Reading: Advanced Textual Analysis: C1 Lesson 17: Reading Any Text with Native-like Fluency, Speed, and Automaticity of Comprehension

Textual Analysis

C1 Lesson 17: Automaticity & Native Fluency

Goal: Achieve "Automaticity"—the ability to process complex English text without conscious translation or pausing.

1. Core Concepts

Automaticity Processing language instantly without "thinking" about grammar rules.

Saccades The rapid jumps your eyes make between groups of words.

Regressions The "bad habit" of looking back at words you already read.

Prosody The rhythm, stress, and intonation of the text in your mind.

2. The Chunking Method

Native speakers do not read 1 word at a time. They read Ideas.

Word-by-word (Slow):

The economic impact of the policy was unclear.

Chunking (Native-like Speed):

The economic impact

of the policy

was unclear.

Your brain processes these as 3 "objects" instead of 8 "words."

3. The Efficiency Sweet Spot

Fluency is a balance between WPM (Words Per Minute) and Recall.

Skimming (Low Recall)

Fluency (Optimal)

Studying (Too Slow)

C1 readers should aim for 250-300 WPM while maintaining 80% comprehension.

4. Automaticity Check

1. Which behavior indicates a lack of automaticity? Grouping words into phrases (chunking). Frequently returning to the start of a sentence (regression).

2. Why is "Prosody" important for comprehension? It helps identify individual letter sounds. It mirrors the natural rhythm of speech, signaling meaning.