TEACHERS PERCEPTIONS ON ACADEMIC READING SKILLS

Abstract

The following paper introduces teachers’ perceptions on the term academic reading. It focuses not only
on reading comprehension in general, but rather pinpoints the different aspects of reading i.e. surface and deep
approach, active versus interactive reading, critical reading skills and the integrated skills approach. The assumption
that lies behind the practical theory of teaching reading at academic level, is that students (in most cases) are not
fully involved in the reading i.e. they are not focused, they do not link previous knowledge with the new, unknown
knowledge; they do not analyze. The whole process of reading (as a receptive skill) however, involves many skills;
skills that are taught and skills that are learnt. An issue that is worth mentioning regarding reading and academic
reading is the transition from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” Hence, the teaching of reading differs for
different subjects, teachers and students. Reading for some is output based more than it is input based (referring by
this to the written works (readings), and the comprehension of them, followed by their reproduction (the ability to
correctly answer questions regarding the reading). Since reading is a process-product skill, we would like to assume
that both features are dealt with (that students can fluently read and accurately respond) The paper therefore has
focused on discovering problematic issues that are tied to the process of academic reading and has provided
solutions that would better enhance academic reading in countries that teach English as a FL. Accordingly, the
authors argue that an integrated skills approach to academic reading would facilitate the process and would foster a
more effective teaching environment. The issue of regarding reading as a separate skill has become a problematic
one for the fact that all other possible skills are neglected. Knowing that academic reading is a suffocating, slow
process, combining a mixture of “integrated teaching” would presumably make it easier. Participants in the study are
7 professors of the English department at University of Tetova and 1 Emeritus, visiting professor from The United
States, which provide insights and comments on the issue. The instrument used is a teacher questionnaire, which
consists of 12 open-ended questions. It aims to gather different insights on the issue and elaborate on the same. Own
experience on learning the language through academic reading and then teaching it to others will also be presented.
The paper with all its implications, recommendations and insights intends to provide efficient information for
readers on behalf of the teachers’ sample of perceptions and on their used strategies. In an upcoming volume,
student feedback will also be presented, with that, making a balance between our theories of teaching academic
reading to that of the students’ needs and interests and of course, student issues.