Introduction
Hi, I'm Duc. Today I want to share two incredibly useful reading techniques for TOEIC Part 7: skimming and scanning. Both help you process information faster, but they're applied in different ways. Let's dive in!
Table of Contents
- 1. What is skimming?
- 2. When should you skim?
- 3. What is scanning?
- 4. When should you scan?
- 5. Combining skimming and scanning
1. What is skimming?
Skimming is a technique for reading quickly to grasp the main idea of a text without reading every single word. When you skim, you focus on the title, subheadings, and the first or last sentence of each paragraph. This technique is especially useful when you need a general overview of a long passage.
Skimming in practice
When reading an article, you might start by reading the title and opening paragraph to understand the main topic, then glance at the subheadings to see which sections contain important information.
2. When should you skim?
I typically use skimming in the following situations:
- When time is limited and I need a quick general understanding of the content.
- When the passage is long and I only need the key ideas to answer a question.
- When I need to decide whether a section is worth reading more carefully.
3. What is scanning?
Scanning is a technique for locating specific information in a text without reading the whole thing. When you scan, you search for keywords or key phrases to quickly pinpoint the detail you need.
Scanning in practice
If you need to find a phone number in a list, you wouldn't read every entry — you'd run your eyes down the page looking for digits or the specific name you need.
4. When should you scan?
I use scanning in the following situations:
- When I'm looking for a specific piece of information, such as an address or a figure.
- When a question asks for a detail from the passage and I already have a sense of where to look.
