Choosing of Reading Materials for Intermediate Students of English as A Foreign Language

Abstract

Success or failure in any language programme is dependent to a large extent on the success or failure of the reading programme because the reading programme is the foundation and cornerstone of any systematic linguistic training. This is particularly so in second language learning, where the opportunity to speak the language may be less than often realised. But devising a reading programme for second language learners is in itself a monumental task because it has to take into account a host of factors, some of which the teacher can control and some of which she cannot. There are for instance the needs of the particular group of learners involved. This does not always mean a psychological or sociological component because it may very well have an economic dimension as well. Hence, questions relating to the learner’s first language, the particular reasons for learning the second language, the differences between the two languages in relation to the script, the sounds of the language, the cost of textbooks and the accessibility, all have some bearing on the strategy adopted in the reading programme. But in devising a reading programme for a particular group of learners, the one activity that is central and of paramount importance is that of evaluation of the text involved.