Foreign Language Reading Strategy

Step 1. Skim the text

a. Read the title. Define any words you do not know. What does the title suggest about the content?

b. Glance over the pictures and make a prediction on what you think the text could be about.

c. For the first reading, ignore any words in the text that you do not know.

d. Look for the information that answers the following questions:
Who?
What? (events, actions—focus on the verbs)
Where?
When?
How?
Why? (the motives, causes)

e. Read the comprehension questions that follow (if any), looking for the elements of the six questions in step 1.e. This is a shortcut because the questions will have condensed information from the text.

f. For each paragraph, in the margins or on another paper, write a few words about the impression that you get about what the content is. Answer this question: What’s happening here?

Step 2: Read everything again
a. Look for and define any words you did not know before that appear at least three times in the text, as these words probably are pertinent to the overall meaning of the text. Be sure to include all forms of the same word, for example morir – muere – muerto (to die, dies, dead).

b. After defining the new words, adjust and amplify your first impressions that you wrote in the margins. You will have a better idea about what is going on.

Step 3: The third reading
a. Read everything one more time.
This step is important because after the second step and the resulting understanding, you can pick up more information, double-check your assumptions, and try to make sense of it all.

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