Abstract:
Only enunciating the sounds, symbolized with written marks, may be an aspect of reading but is not the final goal. If a learner can utter the words of a text but cannot understand the meaning of it, then, in his activity, reading has not taken place. So, to reach the final goal, one must be taught to derive meaning from the word combinations in the text. The study, at the very outset, discusses 'reading' from various perspectives, states the purposes, general activities and strategies, classroom practices and procedures of efficient reading and evaluates the content of 'reading skill' in the syllabus of National University Compulsory English Course (NUCEC). This article, an outcome of an empirical study, discusses teaching and learning theories of reading developed over the ages and explores the state of teaching and learning situations of reading in Rangpur, Rajshahi and Dhaka divisions of Bangladesh through questionnaire surveys, classroom observations, interviewing and proficiency tests with a view to seeing the overall proficiency level (OPL) of students of National University (NU) in reading which reflects the overall growth rate of the practices (OGRP) of reading in the study areas. It also measures the overall rate of proficient students (ORPS) of NU who have minimum level of standard (MLS) in reading proficiency.
