French

French Reading Strategies

1. Preparation: This is just for you and it’s in English. Take advantage of it!
2. Avoid looking up every word. If you don’t recognize it, just try and get the gist of the text.
3. Techniques:
   • Focus: concentration and avoidance interruptions will lead to intelligent guesses.
   • Brainstorming: Look at the title and the first sentence to give you the theme. Guess what you will encounter → thinking about the topic will help trigger previously learned/stored vocabulary and information.
   • Read the introductory information about the author and time period. Tap into other classes that have touched on similar themes for comprehension.
   • Skimming: a quick read through will help you explore the theme as well. Don’t stop to ponder what is unfamiliar. It will give you the purpose / general sense of the context and basic outline.
   • Scanning: this technique is useful when reading a particular passage that you know will have certain features to it. → trains eyes to notice different bits of information, i.e. circle certain dates, adjectives, names, etc.
4. Vocabulary tools:
   • context
   • word / verb families
   • cognates
   • patterns of change
   • verb endings