STUDY SKILLS

                  STUDY SKILLS

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These skills are employed to make language richer and students need all these skills to improve themselves. They are crucial and essential in every community where communication is expected to be effective, in fact, we cannot divorce one from the other.

Before entering a university or any other higher institution, it is expected that the basic minimum standard of intelligibility must have been acquired.

Besides, the standard of speaking is not as important as the writing, listening, and reading skills in determining the admission of students into tertiary institutions. Yet the inculcation of this speaking skill is the most demanding of facilities and resources. Speaking skill is productive while listening is receptive. This is so because a speaker is expected to impact knowledge to the listener, while the listener only taps the knowledge.

SPEAKING AND LISTENING SKILLS; It is pertinent to know that under normal circumstances the study of these skills should be separately undertaken and divided into aural comprehension and oral expression. However, since all the aforementioned teaching materials and facilities are not in place or available in our institutions of higher learning even in developing countries, aspects of these areas of oral expression and aural comprehension are incorporated under various headings within the writing skill. Pronunciation, for instance, is introduced in the section dealing with words and dictionary usage.

READING SKILL; It is an essential activity, that takes several forms in any tertiary institution. It is however important for the student to understand that there are different kinds of reading for different aims. One can read for the general theme or drift of a book or passage. Reading skill has been grounded around two main concepts.

Reading efficiency and reading comprehension. The principal emphasis of reading reading efficiency is placed on developing speed skills -reading within tolerable limits of comprehension.

Four principal levels of speed are recognized for drilling.

1. Study or careful - prolonged and thoughtful reading

2. Normal - medium, slow, or average reading

3. Rapid - fast reading

4. Skimming and scanning - high-speed reading

WRITING SKILL; writing skill has been grounded mainly around two principal notions, Viz: concept grasping and concept formation. These two notions make the writing process a complete phenomenon.

Concept Grasping – this idea or notion interprets or expresses an interpretation of the world around us.

Concept Formation– this on the other hand, expresses the process of explaining the world around us after our own image or knowledge. Concept formation is as closely related to reading comprehension as it is to concept formation and should be recognized as equally crucial in comprehending arguments or expository writing to create a logical and unified argument or essay. Under normal circumstances activities such as note-taking and outlining come under concept grasping. Sincerely, the library is the main source of information in any higher educational process and the library must therefore be numbered among identified skills.

READING EFFICIENCY; Undoubtedly, there is a direct relationship between the physical aspect of reading and reading speed that 8n turn influences comprehension. Bad physical habits of reading can easily lead to slow reading with poor comprehension.

   NOTE TAKING AND NOTE MAKING

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NOTE TAKING; This is an act of jotting or taking down the important or main ideas or keynotes of a lecture being delivered by a lecturer or teacher. Students are not expected to write or jot down all that the lecturer says on a particular subject, but he is concerned with significant tips and points of the lecturer. It must be emphasized that students need two basic language skills to take a good note. They need listening skills (this is very important in note-taking)and writing skills.

     HOW TO TAKE GOOD NOTES

1. Availability of essential writing materials, such as pen, pencil notebook, etc

2. The students should possess a legible handwriting

3. The student must embrace the use of abbreviations and acronym

4. The use of symbols is also important.

5. Tapes may allow you to record lectures during the lecture period.

6. The student should avoid taking notes verbatim from the lecturer who is writing word of World War II lecturer says.

7. The use of listening and writing skills are essential for good note-taking.

8. The student must avoid any distractions that may affect his concentration during lecture period.

9. Having a functional ear.

10. The use of the layout method also enhances good note-taking.

NOTE MAKING; This is the act of developing the notes that have been taken from different lecturers. In other words, note making is a way of building on what has been jotted down from a lecture.

        HOW TO MAKE A GOOD NOTE 

1. A good note taking is required

2. Relevant textbooks, journals, dictionaries, newspapers, magazines, or any printed material should be consulted.

3. The abbreviations used should be interpreted correctly so that the points made by the lecturer or speaker will not be distorted.

4. The symptoms, diagrams, graphs, pictures, and charts used during note-taking should be explained for a better understanding during revisions.

PURPOSES OF GOOD NOTE TAKING/ NOTE MAKING.

1. To record or capture the key points

2. To form a good reference point  shortly

3. To enhance good and thorough revisions before and during the examination period

4. To enhance the knowledge and memory of the listener concerning the topic being discussed at a particular period and the he uses as background or to complement his write-up on a similar topic when the situation arises.

5. It can also be part of your library in the near future.

BAD READING HABITS: research has shown that readers in general are fond of Reading in a way that will inhibit their speed of Reading. The following are some of the bad reading habits;

1. Head movement

2. Pointing to words

3. Vocalisation

4. Sub- vocalisation

5. Regression

6. Bad sight

GOOD READING HABITS: Since the bad habits of reading have been identified and discussed, it becomes easier to identify the good habits a good reader should possess.

To be a good reader you must constrain yourself from all sorts of habits associated with poor readers.

1. Do not move your head

2. Do not point to the word

3. Do not vocalize

4. Stop sub- vocalisation

5. Stop regression

6. Correct your sight

     

        METHODS OF READING

There are four basic methods of reading; Before you start any reading you must have a purpose.

1. SCANNING; this is a very fast or rapid method of reading.

2. SKIMMING; This is also a fast method of reading, it is reading rapidly to get a general overview of the material.

3. NORMAL; This method is usually adopted when you read at your convenience time.

4. STUDY; as the name implies, the study method is employed when you really want to carry a diligent research on a particular topic.

       READING TECHNIQUES

The reading techniques mentioned here refer to the strategies involved to achieve effective studying. The strategy 8s is based on the SQ3R formula.

This formula involves five basic steps or stages.

1. THE 'S' STANDS FOR SURVEY; TMThis step indicates that before a student starts reading, he or she needs to go through the whole material to be read. which can follow with the title page and table of contents.

2. THE 'Q' STANDS FOR QUESTION; After the surveying of the book, the student is expected to formulate some questions that will give him a better understanding.

3. THE 'R3' STANDS FOR R1=READ, R2= RECALL, R3= REVIEW.  

                DICTIONARY 

The dictionary is a book that is very useful for all in society, especially in academic environments.

At this juncture, it would not be a hasty generalization to say that the dictionary is the best teacher on earth today after the internet.