Reading Essays

The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis is set in war-torn Kabul, Afghanistan during the reign of the Taliban. The quote “There had been a war going on in Afghanistan for more than twenty years” (13) indicates that this occurred between 1996 and 1998, during the early years of the Taliban’s rule. Parvana, an eleven-year-old girl who […]

Academic writing is presenting ideas and introducing other voices in their discussion or an argument. Referencing refers to enhancing academic writing and helping readers in many ways. While referencing plays a key role in academic integrity and literacy, students find it very difficult to do referencing. This is because they are not familiar with academic […]

Reading is a complex cognitive process of decoding symbols in order to construct or derive meaning (reading comprehension). It is a means of language acquisition, of communication, and of sharing information and ideas. Like all language, it is a complex interaction between the text and the reader which is shaped by the reader’s prior knowledge, […]

English is one of the difficult languages to learn. English as a subject is usually associated with Phonic Method of teaching. A remedial reading program is necessary for slow readers and/or to those who performed lower than the average. Some children learn that certain letter make certain familiar sound which they repeat in unison and […]

Close reading is an intrinsic act of concentrated attention we give to a written work, exploring the deeper meaning behind the words. This practice is often subconscious but becomes explicit in the scholarly examination of literature. There are four levels or forms of reading that grow progressively complex. The initial level concentrates on language, meticulously […]

Mother tongue usually means the language first learned by a person, but for Amy Tan it has a special meaning, limited language which is the language her mother speaks. Tan feel so deeply about her “mother tongue” because the limited language effects that many people misunderstand her mother. The way Tan’s mother speaks effects the […]

John Ernst Steinbeck, Jr. (February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) was an American writer. He is widely known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath (1939), East of Eden (1952) and the novella Of Mice and Men (1937). As the author of twenty-seven books, including sixteen novels, six non-fiction books, and five […]

Cognitive ability is considered to be the real asset of the humans, and thus there has always been a curiosity and constant endeavor throughout the journey of civilization to improve that ability and to keep it in good stead among all. Accordingly, in modern times too, research regarding children’s reading difficulty, or to be specific, […]

“Intelligence rules the world, ignorance carries the burden” (Marcus Garvey). According to Kofi Atta Annan (Order of St Michael and St George), a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations and world renown author “literacy is a bridge from misery to hope. It is a tool for daily life in […]

The most important setback in my life is related to my education. At the tender age of twelve, I was enrolled for Secondary Education. The system of instructions and curriculum was quire different to my previous studies. So the first obstacle that impeded my educational was a lack of understanding about the new system of […]

India and China, despite the painful memories of the War of 1962, remain mysterious countries for many in India. We recognize that India used to have cultural and philosophical connections with China. However, at present, we are flooded with affordable yet high-quality Chinese products. The book “Comparative Philosophy” written by Prof P.T. Raju delves into […]

The purpose of this assignment is to make you reflect on language and literacy, considering its importance in your life and the experiences that have shaped you in this regard. Writing this paper will help you gain insights about yourself and the writing process. The assignment requires you to: Pre-write / generate a variety of […]

There is a definable element that is commonly shared by all those who are considered good readers. It’s not speed, or even comprehensive ability. What really defines a good reader is their ability to be flexible readers. In other words, really good readers know what parts to quickly skim through and what parts to really […]

When my friend Shaidy gave me this book two weeks ago and I saw its cover, I immediately thought of the 90s movie Homeward Bound by Walt Disney. True enough, this 1960s classic by Sheila Burnford was the inspiration for the movie. I finished the book in no time at all and along with several […]

In the 18th century a woman just like the unnamed woman in Fantomina would have so many restrictions on her. A woman who is wealthy is not allowed to dress inappropriately, pursue men or even hold a conversation with the opposite sex. Although this woman is of higher wealth, and is supposed to sit in […]

My children, Kaylee and Brendan were born 18 months apart in 2000 and 2002. Looking at them, you can tell they are siblings; sometimes they are even mistaken for twins! But once you get to know them, you will find they are as different as chalk and cheese. Kaylee and Brendan were raised in the […]

Most powerful weapon. Illiteracy is defined as the inability of an individual to use reading, speaking, writing and computational skills in everyday life situations. According to Adult Literacy Tutor Association (ALTA), Paula Lucie – Smith, in April 2010. She indicated that forty-five percent (45%) of Trinbagonians are illiterate. Also twenty-two to twenty-three percent (23-23%) or […]

Language came into life as a mean of communication. It exists and is alive only through speech. When we speak about teaching a foreign language, we first of all have in mind teaching it as a mean of communication. In teaching speech the teacher has to cope with two tasks. They are: to teach his […]

“Extracts from the Diaries of Adam and Eve” by Marc twain is a short story written in the style of diaries. Here, Marc Twain explores what it could have been like for two very different people to discover the odd world around them. He gave Adam and Eve personalities and showed a new version of […]

Ecocriticism is a literary community’s reaction to counteract the global imbalance caused by excessive human-centric activities that have led to ozone layer degradation and contamination of natural resources. This article provides a thorough examination of how nature is depicted in John Updike’s ‘Of the Farm’. Recognized as one of the most prolific writers in America, […]

Obtaining new information is always necessary for the enhancement of your knowledge. However, it is also equally important that the source of any information is factual and accurate so that any new knowledge you may have acquired would be credible. “[A] good reference source is one that answers questions and a poor reference source is […]

For the purpose of English language teaching, teachers tend to refer to four particular skills- reading, writing, speaking and listening. (Harmer, 2007) Reading and listening are known as receptive skills. Both of these processes require meaning to be derived from material that is being listened to or read. Speaking and writing are known as productive skills. […]