Reading 1 is a complementary reading course of the Inglés Carrera program aimed at intermediate level English language learners. This student-centered course runs for 16 weeks and consists of two 1.5 hour face-to-face classes and approximately 2 hours of independent work each week. Reading 1 uses a variety of written text types in order to develop and strengthen learners’ top-down and bottom-up reading strategies and micro and macroskills for effective academic and general reading comprehension. While the majority of the course is focused on developing a range of reading skills and strategies, it also adopts an integrated-skills approach to the learning of English for Academic and General Purposes whereby the contents of an in-class text serves as a springboard for writing and speaking skills practice in order to develop learner’s communicative competence more effectively. In addition to the intensive reading carried out in the classroom, the course includes an extensive reading component which encourages learners to read for pleasure so that they can continue to improve their second language skills without the need for a teacher or a classroom.
The course is divided into three modules with a five-week length each. During class time, students are encouraged to participate in different activities that will help them improve their reading, writing, speaking and critical thinking skills. Group work, cooperative work, and peer-assessment are also part of every face-to-face class.
As a way to support their learning process, students are also required to work on technology-enhanced exercises during an extended period of time both inside and outside the classroom. These activities constitute an important assessment tool throughout the semester since students are expected to demonstrate the achievement of the learning goals proposed for each module. During their independent work time, students are expected to do reading comprehension activities for the different skills and strategies learnt in class and participate in the extensive reading project scaffolded by the teacher.
