SKIMMING

&
SCANNING
CHE RASHIDAH BINTI CHE ZAKARIA
NUR IZZATI BINTI IBRAHIM
NOORSYAHIRAH BINTI RUBAAI
SUHAILY BINTI SAAD
WAN NUR AKMAL BINTI W. ARIS
KAREN LING YING
Skimming is reading a text to get the gist, the basic
overall idea, rather than concentrating on absorbing
all the details.

For instance, many people skim read a newspaper
article just to get a quick overview, or a text could
be skimmed to see whether it's worth reading in
detail.
Scanning a text is a reading technique where the
reader looks for specific information rather than
trying to absorb all the information.

If you're reading a timetable, say, you want specific
information usually and so look for something that is
convenient for your journey plans- when you do this,
you are scanning.

CHARACTERISTICS OF SKIMMING
Skimming a text for gist can help reader formulate questions
to keep them interacting with the text.
It requires the reader to organize and remember some
information of the text.
Skimming is used in making decisions on how to approach a
text.
Skimming is used as part of SQ3R(survey, question, read,
recite, and review) method of reading.
Build students confidence and understand without reading
every word in a text.
It is used for the initial survey and review.



ROLE OF TEACHER
During pre-reading, the teacher should guide
students to ask themselves some question.
What kind of audience was the text written for?
What type of text is it?
What was the authors purpose?
Before assigning a skimming exercise the teacher
should know
The purpose of the exercise
How deeply the text is to be read
1. Read the title.
2. Read the introduction of the first paragraph.
3. Read the first sentence of each of the following
paragraph.
4. Read any heading or sub heading.
5. Look at any picture or phrases that are in boldface.
6. Read the summary of last
paragraph.
ROLE OF STUDENTS
Is used (technical, scientific or professional materials)
to search for specific information.
To fill in gaps in your knowledge (give depth).
Do not require a detailed read of the text.
Helps the second language learners to develop.
e.g.: reading a schedule


CHARACTERISTICS
How to Scan?
* State the specific information you are looking for.
* Try to anticipate how the answer will appear and
what clues you might use to help you locate the
answer. For example, if you were looking for a
certain date, you would quickly read the paragraph
looking only for numbers.
* Use headings and any other aids that will help you
identify which sections might contain the information
you are looking for.
* Selectively read and skip through sections of the
passage.

A) ROLE OF THE TEACHER
Select texts with specific information
May use authentic materials e.g. TV schedules, menus,
phone book
Tell the students how the information is organized in the
text
Remind the students to pay
attention to titles, heading
and keywords.
SCANNING (cont)
B) ROLE OF THE STUDENT
Ask yourself what information are you looking for?
Look for the contextual clues
Be aware of graphic forms such as numeral, a written
number, a capitalized word or short phrase that may lead
to the information needed.
SCANNING (cont)
Intensive type of reading
Involves quick eye movements (quick reading)
Do not require a detailed read of the text
Do not focus on information that is not important
for meaning
Valuable skills for second language learners to
develop
The teacher may guide students before they read
the text.
SKIMMING SCANNING
Suitable to use in
reviewing for a test

Gain meaning without
reading the whole text

Suitable to use for initial
survey and review

Immediate
understanding of the
information

Everyday uses (reading
schedule, menus,
telephone directory)


DIFFERENCES OF SKIMMING
& SCANNING
SCANNING SKIMMING
Efficiently gather
information

To extract certain specific
information without reading
through the whole text
An effective way of quickly
reviewing something that has
been read

To predict the purpose of the
passage, the main topic or
message, and
some of the developing or
supporting ideas

SKIMMING

SCANNING
Skimming only gives the reader a
general idea of its contents where
vital details are easily missed and this
can produce a confused or misleading
impression.
Scanning can be monotonous and
the technique is not suited for long
periods of study, as it is easy to lose
concentration
Skimming is far less effective in
making sense of complex discussions
or detailed arguments.
Scanning is not always thorough
and a key fact may be overlooked.
Without reading the surrounding
text, scanning is easy to misinterpret a
fact's true significance.