ABSTRACT

Someresearchers,followingthe'basicskillsapproach', attempttobypassthecomplexitiesassociatedwith comprehensionbyarguingthatlearningtoreadisa differenttaskfromlearningthelanguage,andcomprehensionisafunctionofunderstandingthelanguage.4 Thereare,afterall,articulateadultswhocannotread.But thisobservationmerelyforestallstheinevitablerealization thatlanguage,andtheknowledgethereof,islikewisean integralfunctionofbeingabletoread.ManyEnglishspeakerswithknowledgeofnootherlanguage,for example,can'decode'printedGermansentenceswith excellentpronunciation.Arewepreparedtosaythatthese peoplearereadingGerman?Ithinknot.Thewholepurpose ofreadingistoreceiveamessagefromtheprinted symbols.Ifproperlettersymbolsprovidenomessage, thereisnocomprehension,andifthereisnocomprehensionthereisnoreadinginanyintelligiblesenseofthe term.