Understanding the text
Thursday, September 24, 2009
A good way to understand what you read is to ask youself questions when scanning the text. This is a technique good readers use (sometimes unconsciously) to make sense of and to internalise the information presented, as well as to make predictions based on the information given in the text.
In fact, most of you would already be familiar with this technique. For example, when watching a movie, you will be predicting which character will be killed next or when the bickering hero and heroine will start falling for each other.
Apply this technique when reading. Ask yourself why the character in the story is doing this, what he could be feeling, what he will be doing next, what factors contributed to his actions/ thoughts, etc.
This technique will help you start the thinking process needed to answer inferential questions.
It is also a very useful technique to use when studying content-based subjects (in this case you will be asking yourself whether the new information presented is true and trying to recall facts that support or refute the new information).
