THE PRACTICE OF COMMUNICATIVE ACTIVITIES TO DEVELOP BASIC READING COMPREHENSION SKILLS IN STUDENTS OF CYCLE 5th AT COLEGIO RANCHO GRANDE IN MONTERÍA

CONTEXT

This project was carried out in Colegio Rancho Grande, where people who had problem to enroll in educational process due to the fact that they do not have the economic resources, and they have to work during the day, so the school allows them study at night.

PARTICIPANTS

The participants in this study were students from 10 and 11 grade at Colegio Rancho Grande, the participants’ age was between the ages of 18 and 25 years old.

PURPOSE

The main purpose of this research is to encourage students to read English text and express their ideas about what is read.

Enhancing students practice reading comprehension in the English class by the use of a series of activities, which could make the students comprehend texts while a more communicative class in created.

DATA COLLECTION TECHNIQUES

The data collection methods used in this research was:

•      Observation of the classes.
•      Observations of the methodology apply by the teacher.
•      Observation of the reading teaching process.
•      Observation of the student’s attitude towards the methodology.
•      Describing, analyzing and interpreting the facts.
•       Short questionnaires.
•      The application of activities.

METHODOLOGY

The methodology used in this research was ACTION RESEARCH because the aim of this project is to improve and change the way that students see reading comprehension in English, through the application of some specific activities to encourage and enhance reading comprehension skill.

THEORIES

This research is based in two theories:

·         Williams (1990) who states that reading is process whereby one look at and understands what has been written. Reading comprehension implies that the subject understand what the text is about.

Williams presents three phases to develop a reading class: Pre reading, while reading and post reading.

The other theory is presented by Reder & Green (1983) and Stedman & Koestle (1987) they talk about the impact of literacy in the society and how reading comprehension is a process that requires synthesis, assessment, organization and monitoring of the activities.

RESULTS

The research achieved the proposed objective. They could encourage students to read in English, reflect and express their opinion about the reading text. Even through the material used was authentic they could overcome the frustration of facing an English text by using some reading strategies such as reading for the main idea, reading for specific details, vocabulary and the practice of communicative activities.