Reading is a great way to improve your English skills. You’ll learn new words, revise previously-taught structures and absorb thousands of useful expressions and phrases without any effort.
By reading, you are receiving valuable language input. And this is how you learn! Remember, language learning is a combination of input and practice. As you’re reading, you’re taking in language naturally, and you’re seeing how it all fits together. This is crucial to your learning.
The great thing about reading is that learning takes place subconsciously.There are no exercises to do, no grammar rules to learn, no tasks to complete… it’s all natural. The language flows in through your eyes, and gets registered in your brain. What could be easier?
The key to effective reading is to read things that you want to read. There are millions of books, magazines and websites out there. You couldn’t possibly read them all. So, the important thing is to find things that you like reading. Then, you’ll be motivated to read. And then the reading won’t be difficult. It’ll be easy! And then you’ll learn. It’s simple.
Remember to read what you want to read. What you like reading. What motivates and inspires you. But where can you start? Well, you could read a book that you’ve already read in your own language. Simply find a translated (or original) version of a book that you have read and enjoyed. This will make processing the content in the target language much easier as you’ll already know what the book is about!
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You could also read the news. This is great as you can read the news in your own language first, then in English. You’ll see that it won’t be too difficult as you’ll be familiar with the topics and stories. Magazines are also great. Find one that covers a topic you’re interested in: business, Fashion, careers, sports, computers, electronics, … you name it, they’ll have it. If not, look for information on the internet. There are also websites for every topic under the sun!
Why not join a forum? They’re also a great source of English input as the language is often written in a simple, spoken style. Go to Reddit, which has discussion groups based on common interests. Just type in the topic that interests you and join the chat.
Finally, how you read is also important. The best thing is to read without using a dictionary. Let the words flow over you. Just skip the parts you don’t understand. If you make your reading feel too much like work, it’ll stop being fun. Of course, you could make a note of any new words and phrases that you like or see repeated frequently, but try not to break your concentration too much. Also, set yourself mini-objectives. For example, if you’re reading a book, read 20 pages a day. Very soon, you’ll have been exposed to thousands of useful phrases and words.
Have fun reading! You’ll learn so much!