Reading Aloud in Britain Today (RABiT)

《今日英国阅读》（RABiT）将是第一个对当代成人阅读实践的全面研究。虽然人们经常注意把阅读作为一种教学工具，但对成年人每天在家里、工作场所和社区里进行的阅读却很少注意。这些日常的口语阅读练习在学术和教育讨论阅读时被忽视了。成年人朗读或听别人阅读什么、在哪里、如何朗读以及为什么朗读？当一个人完全独处时，他们是因为没有人听而默默地读书，还是因为没有人听而大声地读书？夫妻、家庭和团体如何将阅读作为一种在一起的方式？为什么有些人用他们不懂的语言大声朗读？我们在工作中什么时候以及为什么要大声朗读？阅读与背诵、吟诵、歌唱或讲故事有什么关系？写作还是记忆？为了权力和权威？这个项目将探讨阅读作为一种文化实践，通过记录和分析当代成人阅读实践及其在成人生活中的作用，改变当代对阅读是什么或涉及什么的概念。我将使用大规模观察项目指令，问卷调查，深入访谈和录音的做法，以捕捉英国各地的成年人的做法。我将与三个项目合作伙伴（大英图书馆、阅读机构、学习和工作研究所）、RaPAL地区倡导者网络、格拉斯哥妇女图书馆、苏格兰诗歌图书馆和项目咨询小组合作，接触英国城乡不同年龄、性别、社会经济背景、种族、信仰、就业状况和语言背景的成年人。通过这种方式，我将传播有关该项目的信息，为第一年的数据收集活动招募参与者，邀请参与第二年的区域社区活动，并在整个项目期间征求反馈和想法。RABiT将创建一个帐户的各种日常阅读大声实践的成年人在不同的地方，语言和信仰社区在英格兰，威尔士和苏格兰。这种对成人阅读实践多样性的深入理解将扩大对阅读本身的理解，这不仅对所有从事学术阅读研究的人感兴趣，而且对那些支持成人正式或非正式阅读的人也感兴趣。将通过项目网站、大众观察项目档案中的一项指示、大英图书馆声音档案中的一系列录音、学术和非学术介绍和文章以及一本书-第一本关于当代成人大声阅读实践的主要著作-向学术界和社区/从业人员传播项目结果。学术领导力将通过研讨会和《改变英语》杂志特刊进一步发展，以产生新的和收集来自不同学科的现有相关研究，对阅读、识字或文化实践感兴趣。将通过四个区域社区活动（威尔士、苏格兰和英格兰）发展社区参与，邀请与成年人进行阅读的混合群体（包括图书馆员、成人扫盲教师、阅读圈促进者、信仰团体成员和社区工作者）探讨调查结果的影响，从而产生3个后续步骤指南资源。在两年的项目资助结束时，RABiT将1）大大提高学术和公众对英国成年人在日常生活中大声阅读的认识，2）为这些实践创造书面和听觉记录，供任何人阅读或收听，3）扩大“阅读”本身的文化概念，挑战我们所有人更仔细地思考阅读在成人生活中的作用。

Reading Aloud in Britain Today (RABiT) will be the first comprehensive study of contemporary adult reading aloud practices. While regular attention is paid to reading aloud as a tool for teaching and learning, far less is paid to the reading aloud that adults do every day at home, work and in the community. These everyday oral reading practices are largely overlooked in academic and educational discussions of reading. What, where, how and why do adults read aloud, or listen to others reading? When a person is completely alone, do they read silently because there is no one to listen, or do they read aloud because there is no one to hear? How do couples, families and groups use reading aloud as a way of being together? Why do some people read aloud in languages they do not understand? When and why do we read aloud at work? How does reading aloud relate to recitation, chanting, singing or storytelling? To writing or memorizing? To power and authority?This project will explore reading aloud as cultural practice, transforming contemporary conceptualisations of what reading is or involves by documenting and analysing contemporary adult reading aloud practices and their role in adult lives. I will use a Mass Observation Project directive, a questionnaire, in-depth interviews and audio-recording of practices to capture the practices of adults across Britain. I will work with the three Project Partners (British Library, Reading Agency, Learning and Work Institute), the RaPAL Regional Advocates Network, the Glasgow Women's Library, the Scottish Poetry Library and the Project Advisory Group to reach out to adults of different ages, genders, socio-economic backgrounds, ethnicities, faiths, employment status and language backgrounds, across urban and rural Britain. In this way, I will disseminate information about the project, recruit participants for the data collection activities of year one, invite participation in the Regional Community Events in year two and call for feedback and ideas throughout the project. RABiT will create an account of the varied everyday reading aloud practices of adults across different local, linguistic and faith communities in England, Wales and Scotland. This developed understanding of the diversity of adult reading practices will expand understandings of reading itself, which will be of interest not only to all those engaged in forms of academic reading research but also to those supporting adults with reading formally or informally. Project findings will be disseminated to both academic and community/practitioner audiences through the project website, a directive in the Mass Observation Project Archive, a collection of audio-recordings in the British Library Sound Archive, academic and non-academic presentations and articles, and a book - the first major work on contemporary adult reading aloud practices. Academic leadership will be further developed through a Symposium, and Special Issue of the journal Changing English, to generate new and gather existing relevant research from different disciplines with an interest in reading, literacy or cultural practice. Community engagement will be developed through the four Regional Community Events (in Wales, Scotland and England) where a mixed group of those who engage with adults in reading (including librarians, adult literacy teachers, reading circle facilitators, members of faith groups and community workers) will be invited to explore implications of the findings, leading to the production of 3 Next Steps Guides resources. By the end of the 2 years of project funding, RABiT will have 1) dramatically increased academic and public awareness of the reading aloud that adults across Britain do in our everyday lives, 2) created written and aural records of these practices for anyone to read or listen to, and 3) expanded cultural conceptions of 'reading' itself, challenging us all to think more carefully about the role of reading in adult life.