review the lessons periodically. This may not take a long time. A quick check and confirmation that you have the lessons in your mind is only what is necessary. If there is a gap, it can conveniently be filled for your own advantage. It is an interesting pastime to go through your marking in the margins and the matter you have underlined in the text. If you fail in recollecting in full, any part of the lesson, necessary corrective steps should be resorted to forthwith.
We have narrated a series of steps for muscle reading. It is essentially a process of discovering the hidden objects in the lesson and assimilating them, even if the environment is not congenial for proper reading for study. Try to perform the experiment of muscle reading with one of your textbooks, or a subject book by a different author, and find out how effective is the process. The method of muscle reading may be used whenever you find that the going is not smooth. It will offer a rewarding experience.
*****
girl next door is as cute as a button, but when she opens her mouth, her English is bad enough to get her sent back to kindergarten! Well, it's a common enough problem today -- almost everyone is mourning the lack of fluency in English among our school and college-going generation, as well as in the new entrants into the work force.
Presented here are a few English bloopers sent in by our readers -- they are good lesson in the English language!
Let's start off with a few common blunders that reader Sunita R Kamath comes across frequently:
1. ~ "It was a blunder mistake."
Correction, people! The word 'blunder' means mistake, so you could say:
~ "It was a blunder," or ~ "It was a big mistake."
2. ~ "It would have been more better."
The word 'better' itself implies that the option in question is superior -- the use of the word 'more' in the sentence is, therefore both inappropriate and unnecessary. Thus the correct sentence would go as follows:
~ "It would have been better."
3. ~ "Why don't he get married?"
The term 'don't' applies when discussing a plural subject. For instance, "Why don't they get married?" The right way to phrase that sentence would be:
~ "Why doesn't he get married?"
4. ~ "I want two Xeroxes of this card."
The term 'Xerox' is used in North American English as a verb. Actually, 'Xerox' is the name of a company that supplies photocopiers! The correct thing to say, therefore, would be:
~ "I want two photocopies of this card."
5. ~ "Your hairs are looking silky today."
This is one of the most common Indian bloopers! The plural of 'hair' is 'hair'! Thus:
~ "Your hair is looking silky today."
Get Ahead reader Nasreen Haque says, "We must realise that English is not the native language of Indians. Having said that, we should tell ourselves, 'Yeah, I could go wrong and I could make innumerable mistakes, but of course there is always room for improvement.'"
Here are a few bloopers Nasreen has across often:
1. ~ Loose vs lose
Many people make this mistake. They inevitably interchange the words 'loose' and 'lose' while writing. 'Lose' means to 'suffer a loss or defeat'. Thus, you would write:
~ 'I don't want to lose you," and not ' don't want to loose you.'
'Loose', on the other hand, means 'not firm' or 'not fitting.' In this context, you would write,
~ "My shirt is loose," not "My shirt is lose."
2. ~ "One of my friend lives in Kolkata."
This is one of the most common Indian English bloopers ever! The correct way of putting that is:
"One of my friends lives in Kolkata."
Why? Because the sentence implies that you have many friends who live in Kolkata, but you are referring to only one of these friends.
3. ~ Tension-inducing tenses.
People often use the wrong tense in their sentences. For instance, someone might say:
~ "I didn't cried when I saw the movie."
Unfortunately, the word 'didn't' is never followed by a past tense verb, in this case 'cried'. The correct way of putting it would be:
~ "I didn't cry when I saw the movie."
PREPOSITIONS:
Preposition is a word placed before a noun or a pronoun to show its relation with another noun or pronoun.
1. I went to market.
2. Sheela sat on the chair.
3. They commute to office by car.
Different kinds of prepositions:
1. Simple Prepositions:
The match began at 5 p.m.
He waited till she came.
The children went into the room.
2. Compound Prepositions:
Formed by adding a preposition to an adjective or a noun.
He stood between the two brothers.
She lives across the street.
There is a park beside my house.
3. Phrase Prepositions:
Use group of words in place of a single preposition.
He asked me to call him up in case of any emergency.
They got late owing to heavy traffic.
She attended the seminar along with her friend.
Fill in the blanks with a suitable preposition:
1. Sara is a teacher__________ profession.
Ans: by
2. I generally pray before going ____ bed.
Ans: to
3. When she heard the news, tears rolled ______ her cheeks.
ANS: down
4. My cousin died ______ cancer.
Ans: of
5. I am really thankful ____ him.
Ans: to
6. I am a person who believes that our fate is ____ our own hands.
Ans: in
7. I saw him _______ tears.
Ans: in
8. That river separates the village ________ the town.
Ans: from
9. It is nice to hear that both the countries are _____ peace.
Ans: at
10. He has never ending thirst _______ knowledge.
Ans: for
11. She is gifted ____ a melodious voice.
Ans: with
12. An old lady was robbed _______ her chain yesterday.
Ans: of
13. It is better that we don't interfere _______ others matters.
Ans: in
14. You must be careful while dealing_________ such people.
Ans: with
15. You have to wait ___ 5 pm.
Ans: till
16. My daughter is aiming _______ the first rank.
Ans: at
17. He was born_____ rich parents.
Ans: in
18. Wine is prepared _____ grapes.
Ans: from
19. The conductor jumped _______ the bus cleverly.
Ans: off
20. Mother Teresa was well known _____ benevolence.
Ans: for
21. I met him_______ the evening.
Ans: in
22. I have not seen her _______ last week.
Ans: since
23. I am really ashamed ______ my conduct.
Ans: of
24. I will work hard _______ today.
Ans: from
25. Hyderabad is famous__ pearls.
Ans: for
26. He prefers to read _____ night.
Ans: at
27. All these things are ______sale.
Ans: for
28. He was named ________ his grandfather.
Ans: after
29. Raju is suffering _______ fever.
Ans: from
30. You can rely ________ us.
Ans: on
31. Gandhiji was born ____ Gujarat.
Ans: in
32. Please meet the manager ____ 5 pm
Ans: at
33. She has been working _______ 2 o' clock.
Ans: since
34. Kishore is sick _____ infection.
Ans: with
35. The employees should be there _____ time.
Ans: on
36. We usually go to Delhi ___train.
Ans: by
37. Is the hospital near ____ your house?
Ans: none
38. She teaches French ______ Spanish.
Ans: besides
39. Kiran prefers coffee _____ tea.
Ans: to
40. I generally go there ____foot.
Ans: on
TEST
Choose the correct preposition to fill in the blanks:
1. The Principal is angry _____ the staff. (upon/with/along/around).
Ans: with
2. The students were listening to the lesson _______ radio. (on/in/through/by).
Ans: on
3. Hyderabad is famous ________ pearls and bangles. (of/for/to/since).
Ans: for
4. I return _______ home by 8pm. (to/in/none)
Ans: none
5. It is an antique piece, it is made ______ bronze. (at/of/by/from).
Ans: of
6. The second term starts ______ October 28th. (at/from/on/in).
Ans: on
7. We have been to Ooty ______ last Sunday. (in/on/by/none).
Ans: none
8. The head office is ________________ Bangalore every month. (in/at/on)
Ans: in
9. Mrs.Radhika is senior ______ him. (to/of/than/by).
Ans: to
10. Please switch _________ the A.C. (up/down/off/out).
Ans: off
11. They are planning to get engaged _______ Wednesday. (on/in/by)
Ans: on
12. The Chief Minister entered ____________ the auditorium. (in/into/with/none)
Ans: none
13. Anusha is engaged ______ a businessman. (for/at/with/to).
Ans: to
14. The company is discussing _____ the issue. (about/on/from /none).
Ans: none
15. I have known him______ twelve years. (for/since/with/none).
Ans: for
16. Mr.Kiran was annoyed ______ the rude behaviour of his Boss. (on/at/with).
Ans: with
17. The teacher stared _______ me in anger. (on/with/against/at).
Ans: at
18. She fell ______ the cycle. (at/of/off/out).
Ans: off
19. The teacher is proud ________ her students. (at/over/of/on).
Ans: of
20. We came _____________ foot. (on/by/towards/through)
Ans: on
source: sakshi (English Academy)
No comments:
Post a Comment