Improve
your English through Reading
Right now
you are reading English. That means that you are using your brain in a very
active way. Reading is a very active process. It is true that the writer does a
lot of work, but the reader also has to work hard. When you read a text, you
have to do some or all of these:
- imagine
a scene in your head
- understand
clearly what the writer is trying to say
- agree or
disagree with the writer
Advantages of Reading
When you learn a language, listening,
speaking and writing are important, but reading can also be very helpful. There
are many advantages associated with reading, including:
Learning Vocabulary In Context
You will usually encounter new words when you
read. If there are too many new words for you, then the level is too high and
you should read something simpler. But if there are, say, a maximum of five new
words per page, you will learn this vocabulary easily. You may not even need to
use a dictionary because you can guess the meaning from the rest of the text (from
the context). Not only do you learn new words, but you see them being used
naturally.
A Model For Writing
When you read, it gives you a good example
for writing. Texts that you read show you structures and expressions that you
can use when you write.
Seeing "Correctly Structured" English
When people write, they usually use
"correct" English with a proper grammatical structure. This is not
always true when people speak. So, by reading you see and learn grammatical
English naturally.
Working At Your Own Speed
You can read as fast or as slowly as you
like. You can read ten pages in 30 minutes, or take one hour to explore just
one page. It doesn't matter. The choice is yours. You cannot easily do this
when speaking or listening. This is one of the big advantages of reading
because different people work at different speeds.
Personal Interest
If you choose something to read that you
like, it can actually be interesting and enjoyable. For example, if you like to
read about football in your own language, why not read about football in
English? You will get information about football and improve your English at
the same time.
Five Tips for Reading
Tip #1
Try to read at the right level. Read
something that you can (more or less) understand. If you need to stop every
three words to look in a dictionary, it is not interesting for you and you will
soon be discouraged.
Tip #2
Make a note of new vocabulary. If there are
four or five new words on a page, write them in your vocabulary book. But you don't
have to write them while you read. Instead, try to guess their meaning as you
read; mark them with a pen; then come back when you have finished reading to
check in a dictionary and add them to your vocabulary book.
Tip #3
Try to read regularly. For example, read for
a short time once a day. Fifteen minutes every day is better than two hours
every Sunday. Fix a time to read and keep to it. For example, you could read
for fifteen minutes when you go to bed, or when you get up, or at lunchtime.
Tip #4
Be organised. Have everything ready:
- something
to read
- a marker
to highlight difficult words
- a
dictionary
- your
vocabulary book
- a pen to
write down the new words
Tip #5
Read what interests YOU. Choose a magazine or
book about a subject that you like.
Things to Read
Newspapers
You can find English-language newspapers in
all large cities around the world. Newspapers are interesting because they are
about real life and the news. BUT they are not easy to read. Try reading
newspapers if your level is intermediate or above.
Some British newspapers:
- The
Telegraph
- The
Times
- The
Independent
- The
Guardian
- The
Financial Times (business)
- The
Sunday Times
Some American newspapers:
- The
International Herald Tribune
- The New
York Times
- The Wall
Street Journal (business)
Magazines
Some magazines are published weekly, some
monthly. You can find English-language magazines in many large cities around
the world. If you cannot find the magazine you want in your town, you may be
able to order it for delivery. Many magazines have pictures which can help your
understanding. You will need an intermediate level for most magazines, but a
pre-intermediate level may be ok for some magazines.
There are magazines on every subject:
- Politics
- Sport
- The
House
- Cars
- Music
- Romance
- Travel
- Language
- etc
Books
Books are divided mainly into:
- Non-fiction
(history, biography, travel, cooking etc)
- Fiction
(stories and novels)
Some books are easier to read than others. It
often depends on the author. Agatha Christie, for example, wrote in an easier
style and with simpler vocabulary than Stephen King. You can buy books in
specialised English-language bookshops in large cities around the world. You
may also be able to find some English-language books in libraries. And if you
have a British
Council in
your city, you can borrow many English-language books from their library.
Short Stories
Short stories can be a good choice when
learning a language because they are...short. It's like reading a whole book in
a few pages. You have all the excitement of a story in a book, but you only
have to read 5,000 or 10,000 words. So you can quite quickly finish the story
and feel that you have achieved something. Short stories are published in
magazines, in books of short stories, and on the Internet. You can also find
short stories at EnglishClub.com English
Reading.
Readers
Readers are books that are specially
published to be easy to read. They are short and with simple vocabulary. They
are usually available at different levels, so you should be able to find the
right level for you. Many readers are stories by famous authors in simple form.
This is an excellent way for you to start practising reading.
Cornflakes Packets
By "Cornflakes Packets", we mean
any product you can buy that has English writing on or with it. If you buy a
box of chocolates, or a new camera, why not read the description or
instructions in English? There are many such examples, and they all give you an
opportunity to read real English:
- airline
tickets
- cans or
packets of food
- bottles
of drink
- tapes
and CDs
- user
guides for videos, computers...
- etc
Poetry
If you like poetry, try reading some
English-language poems. They may not be easy to understand because of the style
and vocabulary, but if you work at it you can usually get an idea - or a
feeling - of what the poet is trying to say. You'll find some classic poems,
with explanations of vocabulary, at EnglishClub.com English
Reading.
Good luck with your reading. It will help you
make a lot of Progress!
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