Holistic reading through local content: a new insight of elt methodology

Abstract

This book presents a significant advancement in English language teaching (ELT) by incorporating local content into a comprehensive reading strategy. Moving away from traditional reading approaches that are often mechanical and disconnected from the learner’s socio-cultural background, the author suggests that genuine reading comprehension takes place not just at the level of the text, but through a comprehensive language learning experience. The method integrates three fundamental components: experiences in developing language skills, text discourse, and reading comprehension. Local content—including folktales, community knowledge, local issues, and cultural products—is prioritized as the central focus of all reading activities. As a result, the focus of learning shifts from foreign texts that feel disconnected from students’ everyday experiences to relevant and significant realities that are familiar to them.

Every chapter offers hands-on strategies, including attentive listening to local stories, participating in discussions about cultural contexts, crafting analytical responses, and conducting critical and reflective discourse analysis. Consequently, reading is perceived not merely as comprehending words, but as a comprehensive process that encompasses the learner’s thoughts, emotions, experiences, and sense of self. This book is designed for educators, researchers, and policymakers in English Language Teaching (ELT) who aim to foster impactful, contextualized, and culturally relevant learning experiences. Holistic Reading using Local Content is more than a mere technique; it is an educational initiative aimed at unlocking the significance of reading. ­­

ISBN: 978-634-262-257-5