Reading in different languages is something a lot of people struggle with and not knowing how to read in a widely spoken language such as English puts us at a disadvantage. That is why people need to practice and learn how to read in English. It will help them do important things such as shopping and understanding important information.
There are many different things that you can do to improve your English reading skills. However, you need to remember how important it is to find the books and methods that work best for you and allow you to understand what you are reading. You should also pick books that you find interesting enough to read. You might also need to practice reading slowly. You might need to stop choosing the difficult books and start choosing the right books for your skill level and gradually increase the difficulty. You use this method to develop step by step and improve your reading skills by reading at a higher level. You should find at least 30 minutes every day for focused reading. Remember that the more you read, the more you will improve. So, it would help if you constantly read as much as possible.
Read about things you are interested in
You should read about topics that you enjoy reading about whenever you can. You should also choose the books suitable for your English Language proficiency level so that you are more likely to understand, pay attention, and feel motivated to learn more. Before you start reading, take some time to prepare, pick a time and place where you can read without interruption, and have a notebook and pen or pencil close to you.
Improve your vocabulary and grammar
Reading is one of the best ways to improve your English. If you want to become more fluent in English, you need to keep pushing yourself to read more English. Even if you speak English well, there is always more you can learn through reading. It is very important to add more words to your vocabulary and improve your grammar, but it is hard to keep up with all the spelling and the new words. An excellent way to solve this would be to keep a notebook with you at all times in which you write the new vocabulary items that you have learned, what they mean and how they are spelled. This is an easy way to incorporate new vocabulary into sentences and check your understanding of any new words. Sometimes you can guess the meaning of the words just by understanding the overall context.
Pay attention to punctuation
Punctuation aids the reader in understanding the writer’s message. It makes it easier to read and comprehend the writer’s ideas.
So, developing English reading skills is a fundamental skill that everyone should have to succeed in life. It is not just about reading for pleasure, although that’s something you should do regularly; it is also about learning new things and improving your vocabulary and grammar.
I believe that these are the essential methods that could help you develop your English reading skills.
Author: Denise Gikwisi NSENGA ESOL Level 1 Student The Manchester College
A wonderful and very useful article that summarized important things that motivate one to study. Thank you,Denise.
Hi Denise, This is an article that is full of sound advice. I can really connect with the conviction and passion behind the writing. Denise, would consider using more of a discussing voice instead of the instructional voice? This could help your readers to engage and think for themselves. Consider being more personal to engage your readers, too. For example: ‘Often we are told to read more to improve our English but I have not found it easy because there are just too many books to choose from. So….’
Denise, you have primarily focused on the advantage of developing a reading habit not developing reading skills which are decoding, interpreting, comprehension, fluency, speed etc.. Take a look at these skills…
A really interesting article, Denise, that shares some excellent tips on improving reading. I especially liked your advice to students to dedicate a certain amount of time every day to reading.