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This unit discusses reading and listening as the important learning skills that they are. Knowing how to speak a language is not enough, one needs to be able to listen to it being spoken and understand the context that is meant by the speaker. In the same regard, one needs to be able to read something in the other language and properly understand the meaning behind the phrases based on the culture it comes from, not just the language its written in.
There are basic reading skills that everyone learns and does in their native language, such as predicting the content of an article based on the title, or skimming through a piece of research for the key elements, and even reading thoroughly to digest every bit of information being provided. It would seem the key to teaching someone to do this in a new language would not be just teaching them how to do it, but making them think while they read or listen to think critically about what is being said in regards to the source of the material. Does the person who wrote the material, or the person talking to them, think the same way they do and have the same points of reference, or does that person come from a different point of view and the information could be meant differently?
The example given in this unit about the cowboys destroying the bears is very fitting, since it's understanding would be determined first of all by if the reader knows American sports at all. Using deductive reasoning to understand the context of the material would have to be the key reason behind teaching how to listen and read carefully in a student's new language.
Pre-teaching any vocabulary that could cause misunderstandings is definitely a good way to go, but after doing so a teacher can also take a moment to answer any questions in regards to confusing words being used. Even when teaching my daughter history I would take the time to go over individuals and ideas she was not familiar with before we read through the lesson for the day. I can see the benefits of this strategy.
When doing a reading or listening assignment, you definitely need to have the students interest in the topic, but this is true for any subject of study. The more interesting the topic, the more likely they will be excited and retain the information later. A teacher most assuredly needs to keep this in mind to keep that spark of desire to learn awake in their students. The Tom Cruise video was a good example, but I think I would go a little more contemporary music wise that Elvis Presley on the chance that a majority of my students may not be fans of the King.
