My experience using reading in foreign language teaching and learning


I started learning English at school when I started the first year of Primary. It was not until third of Primary that we started using books to read. We had to read a book each year that it was given by the teacher and we had to read it at home. In the last pages of the book, there were some questions that we had to answer in our notebook. Finally, at the end of the year, we had an exam of the book. I didn’t enjoy reading those books because almost none of them were interesting. I think I would have enjoyed better If I could have chosen the book. Now, I enjoy reading other books in English which are interesting for me.

Now as a teacher, I’m doing extracurricular classes to children from 3 to 6 years old. As they can’t read books yet, I incorporate storytellings. I show them flashcards or puppets meanwhile I explain the story. I choose simple books, with basic and daily vocabulary (animals, family, food, numbers…) and with repetitive sentences that they can repeat and memorize easily. Once I have explained the story, I sometimes give the flashcards to the children, and I explain another time the story meanwhile they put in order the sequences.

I know other methologies where teachers choose some children to represent the characters. The teacher disguises the children and she narrates the story. Children repeat the dialogues and make gestures.


In conclusion, based on my experience, I think that the best for Primary and Secondary children is let them choose the book. In this way, they will be more interested and they will enjoy more the reading.

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