Reading & Vocabulary Journal Instructions
RWG-5 Spring Quarter 2009
Instructor: Richard Alishio
April 10, 2009
Dear RWG-5 Student,
When I was a boy of just fourteen years old, I read a book about a man whose small airplane crash lands in the deserts of Baja, Mexico. He has no radio or telephone, very little food, and no water. At first he is very afraid that he is going to die, but then his desire to live takes over and he begins to figure out how to survive.
I was absolutely thrilled when I read that story. Every page was exciting because I could see in my mind exactly what the man was doing. I could feel his fear and admire his courage to keep on going. Part of the reason I was so involved in the story was that I thought it was true. However, as my mother would later tell me, it was, in fact, a novel, a work of fiction. I was quite disappointed to know I had read a “lie” and that the man didn’t exist; none of it had ever happened. My motivation to read was affected by my disappointment. Eventually, I would get over my disappointment, mostly because I wanted to have that experience of being totally involved in a great story. By the time I started college, I was so enthralled with reading that I got my B.A. degree in English Literature. I’ve been an avid reader ever since.
Motivation is extremely important in everything we do. Think about it: Do you enjoy doing housework? Do you enjoy taking tests? Do you enjoy standing in line at a government office waiting for hours to get your visa? Probably not. However, if you are highly motivated to do something, it becomes easier and more enjoyable. The same is true about reading.
Do you enjoy reading in English? Which would you rather do-- watch a movie of your choice or read a book for an English class? Why is watching a movie more enjoyable? At least in part, it is because you can choose the movie you watch, but you usually can’t choose the book you read. (And, of course, reading takes effort while watching a movie is entirely passive!) When you are required to do things regardless of whether or not you enjoy them, then your motivation suffers, and it makes it more difficult to do a good job of accomplishing the assigned task.
On the other hand, if you choose your own reading material based on whether or not you enjoy the topic, then things change. Your desire to do it will increase and your enjoyment of it will help you remain persistent in getting it done. Also, if you can do something at your own pace and at a time of your own choice, then it becomes even easier to do it. And if you are reading something that you choose at a time you want to read knowing that you will not be tested on what you read, then even reading can be as enjoyable as watching a movie.
And that’s the point of this reading journal. It is intended to allow you to choose your own reading materials, read when you feel like it, and not have to take tests on what you read. However, because this is a reading AND writing class, we are going to write and talk about what we read. Thus, after you have chosen something to read, please be prepared every Thursday or Friday to tell a speaking partner what you have been reading during the week.
During the week, please keep a special journal of what you read by doing the following:
- Write down the name of the item (book, magazine, Web site, newspaper, etc. and how many pages and how long you read each day.) Also, write the date that you read this at the top of the entry
- Write down one 1-3 sentences about what you read for each day (no more than 5 entries per week are required.)
- Write down a minimum of 5 new vocabulary words per week and their definitions.
Sample Journal Entry:
April 10, 2009
What I’m reading: Walter Moseley’s “Cinnamon Kiss”
Daily Reading time/amount for Monday: About 30 pages in about one hour
Comments for Monday: The hero, private detective Easy Rawlins, finds out that his daughter has a fatal disease and must come up with $20,000 in order put her in a special hospital. He doesn’t know how to get the money, so he is considering helping his old friend, Mouse, rob an armored car in Texas. He’s extremely conflicted about doing this.
Your teacher will monitor your journals by occasionally checking to make sure it is getting done. However, there will be no tests for your journals or for the new words that you learned. At the end of the quarter, everybody who has kept up with the work will receive a score of 100% on the journal work.
Remember, it is very important that you find information to read that you ENJOY! If you find it too boring or too difficult, then don’t read it. What you read doesn’t matter to me at all. If you enjoy reading it, then it is good. That’s it. That’s the only measure of what you read.
Source for materials:
You can find ESL books at in the NSCC Library just to your right as you enter the main doors. However, you do not have to read an ESL book. Any book you find to be enjoyable is fine!