SUPPLEMENTARY READER

KARTHIKA.S Ad.No:8630 SNTC NEDUNGANDA 3/10/2015

ENGLISH ASSIGNMENT

INTRODUCTION

Our present curriculum is based on the approach of Communicative Language Teaching. Theorists like Little wood ,Hymnes and Krashen have contributed to the idea that language communicatively more than on practicing the skills. Thus our curriculum reformists introduced CLT in it. Activities that involve real communication promote learning. So the curriculum besides being CLT oriented has been reuised to be task oriented also. Learning process is supported by language. These principals are the pillars of our revised curriculum. In tune with the above principles of curriculum course books of classes v to x were  revised starting from class v in 1998.there is a new package of instructional materials for teaching and learning as a second language. In the schools of kerala. They have been prepared under the initiative and supervision of the SCERT, Kerala with the involvement of educational experts and experienced teachers. There are five books in the package, three meant for students use, one for the teachers and one for the teacher educators. They are ; English Course Book, English Practice Book, Supplementary Reader. Teacher’s source Book and Teacher-educators Manual.

DATACOLLECTION

Supplementary Reader also known as non-detailed text book is prescribed in addition to the detailed text book. While the text book is for detailed study the supplementary reader is meant for extensive reading ,affirming passive vocabulary and structures and for developing self study skills. Its position is in between the text book and a library book. It is intended to consolidate and supplement what the students have learnt in the detailed text book. In reading with it the teacher’s task is only to help the students remove what stands in the way of their understanding.

                                         Usually the contents of the supplementary reader will be a collection of stories, history of inventions and discoveries , or novel or play in abridges form. The language would not pose much problem to the pupils because most of the words and structures will be those they have learnt  earlier. Each lesson is followed by hard words and their contextual meanings and comprehension questions. The supplementary reader offers varied and extensive learning experiences and opportunities to get in touch with various cultures including that of the English language. The exercises given at the end of each lesson or part will have to be done by the students which are to be evaluated by the teacher. For lower classes illustrations in colour will be helpful to catch the student’s eye.

Objectives of teaching supplementary reader

             The students:

1.     generate interest and sustain it in extensive reading and reading comprehension.

2.     Consolidate what is learnt in the intensive reader and reinforce it.

3.     Enrich their vocabulary and structure.

Characteristics/ qualities of a good supplementary reader

      1. reading is easy ,light, interesting and thought provoking.

      2. enthusiasm of students for wide reading is created.

      3. it is suitable to the age and knowledge level of students.

      4. vocabulary and structures are mostly familiar.

      5. there are attractive and relevant illustrations for each lesson.

      6. hard words are not more than 5% of the total number of words in a      passage and meaning of hard words are given at the end of each end of each lesson.     

 7. comprehension – testing questions and exercises are given at the end of each lesson.

       8. technical qualities like get up, layout and print should be flawless and attractive.

Methodology of teaching supplementary reader

                                   As it is not meant for intensive study, the methodology for teaching it is very simple. The teacher may ask the class to read a new story/ unit at home and come prepared to answer questions based on it or, in the class the students may be asked to read a story / unit silently. If there are new words , the teacher maywrite them on the nblackboard and make the meanings clear in various ways. The teacher can test their comprehension by asking questions. Some questions should be implicit , suggestive and thought provoking. Conversation should be generated between the teacher and the students , between groups of students and between individuals in pairs. The teacher should keep nin mind that the process of attaining communicative competence is more important than the product.

                       

                                   Types of supplementary reader

There are two types of supplementary reader. They are Plateau type and Progressive type.

Plateau type

         Plateau type of supplementary reader implies different and unrelated books for different classes. Extensive reader of this type will be independent in the case of subject matter , vocabulary, and structures are not properly graded. An English supplementary book prescribed for the 7^th standard. It tells another story or presents another subject matter. This type of book can be seen prevalent in our schools today.

Progressive type

It means a series of books with carefully structured and graded language materials for successive classes. Vocabulary , structures etc are properly graded. The book prescribed for the 9^th standard will be a follow-up of the same story or subject matter are presented step by step as one goes higher from one standard to another.

CONCLUSION

      The course materials of each standard consist of a course book , a practice book , a supplementary reader and a source book. The tasks have been made learner – centered , learner- friendly, activity- based and process –oriented . they contain a wide variety of discourses, conversations, script writing , etc. related to real- life situations. More over, continuous comprehensive evaluation (CCE) has become the vein of the teaching – learning process.

                              In the revise curriculum, work in groups or in pairs has been given much emphasis because it would help the students develop interest and skill in interaction with in their social circle. Supplementary reader, one of the new package for students.  It is an extensive reader. It is the book meant for non-detailed study . its aim is non- linguistic. It develops pupils’ interest in pupils a taste for reading. It concerns with getting the overall meaning or idea of the content of the book.

REFERENCE

1.Jamaluddeen k, second Edition 2012.Effective Teaching of English, Manjeri Quality publishers.

2.Sivarajan k ,Revised Edition 2014.English Language Education, Calicut university Central co-operative stores.