Ларіна О.С., Суховецька С.В.

Житомирський державний технологічний університет

Critical reading as an aspect of ESP reading

Although critical thinking can be used in any context, it is likely that you will apply it most when using written materials. It focuses on applying critical thinking skills when reading for a specific purpose, such as writing a report or assignment. It looks at issues such as: identifying theoretical perspectives; categorizing information to assist with its selective use; using a critical approach to note-making when reading.

Critical reading is different from other kinds of reading such as skimming or scanning text. The latter are useful strategies for locating where information is in a text and to develop a general feel for a subject. However, they usually result in a more superficial reading of the material.

Critical reading requires students to focus their attention much more closely on certain parts of a written text, holding other information in mind. As it involves analysis, reflection, evaluation and making judgments, it usually involves slower reading than that used for recreational reading or for gaining general background information. As students develop critical reading skills, these reading skills will become faster and more accurate.

It is not usually easy to make sense of any information taken out of context. When reading new material, some basic preparation can help students to:

· see how the main argument fits together;

· better remember the overall argument;

· better comprehend specific pieces of information;

· recognize how reasons and evidence contribute to the main argument.

While reading books students should use the following critical reading skills:

Preliminary skim

First, students should skim through the book to get a feel for what it contains. Glancing through as they flick the pages a few times, or scanning each page quickly in turn, can give them an initial impression of what the book is about and where relevant information may be located.

Scan the introduction

They should check whether the introduction indicates the author's position or refers to the overall argument. Such information can direct them to make sense of detailed information presented in these.

Scan the final chapter

Besides, students are to pay attention to any conclusions drawn at the end of the book. Check whether the final chapter sums up the argument, reasoning and evidence. If so, this is invaluable for keeping track of the line of reasoning when reading about the more detailed evidence in other chapters.

Scan beginnings and ends of chapters

It is important to scan the introductions and final sections of relevant chapters: these are likely to orientate their thinking to the material. Further there are suggestions on actions students can take to orientate themselves to a text, in order to facilitate critical reading.

Regarding articles there are the following recommended steps while reading:

· Browse the abstract to see if the article looks relevant.

· If it does, read the abstract slowly, to identify the main argument.

· If the article is about a research project, the research hypotheses sum up what the author is trying to prove. The results show what they found. The discussion indicates what the author considers to be significant about the research and its findings.

· Use the abstract to locate the most relevant information. Decide whether you need to know more about the methods used, the results, the discussion of the results, or the recommendations, depending on your purpose.

To work quickly and to locate where the information is in general terms, students should apply the critical thinking methods in order to identify the arguments:

· Identify the author's position: what does the text want you to do, think, accept or believe?

· Look for sets of reasons that are used to support conclusions.

After locating the argument, it is better to read again more slowly and carefully, applying further critical thinking strategies.

We also are to consider different reading styles and accuracy. Accurate interpretation is particularly important to critical thinking. Donaldson (1978) found that people often get questions wrong because they do not adhere closely enough to what is asked or stated.

Incorrect interpretations can arise because either reading is over-focused on small details or it pays insufficient attention to details. Some common mistakes are:

· Over-focused reading: the reading is too slow, focusing excessively on individual words and sections of the text. Although close reading is a necessary part of critical reading, it is also important to interpret specific details in the wider context of the argument and the theoretical perspective.

· Insufficient focus: the reading is too superficial, taking in the big picture but lacking a sense of how the main theories and arguments are supported by specific details and evidence.

· Insufficient attention to the exact wording: missing out essential words such as 'not', or not following the exact sequence closely.

· Failing to draw out correctly the implications of what is stated.

It follows that, in order to interpret texts accurately, it helps to vary the focus of attention when reading, alternating between:

· the big picture and the fine detail;

· a consideration of the exact words and unstated implications and assumptions.

The notes students make should support them main purpose, avoiding making notes on related topics just because they are interesting or might be useful one day. It is possible to write notes to fulfill several different purposes, such as to support a current project and to contribute towards a future project or assignment. Since it’s better to use separate sets of notes for each project, or use clear headings in notes to help find what is necessary for each. It is worth making a conscious effort to reflect on what is read.

Critical thinking is to be incorporated at many different stages in the process of producing a critical piece of work. It has focused on applying a critical approach to reading and related note-making.

Mentioned above strategies save our time, and help to develop critical thinking skills as an ongoing process when reading and writing.

Critical reading is assisted by identifying certain key pieces of information that can direct and focus attention. It is necessary to draw attention to the importance of theoretical perspective, in order to better evaluate the significance of the material to the author's point of view.

The necessity of developing skills in categorizing and selecting information as component skills within critical thinking is considered. Such skills contribute to more effective reasoning abilities, as they require finding comparisons and exceptions, looking for factors that link and connect information, developing an understanding of the relative significance of different pieces of information, and making evaluative judgements.