This presentation displays my perspective of SLA in terms of language skills development for EFL learners. As well this presentation shows some reflective aspects for reading before dealing with aspects to consider when assessing reading.

1. ASSESSING READING Edgar Lucero

2. agenda Why reading first? Defining reading Reading importance in SLA The reader and the text/test Inference in reading? Bottom-up and top-down Designing assessment tasks (what to consider?)

3. Why reading first?My idea of SLA (Smith, Flanagan, Deese, Rivers, Gass) Through our Sensory systems And Making sense Cognitive Structure WORLD learning Comprehension Theory of The world New Cognitive Structure Process of meaning Prediction of meaning Uncertainty process work Reading

4. Defining reading Read the following text…

5. Too difficult?? So, read the following text: Ver gente decente perecer me estremece, Mequetrefes venden 3 CDs, ¿qué se creen? Se creen jefes de este Edén, ¡Herejes! Deben entender que defenderme es querer perder, ¿Pretenden vencerme en este set? Empecé desde el retrete, enterré el estrés, El eje es tener fe. Trabaja, plasma las palabras, hazlas balas, Atrapa ráfagas, sal, machaca cada sala, Ladra hasta rasgar la garganta, Saca las garras, las armas, Las gradas harán palmas, La fama tarda, patán, jamás hallarás paz. Amargas caras largas arrastran la maldad, Andarás a rastras, pagarás caras las cagadas, Las carcajadas sabrán saladas, Tras, tantas trampas, Tantas falsas alabanzas…

6. Defining reading What did you do to understand the text? So, what’s reading? It is the ability to process a text through decoding, interpreting, and understanding it. (Brown, 2004) It is a process of negotiating meaning. A dialogue between the reader and the writer.(Widdowson, 1984, 1990)

7. Reading importance in sla Reading is important because much info you need to know is communicated via written texts. We need reading to function in this modern society. It is a readily available exposure to the TL. It opens up worlds. It brings prior knowledge, cognitive development, and text processing. (Barnet, 1989) It is a social and cultural event involving written language. (Smith, 1984)

8. The reader and the text/testGrabe (1991) The reader approaches the text/test by careful reading and using her/his skills with clear objectives. During reading, the reader discards, reuses, and implements different strategies to interpret the text. The reader then has to activate meta cognitive awareness of the interpretation process and of individual processing strategies.

9. Inference in reading? Schemata Vision of the world Cultural/social knowledge Linguistic knowledge Reading skills Reading strategies Meta cognitive awareness Content Syntactical features Lexical features Discourse features Coherence / cohesion Completeness / unity Author’s world vision Decoding process Interpretation process Understanding process Linguistic and Semantic level All assessment of reading must be carried out by inference (?)

11. Getting an overall picture

13. One reading assessment task… What is this organ? This organ creates lymphocytes for the destruction and recycling of old red-blood cells. It is also where white blood cells trap organisms. The tissues of this organ can be classified into two types, white ored pulp and red ored pulp. The red pulp consists of a large number of sinuses and sinusoids which provide the supply of blood in case of lack of it. The white pulp consists of aggregates of lymphoid tissue. Its main purpose is to mount an immunological response of antigens. Splenomegalyis the main health problem associated with the organ. It consists of an enlargement due to trapping platelets at an abnormal rate. THE SPLEEN

14. Now answer the following questions with your own words What is the main function of the spleen? Describe the two tissues of the spleen and their functions in our body? Why does Splenomegaly happen? Explain clearly.

15. Designing assessments tasksconsiderations