Curso de Inglês Instrumental - Teoria Fundamental

Summary

This lesson focuses on instrumental English, specifically reading techniques for understanding texts without full language proficiency. It covers key strategies such as skimming for identifying the main ideas and scanning for specific information. The lecture emphasizes the importance of prior knowledge, understanding text types, recognizing keywords, and using context to infer meaning. It also discusses cognates, false cognates, and lexical ambiguity in English. The goal is to help learners improve reading comprehension, especially for academic and practical purposes, even with limited English knowledge.

Takeaways

• 📘 The class continues from the previous lesson on reading analysis using English instrumental techniques.
• 🔑 English instrumental allows you to understand the general idea of a text, even without full language proficiency.
• 📝 Key techniques include identifying keywords, analyzing the text genre, and applying existing knowledge of the subject.
• 📖 Skimming is the first technique: a fast reading to get the main idea without stopping frequently.
• 📚 Skimming involves looking at titles, keywords, and text structure to quickly identify if the text is relevant.
• 🍽️ A practical example discussed is identifying the structure of a recipe, highlighting key sections like 'ingredients' and 'directions'.
• ⏳ It's important to develop reading rhythm: too fast or too slow hinders comprehension, like riding a bike at the wrong speed.
• 🔍 Another technique, scanning, involves searching for specific information without reading the whole text.
• 📑 Cognates, words similar between English and Portuguese, are helpful for quicker comprehension, especially in scientific texts.
• ❓ Context is essential for understanding words with multiple meanings, and inference can help deduce meanings without a dictionary.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the second class in English instrumental?

The second class focuses on the theory of reading analysis in an instrumental way, specifically applied to English texts, even for those who do not have full command of the language.

What are some key techniques used in English instrumental reading?

Key techniques include identifying keywords, analyzing the text genre, understanding grammatical structures, using contextual knowledge, and having some prior knowledge about the topic.

What is skimming, and why is it important?

Skimming is a rapid reading technique used to get a general idea of the text without going into detail. It helps the reader determine if the text is relevant and whether they are ready to understand it.

How should one approach the concept of 'reading quickly' in skimming?

In skimming, 'reading quickly' does not mean reading hastily but maintaining a steady pace to identify main ideas without pausing frequently or getting lost in details.

What does the term 'scanning' refer to in English instrumental reading?

Scanning refers to searching for specific information within a text without focusing on every detail, such as looking up a particular word in a dictionary or finding flight information at an airport.

Why is it helpful to have some knowledge about the topic before reading a text?

Having some prior knowledge makes it easier to understand the context and key terms, allowing for a more effective reading experience, especially in instrumental reading.

What are cognates, and how do they benefit English instrumental reading?

Cognates are words that are similar in English and Portuguese, often having the same or similar meanings. They help readers understand the text better without needing a full command of English vocabulary.

What should a reader do if they encounter an unfamiliar word during reading?

Instead of immediately looking up the word in a dictionary, the reader should infer its meaning from the context. This approach helps maintain reading flow and comprehension.

What is the importance of recognizing lexical ambiguity in reading?

Recognizing lexical ambiguity is important because some words may have multiple meanings depending on the context. Understanding the context allows the reader to choose the correct meaning.

How can readers improve their comprehension when encountering words with multiple meanings?

Readers can use inference, contextual clues, and their background knowledge to assign appropriate meanings to ambiguous words, refining their understanding as they progress through the text.