How to read in english effectively

How to effectively read english books

All who sooner or later begin to learn English, want to read fluently and correctly. You must develop this skill from the very beginning of training and gradually improve it.

To enjoy the reading process and benefit from it, you should choose the right book that would be interesting for you. There are several criteria for doing this. We will describe them in this article.

Rely on your level of knowledge of the English language

Choose a book depending on your interests, but do not forget to take into account your level of English. Easy books for children are suitable for those who are just beginning to learn English (textbooks and special adapted literature). But popular-science literature is the best for Intermediate and Upper Intermediate levels with a large vocabulary and complex grammar. For example, you can read such books as «Little Women» by Louisa May Alcott, «Harry Potter» by J. K. Rowling, «Alice in Wonderland» by Lewis Carroll, etc.

Work with unknown words

Remember that learning new words in the context is much easier. So, write down unfamiliar words along with the sentences in the context of which they are used. If you do not want to stop reading, then first go over several pages and find words that you do not know, write down the sentences that include them. Read, referring to the dictionary only at the most critical moments.

Read aloud as often as possible

Reading aloud, you practice your pronunciation. Learn the pronunciation rules. Do not try to read as quickly as possible. Read slowly, pause, use the dictionary where there is a transcription to learn how to pronounce the phrases correctly.

Read regularly

Regular reading helps to keep your knowledges of English, especially if you study the language with interruptions. Try to read at least 5 pages every day. If your level of English is basic, try to start with a book that you have already read in your native language. If your level is Intermediate or higher, select a book that you are not familiar with yet. An interesting story will make you regularly return to the book.

5 books that must be read in the original language:

— «A Farewell to Arms» by Ernest Hemingway;
— «Fahrenheit 451» by Ray Bradbury;
— «The Great Gatsby» by F. Scott Fitzgerald;
— «The Jungle Book» by Rudyard Kipling;
— «Jane Eyre» by Charlotte Brontë.

How to read in english effectively

It’s more and more likely that you’ll have to do a large portion of your reading for college online
(like this!). Because it is sometimes harder to focus on online readings when there are so many distractions readily available at your fingertips, it’s important to be extra thoughtful as you work through online text. Just as you would with a traditional textbook, we will call them “texts” here since you could be reading this on a screen. A
text is anything that can be read for meaning.

When you read for any class, take the time to minimize distractions. Use programs such as Mercury Reader, task-trackers, timers, and blockers to reduce unwanted distractions. Preview the text by scrolling through a section, making note of headers and keywords. Be careful when clicking on hyperlinks that you don’t end up losing sight of your initial reading. Navigate through the material in an intentional way. Take notes and annotate or outline either on your device, or with a pen and paper. These strategies will assist you with reading, no matter the subject area.

Reading in the Sciences

Reading in the sciences is likely different than reading in the humanities or for some of your other classes.

Figure 1. Reading in science courses requires learning common patterns in scientific texts.

Explore the Text and Assignments

In a science text, it’s helpful to develop a base understanding of how the material is organized. Go over the course outline and the table of contents and compare the two. In addition, explore the lab manual, if you have one.

You also benefit from knowing what you’re required to learn. Read the introduction of your assigned chapter and connect it with previous chapters or your prior knowledge of the topic. It is important to read the headings, subheadings, summary, and review questions. Remember that most science texts contain review questions; use them to guide your readings.

Look over the pictures, tables, diagrams, photographs, and other images. Sometimes those elements are easier to understand than the words.

In the sciences, it is especially helpful to take notes, and learn basic terminology and vocabulary. Studying scientific root prefixes and suffixes and using context clues can help you understand new words.

Figure 2. Look for common patterns in your reading to better understand the material in your science readings.

Analyze For Comprehension

Scientific texts usually follow the same writing patterns. Once you can recognize and analyze them, your comprehension will increase.

The Classification Pattern: used by scientists to group and sub-group various things, objects, or areas. For example, a scientist who wishes to discuss the structure of a plant may break his topic into various subheadings as roots, stems, leaves, or flowers. Recognizing these structural parts in order of importance or position is essential to good comprehension and note-taking.

The Process Description Pattern: what the process is and how the process works. You need to understand what the description pattern is about. Is it about the process? Or how the process works?

The Factual-Statement Pattern: facts are usually used in defining things, in comparing or contrasting things, and in citing examples or illustrations. In science, the word “fact” has a more exacting meaning than in other areas.

The Problem-Solving Pattern: usually found in passages from science texts which describe or recount past scientific problems, or scientific discoveries made through experimentation. When you’re confronted with the problem solving pattern, use the following questions to help you understand and analyze the passages.

In addition, application of these questions can help you to separate the major and minor points.

Experiment-Instruction Pattern: to understand this pattern and to make sure that you follow the instructions exactly, use the following questions.

Usually you must alternate between the reading matter and the experimental tool, so have the questions firmly in mind before attempting the experiment. In addition, use the questions when you have been given an assignment from your lab manual.

The Combination Pattern: not all science texts follow one pattern. Sometimes the writer may use a combination of patterns. For instance, a reading passage may begin with factual statement of definition, move to classifying the components or parts of the term being classified, and end up discussing a process. An awareness of all patterns is needed in this case to aid in distinguishing the main ideas and supporting details in the various pattern used.

Reading in the Social Sciences

Faced with a long list of readings in any social science field, you need to learn to read extensively as well as intensively; it is rarely practical to read everything word for word and line for line. Although close textual reading and interpretation is part of social science tradition, it is often not possible, especially for introductory and intermediate level survey courses. Instead of trying to read every line and word, consider the following suggestions for more efficient and effective course reading.

Organize reading over the weeks and months

Look over the material to be covered (syllabus and tables of contents in assigned books). Estimate the amount of reading for the semester and try to divide the work on a weekly basis. Try to keep your work and pace steady. It will become less burdensome and easier to manage.

Begin any reading assignment by reading the abstract, preface, introductions, and conclusions

The beginning and end are frequently the most important parts of any text because the author often signals his or her major themes and arguments. It is necessary, however, to look over, sometimes very carefully and completely, the central portions of the text to identify the evidence provided for the major themes/theses. Often, the topic sentence of paragraphs provide the links in the author’s argument.

Mechanics of reading and note-taking

Read the text and make marginal notes indicating what seemed like the strongest parts. When you have completed a once-through of the text, go back and take notes in outline form, by paraphrasing sentences or paragraphs until you have reduced the many pages of text to a few pages. (Make sure to keep an accurate citation to the work so that any future use of these notes and paraphrases can be appropriately cited—you do not want to find yourself engaged in plagiarism.)

Thinking Analytically about readings

Reading for Math Class

Unlike some classes where you are able to skim over some readings to look for specific information, readings for a math class require careful reading of every word. Math texts rely heavily on practice problems, so you will typically find a few paragraphs of explanation and introduction, then problems. You want to make sure you have a pencil and paper in hand, and even if you think you know how to do the problem, it’s a good idea to work through every example. Be sure to plan enough time for this, and work slowly through each step. Write down your notes during each step as well, so if you are confused about anything, you’ll be able to pinpoint which step is giving you a hard time.

Here are some tips for working through a solved problem in a math text:

After you can work through the solved problems on your own, the homework should be much easier since there will be similar problems. Time spent on problems the author has solved for you will pay off in higher grades.

Don’t worry if the author or your instructor makes it “look easy.” They work hard when you aren’t looking. The author chooses “cleaned up” problems for his or her text. Teachers do the same thing when preparing for a lecture. Good math is messy! If you get really lost, scrap your work and start over on that problem.

How to Effectively Improve Your English Reading Skills on Your Own

Reading in English can be difficult if you’re still learning the language.

But the good news is that you can improve your English reading skills by yourself.

You can do it right from home in your free time, with just a few tips to help you along.

Contents

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Getting Ready to Read

Before you start reading, take some time to prepare. Here are a few steps to get you ready for reading.

Determine your reading level

Knowing your reading level will help you find good reading materials and keep track of your progress.

There are a few different ways to determine your reading level.

With the Oxford Bookworms tests, you can find your level by filling in missing words in stories.

The website A2Z Home’s Cool shows some other good ways to figure out your reading level, using lists of words. These are meant for parents teaching their children, but can be helpful for anyone trying to improve their reading.

Even if you don’t know exactly what your level is, the ideal (perfect) reading level is one that is comfortable but also a little challenging.

Determine the reading level of books before you choose them

Some books (especially children’s books) include information on reading level.

If you want to find out the reading level of a book or article, you can put a page or more of it into this tool, and it will tell you everything you need to know about its level.

Choose the kind of reading you want to do

Will you be reading books for kids or adults? Fiction or non-fiction? Are you studying English so you can get a job or make friends? All these questions are important in choosing the kind of material to read. Find writing that’s interesting or relevant to you.

If you’re not sure where to start, you can check out this post on easy English books.

If you’re interested in reading some English classics, you can find a list of free ones here.

If you love movies, why not read a book that inspired a movie adaptation?

Or maybe you prefer magazines. Magazine Line is a great site for finding magazines that match your interests, whether those include news, sports, fashion, music or something completely different. It’s an especially good place to buy magazine subscriptions because they give you discounted rates (lower prices). If you’re a college student, you may be able to get an even lower rate on some magazines. (Check the “Student and Educator Rates” section to find out how.)

Still can’t figure out what to read?

Browse through any summer book list, like these ones from the New York Public Library.

You can also browse websites like Goodreads or Amazon for lists of books created by members. Here’s a great one if you like mysteries, and another one if you want more variety.

Visit your local library…or don’t

You can get English books and other reading materials from your local library. If the selection there is not that great, try your library’s digital lending section.

You can also get discounted books from websites like Amazon or Half.com.

If you prefer digital books, Project Gutenberg and Amazon are good places to start.

Find a good time to read

Pick a time and place where you can read without interruption. Choose someplace quiet and well-lit, where you can sit comfortably for a while.

Have a notebook nearby

Have a notebook and pen or pencil close to you. This way, you can jot down new words as you read, or write notes if you like.

Now you’re ready to start reading…right?

But wait just a moment. Before you dive into your reading, there’s one last thing you should do!

How to Skim

Think about when you watch a movie. Before you go to the theater and spend money to see it, you probably want to know more about it. If none of your friends have seen it, you might watch the movie’s trailer.

The trailer tells you a little about what you’re going to watch. This way, you have an idea of what the movie is about before you watch it.

Skimming works the same way.

To skim means to glance over the text without fully reading it to get a general idea of what it’s about.

Skimming will become easier the more you do it.

Here are some tips for skimming your text:

Try skimming this article. What can you learn about the content? You might conclude that the next section has some specific tips for increasing your reading skills. And you would be right! Moving on…

How to Read

So you have your perfect book. You’re sitting in a comfortable place and you have plenty of time. Next to you is your handy notebook.

Here are some tips to help you keep improving as you read.

To improve your reading skills, read a lot

As they say, practice makes perfect! The more you read, the better you’ll get.

Take your time

There’s no need to rush. It doesn’t matter if you read one page or one hundred. What matters is that you understand what you read. Pause if you’re tired. Re-read if you’re confused.

Read along with an audiobook if you can

If the book you’re reading has an audiobook version, read along with the narrator. This may force you to read at a slightly faster speed than is comfortable, which can help improve your fluency.

Some learners may actually prefer audiobooks because they combine text with audio. Multimedia resources can help you build up not just your reading ability, but also your other English skills like listening comprehension and speaking.

So explore and try out audiobooks and other media that lets you read and listen to English. Even videos with subtitles can work, such as those on the language learning program FluentU. Its clips have interactive subtitles so you can read along and click a word or phrase to get information about it. Flashcards and quizzes are also included to help you review what you learn.

Read phrases, not words

Have you ever gotten stuck reading one sentence over and over…and still not understanding it? Try backing away from the sentence. Try not to see it as being made out of words. Instead of reading the words one by one, read entire phrases. Don’t try to understand the meaning of each word. Just try to understand what they mean together. (If you’re getting stuck on words you don’t know often, that might be a sign you should move to a slightly easier book.)

Learn sight words

To learn to read entire sentences instead of individual words, work on learning sight words. Sight words are common words that appear often in texts. You can find a list of some sight words on this website. Sight words are words that our eyes glide over as we read because we already know them.

Take a look at this sentence, for example:

“The cerulean cat is in a tree.”

You should only have to pause at the word “cerulean.” By the way, cerulean is a shade of blue.

What a strange cat…

Use context clues

Using context clues means trying to understand a new word by looking at what’s around it. If you’re stuck on a word you don’t know, try looking at the whole sentence for a hint about what it means.

In the cat sentence above, for example, you might not know what “cerulean” means. But you can at least figure out that whatever it is, it’s describing the cat. That might be all you need to know!

Don’t stop to look up every new word. It’s harder to focus on your reading if you keep interrupting it. You can write down the word and look it up later. Only look up a word if you can’t understand what you’re reading without it.

Use your imagination

When you’re reading in English, it might be difficult not to translate into your native language in your head. Don’t do this! Instead, try to picture what you’re reading.

Read for meaning, and test your understanding

After you finish reading, give yourself a few minutes to think about what you just read. How much did you understand? Try to summarize what you read. You can write it, say it out loud or just think about it. If you can’t do this, you might have been too focused on the words instead of the meaning. Next time you read, try to focus less on each word you read, and more on what the text is trying to say.

Use these tips when you read, and you will find yourself getting better and better!

How to Work on Your Reading Speed

When you’re learning a language, it’s better to focus on understanding what you read instead of reading quickly. Of course, you may have reasons for wanting to speed up your reading: Maybe you need to read a lot of text for school. Maybe you’re trying to improve your fluency.

Whatever your reason, if you really want to improve your speed, try these tips:

Time yourself

How many words per minute can you read? Time how long it takes you to read a couple of pages from a text at your reading level. Here’s an easy way to figure out about how many words are on a page: Count the number of words in one full line and multiply it by the number of lines on the page.

Use the same kind of text each time

It might take you longer to read a non-fiction article than to read a few pages from a thriller book. If you want to keep track of your improvement, use the same kind of reading material each time you work on your reading speed.

Set a realistic goal

Your goal right now might be to read “faster,” but how fast do you want to read? Speed is not just about how fast you can read the words on the paper. It’s about how fast you can read them and still understand them. If you read this entire article in a minute, but can’t remember any of what it said, then you are pushing yourself too hard. Aim for the middle—a faster speed where you can still understand most of what you read.

Use your pen or finger to guide your reading

You might think only slow readers use their fingers, but using a finger or pen to guide you is a great way to increase speed. Have your eyes follow the pen at a comfortable speed. Then slowly increase how fast you move the pen. This will help focus your eyes on the area you’re reading, and will push you to speed up little by little.

Don’t read every word

When we read, our eyes take in a few words at a time. Let your eyes take in more words, and don’t focus on every single word. Instead, try to read in chunks.

Don’t sub-vocalize

Sub-vocalization is that voice you hear in your head when you’re reading. That voice is actually much slower than your fastest reading speed—he’s slowing you down! Don’t read in your head. It sounds easy, but it might be the hardest of all these tips! The voice is not that simple to silence, but if you keep trying, you’ll learn to do it.

No matter what part of your reading you’re trying to improve, the tips in this article will help you get there.

Remember: The best way to learn is to practice.

So read read read!

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

6 Steps To Read Effectively In A Foreign Language

by Olly Richards

If you’re learning a foreign language, and you don’t read regularly…

But do you know how to read effectively in another language, without getting overwhelmed by unknown vocabulary and complex grammar that doesn’t make sense?

In this article you’ll learn how to use reading to quickly learn new words and boost your fluency in your target language, even if you’re just getting started, and even if you’ve tried and failed before.

Reading, after all, is the foundation of my StoryLearning method, where I teach languages through stories (you can try it here)… so this article is important!

Why Should You Bother Reading In A Foreign Language?

You’ve probably heard before that reading helps you to learn language.

What are the benefits of learning a language with stories, as opposed to with a textbook?

Understanding what reading is, and why you would do it, is the first step to becoming an effective reader.

The main benefit of reading is that you gain exposure to good quality, natural language. But you can read in different ways.

If you read a lot (for pleasure or study), this is commonly known as extensive reading. You read large amounts, and are concerned with enjoying the story or learning from the contents.

It might be natural for you to read a lot in your mother tongue, but this is very different from the kind of reading you might do in a foreign language textbook.

In your textbook, you read short passages of text, which you study in detail with the aim of understanding every word.

This is known as intensive reading.

With intensive reading, because you’re reading in so much depth, you can’t get through very much material.

Both approaches have value and are an important part of a balanced approach to language learning.

But it’s extensive reading where all the magic happens.

By reading lots of books, websites, magazines or newspapers (whatever you enjoy) in another language, you’ll quickly build up an innate understanding of how the language works, because you cover so much material.

Can you see how this is very different from what you get from your textbook?

(I describe how to use reading as a complete language learning method here.)

So what’s the catch? 🙂

Well, in order to take full advantage of the benefits of extensive reading, you have to actually read a lot!

Easier said than done.

Why You Find Reading In A Foreign Language Difficult

Reading is a complex skill.

In our mother tongue, we use “micro-skills” to help us read.

Here’s where it gets interesting.

When it comes to reading in a foreign language, studies have shown that we abandon most of these reading skills we take for granted in our mother tongue.

Instead of using a mixture of micro-skills to help us understand a difficult text, we simply start at the beginning and try to understand every single word.

Inevitably, we come across unknown or difficult words and quickly get frustrated with our lack of understanding.

So what can you do about it?

Well, once you’re aware of this, you can adopt a few simple strategies (such as the 10 Rules of StoryLearning) that will help you turn frustration into opportunity, and use reading to quickly boost your language skills!

How To Be A Smart Reader & Language Learner

With this in mind, here is the thought process I recommend you have when reading books in your target language:

And this brings us to the single most important point of all…

You must accept that you won’t understand everything you read.

This is completely normal and you should expect it.

The fact that you don’t know a word or understand a sentence doesn’t mean that you’re “stupid” or “not good enough”.

It simply means you’re engaged in the language learning process, just like everybody else.

So what should you do when there’s something you don’t understand?

How To Deal With Words You Don’t Know

If you find yourself stumped by an unknown word, here are five ways to tackle the problem:

Now that we’ve dealt with the big issue of difficult vocabulary, let’s look at the reading process itself.

The Six-Step Process For Reading In A Foreign Language

(This is covered in more depth in the 10 Rules of StoryLearning)

At every stage of the process, there will inevitably be words and phrases you do not understand or cannot remember.

Instead of worrying, try to focus instead on everything that you have understood, and congratulate yourself for everything you have done so far.

Most of the benefit you derive from reading will come from reading entire sections through from beginning to end.

Only once you have completed a chapter in its entirety should you go back and begin the process of studying the language in more depth.

Becoming An Independent Reader

These steps are designed to do something very important: to train you to handle reading independently and without help.

The more you can develop this skill, the better you’ll be able to read.

And, of course, the more you can read, the more you’ll learn.

Remember that the purpose of extensive reading is not to understand every word, as you might be expected to in a textbook.

The purpose of reading is to enjoy the book for what it is.

So, when you’re reading, if you don’t understand a word, and you can’t guess what the word means from the context, the first thing you should do is simply try to keep reading.

And you’ll be tempted to reach for the dictionary at every turn.

But if you can learn to be content with not understanding everything whilst reading a foreign language, you’ll be developing a powerful skill, because you become an independent and resilient learner, who suddenly has a world of language at their fingertips.

Short Stories For Beginners

If you have read up to this point, you might be thinking:

That’s all very well, but how can I find books that are at the right level for me?

It can be a challenge.

So-called graded readers exist in most languages, but I’ve found that they’re not always so helpful.

They’re either too hard, too boring, or contain parallel texts which remove all the challenge of reading and make it too easy for you as the reader.

So I decided to make something different.

I’m creating collections of short stories, written especially for students from beginner to intermediate level (A1-B1 on the CEFR).

The books are published with Teach Yourself (a name you might be familiar with!)

Each collection is designed to give you a sense of achievement and a feeling of progress when reading.

The books come in beginner and intermediate series:

Reading English not only helps people develop their vocabulary, it is also the best way to strengthen their spirits, keep focus and especially expand their knowledge.

Have you ever thought of how limited your work would be without a book by your side?

Or, would anyone have succeeded without reading habit?

I) Benefits of reading English books

Reading English is not just about finding the right information for the job, it has benefits that sometimes even people who are reading do not know.

1. Create motivation to learn English every day: Reading a lot of English documents will gradually become a habit. You will no longer search for knowledge on the internet in your own language. Instead, you’ll acquire new knowledge that helps you at work.

2. Think in English: Of course when reading English, words and phrases will be repeated a lot. The image in your brain will turn into thoughts.

3. A good way to review and memorize vocabulary: You will gradually forget what you have learned without daily contact with it. So are English vocabulary, common words and phrases that are repeated many times will help you remember them more deeply.

4. How often do you have to write reports and essays? Reading is indispensable for each person. Because from famous books in English, you will have better thinking, more coherent writing when you learn from the author.

5. Update knowledge faster and improve income simultaneously. If you have new suggestions and a logical way of working, then your income will be much higher.

II) 4 steps to practice English reading effectively

Table of Contents

Step 1: Preparation

Many people often fall into sleep immediately when start reading.

Therefore, the preparation for what’s going to happen is very important. Get ready for everything before reading: pencils, notebooks, dictionary, etc.

Above all, you need to prepare an extremely serious attitude, sit up straight, take a deep breath. Start right away, do not let anything else distract you.

Step 2: Skimming

This step helps you to get a rough idea of what the book is about to present so that you can go further into the analysis later. This step for many people is redundant, but if done correctly, you will see the effect for your ability to read English.

Think back to what you remember? Note the questions you are most concerned about.

Step 3: Adjust the reading speed and read related phrases

Now actually read what the book writes. Since you have already skimmed once, this step will be a lot easier if you focus.

Read by phrases and intonation

Certainly there will be vocabulary that you have never met or forgotten. Do not rush to look up immediately after seeing. Calmly guessing is the tactics that will save a lot of time.

This way of learning also helps you practice judgment skills and develop your vocabulary every day.

Step 4: Retell the story

What is presented in the book only belongs to you when you can put it back. In one or many different ways: mindmap, presentation in text form, retelling to others,etc. Using English will help you once again learn the knowledge and make sure you remember it for a long time.

III) 5 notes to improve your English reading skills quickly

1. Always spend time reading English

Find out what is your favorite topics?

You may not notice the small things above, but they greatly affect the quality of your focus. Ideally, adhere to the instructions for the highest quality of work.

2. Read your favorite books or essential ones for work

Unlike other methods of learning English, you can read books wherever you are. The key is to find a book that is interesting and appropriate for your level.

What’s your job? Which major are you studying? Or what have you been concerned lately?

Read something more useful to you to make sure you enjoy the books.

What is your English reading level? You cannot choose a novel with thousands of pages while your English is too weak. Surely no one can keep calm and spend 30 minutes reading. So choosing a book at the right level is very important.

Finally, choose English books. You can read about any topics you like but remember that it must be in English

3. Self-questioning during reading and after reading

You will ask yourself questions when reading books. Asking a variety of questions and answering these questions will help practice your reading, speaking skills and you will have a long time memory.

Several types of questions corresponding to “what, when, where, why, how”… help you understand the problem more deeply. The way you answer the questions will be diversified in different ways to improve your English proficiency.

You can apply this by noting the key words of the text you have read and then asking questions around the words.

4. Practice reading fluently

Remember that reading English is a skill, which needs to be practiced every day. There is a tips for you: “you cannot understand what you read if you only read each word instead of the whole sentence”. Even if you read it silently in your head, you should read in the rhyme, read the related phrases as if you were speaking.

In this section, remember that what I mean is how to practice reading fluently, not reading comprehensively. Please apply this when you have completed step 3 of the “4 steps to practice English reading effectively“.

5. Read a variety of documents and books

On the same topic of interest, you can choose from many other reading formats, they are email, blog, tweet, facebook …

Changing reading material in order to learn different ways of presenting the issue. This will also expand the sources of information that some of the previous documents have not covered. Selected topics will change according to each format.