Part 7 - Academic reading

This is not an accurate word-for-word transcript of the programme.
Группа Learning English:   [bad word]  [bad word] club17650165
Продолжение транскрипта: [bad word] /downloads.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/webcast/al_07.pdf

ANNOUNCER:
It’s time for Academic Listening - a series for students at English-speaking universities. This
time Susan Fearn is focusing on academic reading, but to begin with, let's hear from two
people, a student and a teacher, as they tell us how they understand the problems of reading for
academic purposes.
CLIP: Student
The problem of reading is to get used to [it]. It takes time.
CLIP: Christine Reeves
The main problem with reading is the actual amount of reading that you're likely to have to do
at University - you may be given a book list which has fifteen , twenty or even thirty books on
it and you've got a very short time in which to read those books and so what you really have to
learn to do is read effectively and you also have to learn to be selective in what you read.
Susan: The reading you have to do as a student is quite different from any reading you
do for pleasure. And there are particular problems associated with it. The first
of these relates to the sheer volume of material that confronts you when you
walk into the library or when you receive your reading list. There are other
more obvious problems such as having to learn a whole new specialist
vocabulary.
Well, we’ll start with some tips. If you come across unfamiliar words when
you’re reading an academic text, try not to reach immediately for your
dictionary. Practise trying to guess the meaning of the word from the context
or from what you already know about the subject. Another World Service class
member has advice for those of you who find you have so much to read that
you just don’t know where to start.
CLIP: Student
[NB: very rough transcript] Select material to read. You can't read everything - it's impossible.
You need to be selective and make choices, and then focus on the uncertain aspects within a
rational scheme. Make choices on where to focus.
Susan: In trying to decide what to read, it’s worth remembering that no one expects
you to read everything on your reading list. You need to narrow down the
choice. Ask your tutor or lecturer what they consider to be the most important
books or articles to read, and whether they can recommend particular chapters
to look at. Other students on your course may have found certain texts to be
particularly useful, so ask them for advice.
Once you’ve chosen your reading material, however you make that selection,
it’s vital that you should be absolutely clear why you’re reading.
CLIP: Simon Williams
When you know the purpose of doing the reading, e.g. to prepare for an essay, you might arm
yourself with a list of questions.
Susan: Simon Williams teaches English in the Language Centre at University College
London.
CLIP: Simon Williams
Having found books, look at the contents in the index – academic books normally have an
index – and look for key words. Make a note of those. Read the blurb - the description on the
dust cover of the book. If material looks promising, skim through the first chapter and the
conclusion. Like lectures, the middle section will amplify, give examples, explain ideas. So the
important parts at this stage are the beginning and the end of the book, or the chapter, or the
section.
Susan: Based on what you know about the subject already and what you need to know
for your assignment or project, Simon Williams suggests you prepare a list of
questions. This activity will help you focus more effectively on the ideas
contained within the text. Then, you can adjust the speed and depth of your
reading to suit your purposes, as Christine Reeves explains. She teaches
English at Bell Norwich, a language school in the East of England.

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